How We Can Overcome Temptation
(Luke 4:1-13)
When we think of temptation, we often consider a variety of challenges or trials that we encounter in our lives. These temptations can be a significant struggle for some and multiple challenges for others. They can range from addiction, materialism, pride, self-centeredness, and laziness to anger, bitterness, sexual temptations, gluttony, even persistent lying.
It's safe to assume that most, if not all of us, have faced at least one temptation from this list. But the question we must address today is not merely what temptation is, but how we can overcome it.
The Bible thankfully provides us with a powerful illustration of overcoming temptation through the story of the temptation of Christ. His experience in the wilderness exposes the nature of temptation and serves as a model for conquering it. With this in mind, let us turn our attention together to our new chapter in Luke, chapter 4,
1: Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2: where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3: The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4: Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’
(Luke 4: 1-4)
In this passage, we witness the first of three temptations that the devil subjected Jesus to. This first temptation takes place in the wilderness, where Jesus had been led by the Holy Spirit. The wilderness of Israel still today is one of the most desolate places on Earth. It's a barren and lifeless expanse of uninhabitable rock, void of topsoil or any signs of life. Imagine the desolation of the desert but stripped down to the barest and most desolate form. It's a place where nothing thrives.
Now, not only was Jesus isolated in this barren wilderness, but He also abstained from food for 40 days, leaving Him physically famished. It's essential to emphasize the tremendous hardship that Jesus must have endured during this time. It's no exaggeration to say that He was physically at His weakest. And it's in this vulnerable state that the devil confronts Him with the first temptation.
The devil begins by saying, "If You are the Son of God..." In the Greek text, the word "if" can be translated as "since." Therefore, the devil is not casting doubt on Jesus' identity but rather challenging Him in His identity as the Son of God.
We now observe the devil's initial challenge, which focused on Jesus' hunger and His ability to turn stones into bread. It may appear as though there's nothing inherently wrong with fulfilling a legitimate need when you're hungry. After all, Jesus was indeed the Son of God, and He possessed the power to perform such a miracle. So, where's the temptation in this scenario?
Let's dive deeper into this encounter. The setting for this temptation is crucial to understand. Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit, so having just emerged from the waters of His baptism, and heard the voice of the Father had declared, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Well here, the devil, too, recognized who Jesus was. He absolutely recognised Jesus' identity as the Son of God.
As the devil approached Jesus, he began his temptation with the words, "If You are the Son of God..." In this context, the devil is challenging Jesus to prove His divine identity in a particular way. So, the first temptation wasn't about Jesus proving who He was; the devil already recognized that. The real test was whether Jesus would allow the devil to dictate His actions, thereby breaking His connection to the Holy Spirit, and leading Him away from God's will.
The essential lesson in this temptation isn't about eating when hungry. It's about obedience to God's will. Obedience involves more than meeting legitimate needs; it's about fulfilling those needs in a way aligned with God's will.
To illustrate this concept, we can look at sexual sin. Sex is a legitimate need, but when pursued outside the boundaries of marriage, it becomes disobedience to God's will. Therefore, the temptation Jesus faced was the temptation to disobey God's will to meet a legitimate need in an illegitimate way.
Jesus' response to this first temptation was swift and firm. He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, saying, "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God." He demonstrated his immediate obedience to God's Word thereby showing the solution to temptation. This immediate obedience was possible because He had already internalized the Word of God. It wasn't just a knowledge of Scripture; it was a willingness to obey it.
We should also learn from Jesus and strive for this type of immediate obedience to the will and Word of God. The time to learn to obey God's Word is always, right now, before the temptations come our way. If we learn to obey now, when temptation arrives, we'll be prepared to respond as Jesus did.
Now, let's continue to the next scene in the story, which begins in verse 5:
5: The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6: And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7: If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8: Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’
(Luke 4:5-8)
In this scene, the devil offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory in exchange for worship. It's a tempting proposition.
So, the devil's second temptation of Jesus, involved offering Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. The devil tried to entice Jesus by suggesting that He could gain authority and honour without having to endure the suffering, reversing the biblical principle that emphasizes suffering followed by glory.
What the devil offered was essentially a shortcut, but it was a deceptive one. In God's plan, the path to glory usually begins with suffering. The principle of "there is suffering and then there is glory" is woven throughout the New Testament. God's design dictates that before one can rule with Christ over the earth, we must first experience tribulation of battling through this life.
Satan's deception lies in promising glory while omitting the suffering. It's a cunning tactic that seduces individuals into ignoring God's way of worship and service, enticing them with immediate rewards. However, the result of this deception is that it usually leads to meaningless suffering. In contrast, God's plan is a path that involves suffering for a season, followed by everlasting glory.
There's an essential application here for us. When Jesus proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth," He indicated that those who become disciples of Jesus Christ, not merely believers, will rule with Him over the earth. However, the path to this inheritance also involves struggle and even suffering sometimes. Thus, Satan's temptation to disregard God's worship is an attempt to lure us away from God's divine plan.
In the wilderness, the devil's temptation was to encourage Jesus to disobey God's will, it was an invitation to forsake God's worship. Jesus' response in both situations reveals the foundation of His faith and he firmly commands, "Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'"
This response not only dismisses the devil's deception but also underscores the profound connection between worship and service.
When Jesus cited Deuteronomy 6:13 here, He displayed His profound knowledge of the Scriptures and His unwavering commitment to God's Word. It's important to note that simply knowing the facts of the Bible is not enough; the transformation of our lives comes when we allow God's truth to reshape our perspectives. The Word of God changes our perspective, which, in turn, affects our behaviour and devotion to the Lord.
Consider this a valuable lesson friends: Do not hold too tightly to temporary things. As pilgrims on this earth, we are just passing through. Instead, cling to the Lord, for in Him, everything else becomes secondary.
Remember that what you try and hold onto too tightly in this world may be the thing that eventually separate will you from him. Our ultimate attachment should be to the Lord, and through this perspective, everything else falls into its proper place.
The idea that we are pilgrims is not new. The Puritans, known for their deep spirituality, held a significant insight that can resonate with us today. In a lecture by renowned scholar J.I. Packer, it was noted that the Puritans' profound spirituality was rooted in their understanding that they were pilgrims in this world, and this world was not their permanent abode. This perspective served as a powerful catalyst for achieving a depth of spiritual insight in our lives also.
With this pilgrim mindset, we transition to the third temptation that Jesus faced.
As we follow the sequence of events, Jesus has already resisted the temptation to disregard God's plan and God’s way of worship. Scene 3 unfolds as Satan takes Jesus to a significant place,– either a high point of the temple building or a precipice that drops dramatically from the walls of Jerusalem. In either case, it's an elevated location.
Satan presents a daring proposition to Jesus:
9: The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10: For it is written:” ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11: they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” 12: Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ 13: When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
(Luke 4: 9-13)
"If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here." But before we proceed, let's briefly discuss the debate about the specific location in question. Some suggest that it was a high point on the temple building, while others propose that it was a wall precipice.
In the temple building theory, the drop would be around 180 feet, whereas if it was the wall precipice, it would be approximately 450 feet, roughly equivalent to a 45-story building, if you can imagine that. Regardless of the specific location, Satan's intent remains the same: he tempts Jesus to engage in a reckless act in jumping from a great height.
Once again, we witness Jesus responding with the powerful tool of Scripture. In the first temptation, Jesus stated, "It is written," and in the second, He employed the same phrase. But this time, the temptation takes a different turn. This is because Satan counters with Scripture of his own this time, quoting verses 11 and 12 from Psalm 91. He suggests that angels will save Jesus if He jumps, emphasizing the protection of God's angels.
However, Satan's manipulation of Scripture is twofold. First, he misquotes the Scripture by omitting the phrase "in all your ways." Second, he takes the verse out of its intended context, implying that one can take life-threatening risks without consequence. The key element that Satan disregards is that the promise of protection is conditional upon dwelling with the Lord and doing His will.
The difference between Satan's distortion and the true meaning of the Scripture lies in understanding that God's protection is not a free pass to engage in reckless behavior but a promise to those who trust and follow His will closely.
This subtle distinction is significant and reminds us not to twist Scripture to suit our desires but to seek the Lord in every way.
Satan's tactics serve as a reminder to us all. Heretics, cults, and even some preachers have been known to misquote or manipulate Scripture by taking it out of context. It underscores the importance of reading and understanding the Bible in its entirety, and in its intended context.
Ok that the text what valuable lessons we can draw from His responses.
Summary.
In concluding our exploration of Jesus' temptations, we must heed a crucial lesson: the mere utterance of "it is written" is not sufficient to grasp the true meaning of Scripture. It is imperative to consider the context and the broader message the Scripture conveys.
As we reflect particularly on this third temptation, a significant difference emerges between the way Jesus and Satan quote scripture. While Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16, about testing the Lord, Satan departs from the context. Jesus stands firm, declaring, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God."
The key distinction here lies in understanding that Jesus, when quoting Scripture, does so with a deep grasp of the verses' meaning and the overarching message they carry.
The devil's departure, as documented in verse 13, signifies the end of this particular episode. However, we must not mistake this for the end of temptation. Instead, it merely marks a temporary respite.
Just as Jesus overcame Satan's temptations three times, the temptations in our own lives may return. Satan does not give up easily; he bides his time and waits for opportune moments. Overcoming one, two, or even three temptations is an accomplishment, but it does not guarantee immunity from future trials.
We will encounter an illustration of this later in the Gospels when Jesus poses a question to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. At one point, Peter boldly asserts that He is the Messiah, and rejects the idea of Jesus needing to suffer and die. Jesus, discerning the Devil’s influence, responds decisively with, "Get thee behind me, Satan," thus repeating the lesson He taught us in the wilderness. The adversary will return at any opportune moment.
In studying these temptations together, it becomes evident that all human temptation operates through the avenues of pleasure and pain. Every enticement involves either the allure of pleasure or the dread of pain. As a writer of yest-a-year put it, “it's either the intoxication of delight or the nightmare of punishment that lures us astray”.
However, our response should echo the wisdom the afore quoted Andrew Bonar, we must remember the importance of remaining vigilant after the victory, not just before the battle. Indeed, being watchful even after conquering temptation is vital, as the tempter does not relent easily.
To encapsulate what we can learn for this passage remember we can be tempting in one of three main ways. One, to disobey God's will, secondly the temptation to disregard God's worship, and finally the temptation to disbelieve God's word. In response to these temptations, Jesus demonstrated a consistent pattern: He knew the word of God, He believed it, and He obediently followed it. In essence, the Word of God proved to be the key to His victory over temptation.
As we contemplate our own battles with temptation, we find a profound lesson in Jesus' example. The key to overcoming temptation lies in knowing, believing, and obeying the Word of God. By embracing the Word and allowing it to transform our perspective on life, we can then become victors over temptation.
In your own life, remember this: temptations may come, but the Word of God equips us to conquer them. Through faith, knowledge, and obedience, we can rise above the allure of pleasure or even the fear of pain.
Therefore, let us commit ourselves to the Word, for it is a source of strength and a wellspring of victory over temptation.
Our defence friend is the Word of God, and when correctly applied Satan has no defence against it.