Matthew 4:2 – 11 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
1 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him
When Christians talk about the temptation of Jesus, they are invariably referring to this account of Jesus’ interaction with the devil. It is unlikely this was the only time Jesus was tempted. In fact, the Bible tells us that when this situation ended the devil retreated to look for another opportunity (Luke 4:13). This account is in the Bible to give us an example of how the devil works so that we can be better prepared.
First of all, the devil came to Jesus when He was alone. This is standard practice for the devil. He wants us isolated from others who could encourage us or help us resist the temptation. That is why Christians need each other. For safety we should have friends that we can be open and transparent with so that we will minimize our chances of being isolated.
Not only did the devil wait until Jesus was alone but also until He was weakened. Jesus had fasted for 40 days. He was physically weak. Like any predator the devil attacks the weakest members of the herd/flock. When one is sick, under stress, or physically tired is when they are more susceptible to temptation. That is when Christians must actively seek out others to help them be victorious over the temptation.
The first temptation was to meet a need outside of God’s will/provision. God had led Jesus into the desert to fast. Jesus was fasting in obedience to God. God had not ended the fast yet so eating would have been disobedience. This was the same temptation the devil used on Eve in Eden. The devil told her God was withholding something from her, but she could get it on her own. The devil tempts us in this way by bringing a need or desire to mind and then showing us a way to get it outside of God’s will.
In the Matthew account the second temptation is to test God. To try manipulating God or force Him to do something. The devil even misused scripture to try and convince Jesus to do it. We test God when we try to make Him do what we want. I once heard of a woman who determined to fast until God gave her a husband. That is a hunger strike, not faith. Some Christians believe they can force God to meet their whims by “naming and claiming” something. We can certainly ask God for something, but He always has the privilege of deciding what to give and who to give it to.
The final temptation was to circumvent God’s timing. Jesus knew He was going to rule all the kingdoms of the world someday. The devil’s temptation was to get it easier and faster. God has a plan for each of us. He has created good works for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). God’s timing is part of that plan. I knew that God had called me to be a missionary in 1984. But I did not actually get to go to the mission field until 1996. When I first knew of the call, I tried to go immediately but God blocked me. It was not time yet. Had I tried to force myself onto the field I might have made it there, but I would not have been in God’s will for my life.
Jesus resisted the devil and the temptations by focusing on God. He quoted scripture and kept the proper perspective. He trusted in God’s provision, plan, and timing. The devil tempts us by trying to get us to focus on our own situation, desires, and needs. We will be victorious over temptation if we take our thoughts captive and keep our eyes on God.
Lord God, grant me the strength to stand firm when tempted. Help me to keep my heart and mind focused firmly on You. Fix Your truth in my heart so that when temptation comes I will not be deceived by its allure.