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

Luke 4:5 -13“And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:” “And in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season."

Continuing with Exploring The Temptation of Jesus, the referenced scriptures, shows how the Satan is trying to tempt Jesus to receive the world as His possession without going by the way of the cross. A temptation usually is an area where we have a desire. Jesus does have a desire to have all the people of the world to follow Him. The Lord Jesus knew that He would rule the world. When He returns, He will be Lord of lords and King of kings. In the beginning of the Book of Genesis, it tells how, Adam turned his power over to Satan when he and Eve sinned in the garden, Satan does have power on the earth, but it is limited. Jesus defeated him on the cross. The Christians have power over Satan in the name of Jesus. The people who are not believers cannot use Jesus’ name to fight the devil. This is very important for believer in Jesus Christ to know. You've got the Power!

One of the biggest lies ever told, is “If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.” devil has no reason to ever tell the truth. Jesus quoted (Deut. 6:13). “You shall fear the LORD your God, and serve him, and shall swear by his name.” The very first of the Ten Commandments tell us that the Lord God is the only being to be worshipped. Jesus answers the devil each time with a Scripture. Friends, please know the word of God (The Bible) We see here, God’s plan was for Jesus to rule over all the world, everything above the earth, and everything under the earth. Self-denial and sacrifice by Jesus would win Him that rule. He rules over Satan, as well. At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.

Philippians 2:10-11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and [things] under the earth;” “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” even Satan must confess the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord! This Scripture that the devil was quoting from is found in (Psalms 91:10-12). It is given not only to Jesus, but to His followers as well. Psalms 91:10-12 tells us that “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” “They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” You see, the devil knows the Word of God. Usually when he quotes it, it is like this Scripture; he misquotes it. He changes a word here and there. Satan brought Jesus to the temple of God for this temptation. He tells Jesus, if you are who you say you are, show me. My friends, Jesus doesn’t need to prove anything to the devil. The devil’s pride was what got him into trouble, and he thought Jesus would surely be weak in this area.

Finally, Jesus quoted (Deut. 6:16) “You shall not test the LORD your God, as you tested him in Massah.” Even though we know for sure God is taking care of us, we should not do something foolish to prove it. Jesus in these temptations, was tempted as we are tempted and yet was without sin. He overcame the devil here. He always overcomes the devil. The devil is no match at all for Him. “For a season”: Satan’s temptations did not end here for Christ, but persisted throughout His ministry (Heb. 4:15), and culminated in Gethsemane (22:39-46). This temptation was actually every type of temptation. The devil went away defeated. Even in Jesus’ weakest moment, He is stronger than the devil. The devil can’t win, so he leaves. AMEN!!! Glory and Honor unto our God and The Lord Jesus Christ!