Temptation takes many forms and often rears its head when we are at our weakest and this is revealed clearly in Jesus' time in the wilderness when He was desperately hungry. He well knew His Divinity could make His earthly life one of power, wealth, adulation, ease and physical comfort but resisted the temptation, not by dialoguing with Satan but by using the strength to resist He gained from His desire to carry out His Father's command to Him. Let us look at how He accomplished this, as described in Matthew 4: 1-11 (KJV).
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."
As the creator of the quantum aspect of His creation He knew full well that the atomic structure of stones could easily be turned into that of bread by Him but because He would do only that which He saw His Father do He would not take that easy path and so remained hungry. Jesus' scripture reference - (Deuteronomy 8: 3. KJV) “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knew not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live”
"Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.""
Jesus' scripture reference - (Psalm 91: 12.) “They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”)
"Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” Jesus knew that with His divine power He could rule not only the world but the whole universe but He also knew that when compared to His spiritual kingdom it was utterly worthless.
Jesus' scripture reference - (Deuteronomy 6: 13.) “Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.”
When we are tempted, as we undoubtedly will be on many, many occasions, let us not argue with the devilish thoughts but simply fall back on scripture, as did Christ and let us simply quote His words, recorded in Mark's Gospel. 8:33 KJV “But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.”
Peter was rebuked because he was looking at things from man’s point of view rather than God’s. Whilst Peter had an undoubtedly caring nature it was often misguided. Jesus rebuked Peter because his thoughts were in line with Satan’s (worldly) thoughts. Much sin is committed under the guise of care when that care is misguided. This is why we need to always check things out in the Scriptures. If someone, no matter their station in life, religious or secular, is misleading us, then they must be rebuked and this is what Jesus did with Peter. He was not so much criticizing him but trying to redirect his thinking back to the things of God. So fall back upon and proclaim those other words of Jesus when tempted. “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
There is Divine power in those words which helps us to resist any and all proffered temptation and when we act upon them then, indeed, angels will come and minister unto us. But first must come our determined resistance for only then will be given to us the Divine help from the Holy Spirit.
As Christ revealed in Gethsemane it is by will alone that someone is good or bad and never ever forget that at the end of each human life either God or Satan will say 'Mine' of each soul on offer
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."
As the creator of the quantum aspect of His creation He knew full well that the atomic structure of stones could easily be turned into that of bread by Him but because He would do only that which He saw His Father do He would not take that easy path and so remained hungry. Jesus' scripture reference - (Deuteronomy 8: 3. KJV) “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knew not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live”
"Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.""
Jesus' scripture reference - (Psalm 91: 12.) “They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”)
"Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” Jesus knew that with His divine power He could rule not only the world but the whole universe but He also knew that when compared to His spiritual kingdom it was utterly worthless.
Jesus' scripture reference - (Deuteronomy 6: 13.) “Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.”
When we are tempted, as we undoubtedly will be on many, many occasions, let us not argue with the devilish thoughts but simply fall back on scripture, as did Christ and let us simply quote His words, recorded in Mark's Gospel. 8:33 KJV “But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.”
Peter was rebuked because he was looking at things from man’s point of view rather than God’s. Whilst Peter had an undoubtedly caring nature it was often misguided. Jesus rebuked Peter because his thoughts were in line with Satan’s (worldly) thoughts. Much sin is committed under the guise of care when that care is misguided. This is why we need to always check things out in the Scriptures. If someone, no matter their station in life, religious or secular, is misleading us, then they must be rebuked and this is what Jesus did with Peter. He was not so much criticizing him but trying to redirect his thinking back to the things of God. So fall back upon and proclaim those other words of Jesus when tempted. “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
There is Divine power in those words which helps us to resist any and all proffered temptation and when we act upon them then, indeed, angels will come and minister unto us. But first must come our determined resistance for only then will be given to us the Divine help from the Holy Spirit.
As Christ revealed in Gethsemane it is by will alone that someone is good or bad and never ever forget that at the end of each human life either God or Satan will say 'Mine' of each soul on offer
