John the Baptist told the crowds gathered at the Jordan River that someone was coming who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). Jesus, the one who baptizes with the Spirit, received the Spirit Himself at His own baptism (Matthew 3:16). Under the Spirit’s direction, Jesus then traveled to a solitary place in the wilderness.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (Matthew 4:1-3)
After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, the Hebrews found themselves in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. A lack of food and water caused them to grumble and fail to trust God at many points along the journey.
Like God’s ancient people, Jesus was also tested by a lack of food in the wilderness. This temptation placed before the Son of God was the first—but certainly not the last—attempt by Satan to oppose God’s purposes.
The Gospels record numerous occasions when religious authorities objected to Jesus’ teaching and healing ministry. Crowds of people followed Him, only to withdraw when His popularity waned. Later, one of Jesus’ closest followers betrayed Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, and during His crucifixion, the remaining eleven disciples fled for their lives.
At His baptism, Jesus heard the Father say, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17).
In the wilderness, the devil attempted to get God’s beloved Son to listen to him rather than the Father. This tactic is as old as the Garden of Eden, when the serpent asked Eve, “Did God say…” (Genesis 3:1).
Today, we are constantly bombarded with suggestions that God’s will isn’t actually good for us. These thoughts might come from social media, friends, family, or even stem from our own fallen nature. If we don’t establish a daily habit of listening to God through Bible reading and prayer, we will inevitably adopt a mindset that ignores or opposes His will.
Rudy Ross has a helpful practice of asking God about the thoughts that pop into his head. He simply asks the Lord, “Is this from You?” He knows that only a thought inspired by the Spirit can affirm that “Jesus is Lord.” If a passing thought cannot declare the lordship of Jesus, he knows it is from the evil one.
The devil assumed Jesus would listen to him and follow his counsel. The essence of this test was to bait Jesus into using His personal power—apart from the Father’s will—to satisfy His hunger.
It wouldn’t hurt us to examine ourselves in the light of this temptation. How often do we act without giving God’s will a second thought? How often do we overrule our conscience and take an action we know violates God’s clear directions? How frequently are we offended because our perceived rights or privileges have been disrespected?
Overcoming God’s Way
Jesus refused to listen to the tempter and responded with a quote from Deuteronomy:
But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)
The passage from Deuteronomy that Jesus quoted will help us better overcome temptation when it comes our way:
“The entire commandment that I command you today you must diligently observe, so that you may live and increase and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors.
Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments.
He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:1-3)
In order to live by God’s word, we must know it. We can only counter thoughts that oppose God’s plans for our lives when we are familiar with His will. Deuteronomy 8 reminds us that God’s commandments are guides for how to live best.
Verse 2 reveals the testing that both Jesus and we face. The only way to know the true state of a person’s heart is to test it and see what is there. The Hebrews failed time and time again, but Jesus never failed the test—even when it led Him to the cross.
God proved His faithfulness to the earliest generation of Hebrews by providing manna for them in the wilderness. Jesus lived by God’s word and essentially told the devil that his old tricks wouldn’t work.
The way we live by God’s word is by knowing His will and doing it. When we base our lives around God’s message in the Bible, it becomes the ultimate guide for our behavior.
In contrast, if our minds are filled primarily with the latest TV shows, social media, the opinions of friends, and the like, we become an easy mark for the devil’s schemes. Our flesh will align with the world’s system and fall for the tricks of the evil one.
By no means do I win every battle with temptation. In fact, many times each day, I find myself confessing my sins and asking the Lord for forgiveness. However, on the days when I experience the most victory, this is what takes place:
- Morning Prayer and Bible Reading: Beginning the day with prayer and Bible reading sets up the remainder of the day for victory. Even if my time with the Lord feels less than powerful, I am much better equipped to overcome temptation when I give my day this kind of start.
- Frequent Short Prayers: The wrong thoughts that creep into my mind serve as a billboard, reminding me to pray and ask for God’s help. We won’t survive times of testing without God’s assistance, and these quick prayers immediately connect us with the One who can help.
- Quick Course Correction: You’ve probably heard the saying, “You can’t keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep it from building a nest in your hair.” The exact minute we recognize temptation encroaching upon us is the time to turn away from sin and turn toward God.
You may have your own helpful activities for overcoming times of testing. Please take a minute and share them in the comments section below!
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 