1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 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.
Jesus had just received a glorious confirmation from God at His baptism and was full of the Holy Spirit when led to the desert to be tempted by the devil. From the mountaintop to the valley to the mountaintop to the valley – such is the way life goes! Isn’t it sweet and comforting to know that our Savior walked the same path yet was without sin? He understands and feels our pain as it is written: 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Heb 2:18 (NIV) 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Heb 4:15 (NIV)
Thinking that perhaps he had a shot, Satan picks an opportune time as Jesus was tired and hungry. I will have to hand it to Satan here; he knows how to read the times. Yet, it was ignorant and blind of him to think that he could deceive the One who had created him! I really believed that he was smarter than that unless, of course, he was just trying to make Jesus’ life miserable. Don’t be deceived – Satan is NOT out for our good! Nor is he our friend. He delights to see us in bondage to sin. It makes his day for us not to receive the gift of salvation. He loves to see us fall by his temptations and then shout “You are such a LOSER”! Make no mistake; he cares nothing for our well-being. Jesus, on the other hand, lived and died for all of us! What a Savior, what a Friend! Satan offers Jesus three things – food, the world with all its authority and glory, and for Jesus to prove that He actually was the Son of God. All three came with GREAT price tags! All three deal with fleshly appetites: physical hunger, power and materialism and lastly, pride. Satan doesn’t fight fair. Where we are weak, Jesus is strong; when we are weak, Satan strikes. He still uses the exact same tactics as he did in the garden with Adam and Eve. He gets us to question God’s plan and love for us and then appeals to our pride and lusts. The tricky thing about Satan is that he mixes the truth with lies. If he would just come to us with a red cape and a pitchfork, I doubt any of us would succumb to his enticements. Yet, he appears good and right and all about what is best for us! Nothing could be further from the truth. We should take note of how Jesus dealt with Satan’s allurements. He did not argue, He merely quoted God’s word. That is exactly what we are called to do too. It foils Satan’s attempts to bring us down. We must be proactive in this. We must take it upon ourselves to have a rich storehouse of truth within our hearts for WHEN the day of evil comes as Paul states in Ephesians: 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph 6:10-17 (NIV) Satan is powerful BUT God is more powerful. I love the verse in Colossians which states what our Jesus did for us in this regard:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Col 2:15 (NIV)
Yes indeed, Satan has NO rights over the child of God – only what we allow him to have. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters let us not give him an inch! We must always remember in our hearts and minds the contrast between what Satan has done for us and what Jesus has done and continues to do for us. “Stand firm then!”