Resisting the Devil: Exploring the Temptation of Jesus (Part I)

Luke 4:1 “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Following His public baptism, Jesus was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness,” referring to the elevation of the Judean wilderness. The historical settling of the temptation, which was directed against Jesus’ human nature, indicates that this was a literal experience, which He really conquered, not merely a mental victory over His own thoughts. That Jesus was “Tempted of the devil” is clearly presented as a fact. Jesus had just been baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. The Holy Ghost had descended on Him at His baptism. We see here, that He was full of the Holy Ghost. Jesus was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness. You'll see here, that "Spirit" (Ghost), is capitalized which means this is God’s Spirit. The Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness was so that He could face all the temptations of life. We see (in Hebrews 2:17-18), that this temptation would be so that He could better understand our temptations and be more sympathetic.

Just as the devil asked Eve, “Did God say?” he says to Jesus here; “if thou be the Son of God”. He tries to plant a doubt. He spoke to Jesus’ weakness at the moment, because we just read that Jesus was hungry. Jesus could command the stone, and it be made bread; but He didn’t. Has it ever entered your mind, "If you are a Christian, why are you going through this struggle or if you are a believer why are you struggling so? Know, where this thought process originates, and you'll be able to overcome it with the Holy Spirit. Whether or not the devil was standing there in visible form in front of Jesus I cannot tell. In fact, it really doesn’t matter, this temptation is real. I really think the devil already knows Jesus is the Son of God, but just wants Jesus to doubt. He will do that to us also, if we will listen. He already knows, that you're saved but wants you to doubt the salvation of God, that comes from faith in Jesus Christ or Savior. Jesus quoted (Deut. 8:3). Deut. 8:3 “And he humbled you, and allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD does man live.” Jesus answers the devil with the Word of God. He says, “It is written”. Jesus is the Bread, He is the Word, and He is the Life. He is really saying that you have to have Jesus to have life. Consuming from the Holy Bible, the Words of God, every day is much more important than physical food. If you do without physical food, the worst thing that can happen to you is your body will die. But if you do not consume the Word of God, your spirit will die. God fills our inner man when we read His Word. Amen and until next week!