LUKE 4:1–13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 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.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
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.” For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
CONSIDER THIS
Forty days, three temptations, and three vocationally charged answers later, the devil walks away from the battle. In other words, the devil calls it quits on the game—but is not calling it quits on the season.
There are seasons of relief in our battle with the adversary of our souls—and for those, we can be grateful. When we fall to temptation, the season that follows is often filled with strife, anxiety, conflict, and even full breaks in life as we know it.
But when we face temptation and overcome it, and the Lord and we have seen our faith, “of greater worth than gold,” tested and proved genuine (1 Peter 1:7), there may be a time of reprieve when we can regroup and get ready for the next phase of ministry.
Jesus has been baptized, and his vocation and personhood have been affirmed. He goes into the wild to face temptation, to be tested, as to his deep ownership of that vocation. And he will come out of the wild ready to preach good news to the poor, freedom to the captives, and “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18–19).
The devil threw his best at Jesus, aiming to get him questioning if he was indeed the Son of God; to get him reconsidering the use of his power to serve himself, or the status of his belovedness to skip suffering and inherit glittering kingdoms; and to test his relationship with God (his God-security).
At every turn, Jesus has resisted the enemy by using the Word of God, the story of the saints, and by reinforcing the Father’s love for him by recalling the truths of his promises.
So there is an end to seasons of temptation, seasons of testing, and we can trust there is another side when we feel trapped on one side of a storm.
Today, is there a season of temptation or testing you feel you are in, that is pushing you to the edge of your strength and challenging your capacity to bear it?
The Lord says there will be an end to this season. Be strong and courageous, recall and reclaim his Word, and there will be a time when, we trust and hope, it is over and there is some reprieve. Just remain faithful through it, no matter how long it takes.
THE PRAYER
Lord of the Wild, there is distress in seasons when we are pushed to our very limits. We may be in one right now, and we choose to stay the course without lingering in doubt or challenging your faithfulness. Take us to our limits, that we may become limitless in our trust in you for the years to come. In Jesus’s name, amen.
THE QUESTIONS
Have you ever been stretched to your limit in your trust of God? How did you emerge on the other side?
For the Awakening,
Dan Wilt
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4 Responses
At this time in my life, there seems to be a calm relief. But as I survey the horizon, I can see the storm clouds gathering. I know it’s coming. I don’t know when or what form it will take, but I know to be prepared. “He says, be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)
I woke up this morning with the answer to your question, “How did you emerge on the other side?” running through my mind and heart. “Tune in to the risen Jesus. Tune out self-focused desires.” That’s not easy to do and it’s not a once and done deal. It’s a lifestyle that we learn by seeking to do it throughout the day, every day, all day long.
When temptations and distractions are interfering with our communication with the living Jesus and our hope has fled leaving our heart feeling like led, we mustn’t give up on the resurrected One who has complete victory over the devil and his demons. We need to earnestly pursue Christ’s presence and Lordship more than ever by living a consistent 2 Chronicles 7:14 lifestyle.
I had another thought this morning before I got out of bed: “Any day not spent openheartedly interacting with the resurrected Jesus is off track.” Every time we drift off or feel pulled away by temptation, let’s quickly get back on track and humbly interact with the resurrected Jesus!
The satan may temporarily give in, but he doesn’t give up. For the Christian, our soul is forever the Lord’s, but the satan will do all he can to make our lives a living hell while on earth. He’s like the gnat buzzing around our faces, he can’t harm us if we don’t give in to its purpose, but he can still distract us. He will do whatever he can to kill, steal or destroy our relationship with God and people, even if it’s only for fleeting moments.
A week or so ago, he attacked me demonically in my dream. One at the foot of my bed, the other on top of me. My dog and wife awoke me while I was kicking and thrashing at the two demons. I can still recall the fear I was under. I felt helpless.
How do you submit to God in a dream? I resisted in my dream but wasn’t winning until I awoke that they had left. Then I overcame because I came to the Lord!
That’s not the first time I’ve been demonically attacked in my dreams, and it probably won’t be the last, but I know who reigns over all, including the dream world: Jesus Christ, our Lord.
What is the Lord showing me in these types of dreams? What does he want me to understand? Or is it simply an avenue the satan uses because worldly temptations that once had power over me don’t?
I’m still waiting on clarity from the Lord.
But this I know, in Christ, I have a life lived abundantly!
Thank you, Jesus
John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Staying 💪’ n Christ!
How did you emerge on the other side? Very bloody. In many ways a nightmare, but now, I see my identity as a “Blessed Son of God” returning. For that, I thank Seedbed. I simply would have never seen the way out until I accepted JD’s challenge, “to accept the radical changes that occur when you dedicate yourself to drawing closer to Jesus.”
And how!