Temptation
C.S.
Lewis once warned, “Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one – the
gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones,
without signposts.”[1]
His words remind us of a subtle but dangerous reality: the enemy often works quietly,
deceptively, and unnoticed. Scripture makes it clear that Satan is a real,
intelligent, and active force opposing God’s kingdom. As John 10:10 says, “The
thief (enemy) comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Therefore, we must
stay vigilant, ready to recognize and resist his attacks as we faithfully
follow Christ.
Three and One
In
today’s passage Jesus was tempted by the devil – not just at the end of the
forty days, but for entire period. Verse 2 says, “There he was tempted for
forty days by the devil.” (CEB) During this time, Jesus faced relentless
spiritual attacks, likely experiencing countless fiery darts from the enemy.
Luke gives us three examples of the temptations Satan threw at Jesus. First, in verse 3 Satan says, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Then, in verses 5-7 Satan shows him all the kingdoms of the world and says, “I will give you their glory and all this authority; … If you will worship me, it will all be yours.” Finally, in verses 9-11 Satan takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and says, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you, and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”
These temptations boil down to one question: identity. “Who are you?” “Who am I?” “If you are a child of God, why are you living like a pauper?” “If you are a child of God, why aren’t you thriving? Why are you suffering?” “If you are a child of the king, claim your blessings. God has promised to send his angels to make you healthy, wealthy, and prosperous.” Satan’s aim in the wilderness was to deter Jesus from the cross. He knew that Jesus’ suffering and death would mean his defeat and our salvation.
The Man of God’s Own
Choosing
Adam,
the first man, failed miserably. He was sinless, he had a perfect free will,
having power to choose what is right. He was living in the ideal conditions of
Eden. But he couldn’t resist the devil’s temptation. But now, the second Adam,
Christ Jesus, is about to be tempted in the harsh wilderness after forty days
of fasting. Yet, he prevails. Where Adam failed, Jesus succeeds, liberating us and
leading us to victory and God’s presence.
Luke recorded today’s story not just to present Jesus as a moral teacher, but as the Savior, who endured temptation, suffering, and death for humanity, so that we might have freedom and life in him.
Word
So
how did Jesus win the battle? Jesus used two powerful weapons. The first was the Word of God. Jesus countered each of
Satan’s temptations by quoting Scripture.
•
“It
is written: ‘People don’t live by bread alone.’” (Deut 8:3)
•
“It
is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Deut 6:13)
•
“It
is written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Deut 6:16)
In
John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress,
Christian, the main character, went down into the Valley of Humiliation after
having a wonderful time at the palace Beautiful. There he faces a fierce battle
against Apollyon, the destroyer. The enemy asked, “Where did you come from, and
where are you going?” Christian answered, “I have come from the City of
Destruction, and I am going to the City of Zion.” At first, Apollyon tried to
persuade him to go back to the old city, but after it didn’t work, he made an
assault by accusing Christian about just how unfaithful he had been. He counted
his wrongdoings one by one. Apollyon pressed forcefully and persistently. But
Christian stood his ground and said, “All this is true; in fact there is much
more that you left out. But the Prince whom I serve and honor is merciful and
ready to forgive. I repented. I turned to him. And I received a full pardon
from my Prince!” This agonizing battle lasted for more than half a day, until
Christian was almost exhausted. But at the end, Christian gave Apollyon a
deadly thrust with his sword – the word
of God – and the monster drew back and ran away.[2]
“How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your
word… I have stored up your word in my heart, so that I might not sin against
you.” (Psalm 119:9, 11)
Spirit
The
second weapon Jesus used was the Holy
Spirit’s power. Luke begins this passage this way: “Jesus, full of the Holy
Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.”
(v. 1) Jesus was full of the Spirit and led by the Spirit. Jesus always fully
relied on the Holy Spirit’s empowerment. This models how we Christians should
rely on divine strength all the time.
In his sermon, “Our God Is Able,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared a personal testimony. He said that the first 24 years of his life were years packed with fulfillment – no basic problems or burdens. He sailed through high school, college, theological school, and graduate school without interruption. But when he became a part of the leadership of the Montgomery bus protest, he was then actually confronted with the trials of life. He began to receive threatening telephone calls and letters in his home. They were sporadic at first, but they increased day after day.
One evening he got a phone call. An angry voice said, “Listen, nigger, we’ve taken all we want from you. Before next week you’ll be sorry you ever came to Montgomery.” Dr. King said that he was so afraid and reached the saturation point. He was ready to give up. But then, he determined to take his fear and problem to God. He prayed, “God, I am afraid… I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.” At that moment he experienced the strong presence of the Holy Spirit. And he heard an inner voice, saying, “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth. God will be at your side forever.”[3] At once his fears were all gone. His uncertainty disappeared. He was ready to face anything. The outer situation remained the same, but the Spirit of God had given him inner calm and strength. Three nights later, his home was bombed. But strangely enough, he was calm.
Over the years Dr. King endured many dangers, toils, and snares. He deeply struggled with bouts of depression, criticism, marital infidelity. Yet, through it all, God was faithful. God sustained him to the very end. The week Dr. King was assassinated, he contacted his church to share the hymn he planned to sing that Sunday: “Precious Lord, Take My hand.” The day before his death, he delivered his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” By the Spirit’s power, he proclaimed,
“Well, I don't know what will happen now… Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people will get to the Promised Land.”
Dr.
King’s life was a testimony of relying on the Spirit’s power and guidance, even
in the midst of uncertainty and great trials.
In Christ Alone
Today’s
passage concludes this way: “After finishing every temptation, the devil
departed from him until the next opportunity” (v. 13). The enemy’s temptation
is ongoing reality. The core of temptation lies in questioning our identity as
God’s children: “If you are a child of God…” When trials come, we may struggle
with self-worth, guilt, or even resentment toward God.
But through Christ – through the power of His Word and His Spirit, we can prevail. When Martin Luther was asked how he overcame the devil, he replied, “Well, when he comes knocking upon the door of my heart, and asks ‘Who lives here?’ the dear Lord Jesus goes to the door and says, ‘Martin Luther used to live here, but now I live here.’”[4]
When Christ fills our lives, the enemy has no entrance. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:57) May we fully rely on Christ’s finished work and resist the enemy through the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[1] C.S.
Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Harper
San Francisco, 1996), 60-61.
[2] John
Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress (Charles
Foster Publishing, 2014), 65-70.
[3] Martin
Luther King Jr., Strength to Love
(Fortress Press: Minneapolis, 2010), 116-117.
[4] R. Kent
Hughes, Luke (2 volumes in 1 / ESV
Edition) (Preaching the Word) (p. 140). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
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