The Temptation
The Temptation
Having looked at Jesus baptism, and the fact that it was his public statement of identification with humanity in general, and the elect specifically, in this Blog we will look at the Temptation itself.
The Temptation was set up by the Holy Spirit to occur immediately following the baptism, and was willingly entered into by Jesus. By set up I mean, Jesus went out into the wilderness, to challenge the Devil, he presented the Devil with an opportunity to attack, the Devil had to decided what he was going to do; would he attack now or not? But he was given the opportunity by the Holy Spirit.
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." Mat 4:1
"And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness." Mar 1:12
"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness," Luk 4:1
Upon his baptism, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit (not that he was not before, but this was a filling to fit him for the battle that was to immediately follow). The Holy Spirit then leads him out into the wilderness, where he was alone for 40 days and 40 nights, fasting all of those days and nights. This is specifically stated, lest anyone think he went out into the wilderness to be alone and fast during the day, but at night went back to his house or town, and ate and slept there; NO, he ate nothing for the entire 40 days and 40 nights, sleeping every one of those nights in the desert; alone for the entire time, never returning to town or home.
He purposely brought himself to a place of extreme human physical weakness, so that his victory over the Devil would clearly be a spiritual victory, based on his using the Word of God. Christian, let us learn a good lesson here, for Jesus is showing us something: though we are to resist the Devil with active human "effort," yet our sword is the Word of God, our weapons are spiritual, not carnal, they are prayer and the word. Let us not be wiser than Jesus.
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;" 2Co 10:4
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Eph 6:11-13
And note the key one: stand!
On Jesus part, the temptation was to show that he was tempted in all points as we, yet without sin, and to assert his rightful place as the heir of all things; it was the first step in his destroying the works of the Devil.
On the Devil's side, the temptation was to de-rail Jesus right at the beginning of his ministry, right as he began his work as the Savior, so that he, the Devil, could become the rightful ruler of the world. This is a battle for control of the Universe.
And it was a three (3) prong attach, each starting with "if ..." As a note, this "if" means "since," for the Devil, Lucifer, knew and still knows, that Jesus is the Eternal Son of God. People may wonder who Jesus is, but the Devil knows exactly who he is and trembles; every time the demons encountered Jesus, they confessed they knew he was the Son of God, and fell at his feet in fear, trembling!
So on the Devil's side, it was an attack; on Jesus side, it was opportunity to overcome.
And this is only Round One! The Devil never left Jesus alone, but continued to harass him for the entire 3 1/2 years of his ministry: "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." Luk 4:13
So let us first look at this from the Devil's side. He is called "the prince of this world" and "the god of this world" and "the prince of the power of the air;" the whole world is said to "lie in the evil one." (1Jh 5:19)
Those are true statements! The Devil is currently the usurping ruler of this world; NOT in an absolute way, but as a bully, who when he was cast down from heaven to the earth, set up his kingdom, and is ruling. (Read C.S. Lewis "The Screwtape Letters")
When the Devil tells Jesus that all the kingdoms of the earth and their glory belong to him, and that he can give them to whomsoever he wants, Jesus does not refute that statement, because in one sense it is true.
So if the Devil can get Jesus to bow down to him, then he, the Devil, will become the REAL and TRUE and LEGITIMATE ruler of the world, having put Jesus in subjection to him. He will no longer be a usurper, he will have become the rightful heir, for Jesus the true heir, will have voluntarily given it all to him!
Closely tied to that, in the second place, if he can de-railed Jesus from fulfilling his role as Savior, he will take captive "the human race" so that they, we, will to be with him, forever, in hell.
The Devil is looking to accomplish those 2 objectives.
Looking at this from Jesus side, he is the promised Savior; he knows Ps 2 is all about him! He has not one doubt regarding the outcome: HE IS GOD! He will win, he will inherit the nations. He goes out into the wilderness to give the Devil an opportunity to attack. He takes the battle to the Devil, which he set up immediately after his baptism, not wanting one day to pass, lest there be any doubt as to his intention to take on the Devil, and destroy him.
We never think of Jesus as a destroyer, but he is:
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" Heb 2:14
"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1Jn 3:8
In the desert, Jesus gave notice to the Devil, who is a lying usurper, claiming to be ruler of this world, that he, Jesus, the rightful heir and ruler, was coming to lay claim to what was his by virtue of he being the Creator and the Son. He challenged the Devil to attack. Remember, it was the high and exalted-ness of Jesus that the Devil hated and coveted, which caused him to rebel and fall.
When he, the Devil, Lucifer said, "I will exalt myself and be as God," he meant he wanted to occupy the place of Jesus, he wanted to surpass Jesus.
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Isa 14:12-14
So one part of Jesus confronting Satan was to assert his rightful place as the heir of the Universe.
The other part was that as the head of his people, Jesus confrontation with Satan exposed him to the areas in which we are tempted:
John says: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." 1Jn 2:15-16
Richard Baxter, the great Puritan Preacher and Theologian said: all sin is to please the flesh; the world is the material; the devil the mover.
1Jn 2:15-16 can be organized as follows:
- love of sensual pleasure
- love of worldly wealth
- love of and proud desire for worldly honor and esteem
And the three (3) Temptations correspond accordingly:
The temptation regarding food = the lust of the flesh; sensual pleasure and physical satisfaction.
The temptation regarding the kingdoms of the world = the lust of the eyes; worldly wealth and possessions.
The temptation regarding jumping off the pinnacle of the temple = the pride of life; worldly honor and esteem.
As the Caption of his people, as the Elder Brother, Jesus exposes himself to these temptations, BUT HE DOES NOT SIN. In this way he is made a perfect Savior, not in his person, but by being tempted in all areas as we are, be becomes perfectly qualified, perfectly suited to be our Savior.
"For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Heb 2:10
"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." Heb 2:17-18
Jesus exposes himself to the Devil's temptations, the exact temptations to which we are exposed, but because he did not sin, he as the Last Adam, not only is "making" a righteousness for us, by fulfilling the law on our behalf, but as our Elder Brother, he is "beating up" our enemy!
Like the little, younger brother tells the bully, wait til my big brother gets you, he will beat you up!
Jesus came as our Elder Brother to destroy the Devil and the works of the Devil! This is a battle, a battle we Christians are also involved in; we are not spectators.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." 1Pe 5:8-9
So let us consider briefly each temptation in light of 1Jn 2:15-16.
Temptation #1:
Using Jesus extreme state of hunger, Satan tempts him to use his God-power to make stones into bread.
The key here is that eating is not sin, but the devil tempts Jesus to satisfy that legitimate need in a sinful way. The correct way for Jesus to satisfy that need is to walk back to town and get food.
Application to us: The basic desires and needs of the body, which we have as human beings, are part of the way God made us, but we are tempted to satisfy them in "illegal" ways, ie by sinning.
Owning things is not sin, if you want item "X," work to get the money, and buy it; that is not sin. But getting it by stealing, is sin; coveting someone else's possessions is sin, get your own, by working for it!
In our day, sexual sins are a huge problem. Sex is not sin! Wanting sex is not sin! But wanting to satisfy our legitimate sexual desires in the wrong way, with the wrong person is. God created marriage, in part, as the legitimate venue for the mutual satisfaction of sexual desires; marriage (heterosexual monogamous) is the legitimate way, because it is the venue he set up.
Food is good, God made it, but gluttony is sin.
I know there are various thoughts about wine, but we would all agree, drunkenness is wrong. Drunkenness is gluttony with wine.
Jesus makes this clear, saying: "Man does not live by bread alone, ... "
Notice the word "alone."
We do live by eating bread/food, but that regards physical living, and we are more that just a "machine;" that is the lie of humanistic evolutionary thinking. We are spiritual beings, whose spirits will not die, but will live forever, in either heaven or hell, and Jesus is clearly saying, true life, eternal life is from the word of God.
But the primary thrust of this temptation is to not use illegal (in the sense of breaking God's law; illegal in God's legal system) means to meet your needs, even to meet the legitimate needs of life.
"And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luk 12:29-32
Our Father KNOWS we need food! He made us to need food!
The issue is not food or God's word, it is getting food, and the legitimate needs and pleasures of life in legitimate, not sinful ways!
Jesus knows the temptations we face, he was tempted to use wrong means, he is sympathetic to us when we are tempted in this area, and will help us when we pray for strength to endure temptations in this area.
Temptation #2
The temptation regarding the kingdoms of the world = the lust of the eyes; worldly wealth and possessions.
Having a good job, making the salary that goes with that job, which may be big, bigger even than what other people make, is not sin. It is not a sin to be rich!
Think of the saying, "Do you have things, or do things have you?" Tithing helps with that. Tithing is expressing faith in God, by giving back him some of what we have earned, which really has come from him anyway, is telling him, I will trust you to still provide for me. If we hold it fast to ourselves, and for ourselves, we are falling at this temptation.
Materialism is a huge problem is America. The Advertising Industry promotes a materialistic, dis-satisfied mind-set; it works by making us dissatisfied with what we have. It breeds, promotes, and has inculcated into our minds a pervasive dissatisfaction. If we were satisfied, we would not buy half the junk we end up buying.
New this, better that, more of the other thing. But, I will not be happier if I use that brand of shampoo! My eternal well being does not depend on what car I drive. In fact maybe I should get a less expensive car, and give the difference away. Materialism is a great tool of the devil to destroy our souls, by side-tracking us away from God!
"He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." Mat 13:22
"And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection." Luk 8:14
All the kingdoms of the world belong to Jesus, but he had to endure the cross to get them.
After the resurrection he said to his disciples:
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Mat 28:18
That is exactly what the Devil offered to him without having to endure the cross.
And we Christians will inherit a kingdom whose splendor exceeds anything we can image (1Co 2:9), which will last forever (2Co 4:18), where the Lord Jesus is preparing dwelling places for each of us (Jhn 14:2-3), BUT for now we have to walk the narrow road, not letting the things of the world side-track us; they are just fuel for the fire.
For what we shall inherit, far exceeds the trinkets of this world:
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Rom 8:17-18
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you," 1Pe 1:3-4
It is not "pie in the sky, by and by!" It is where the risen Lord Jesus is right now, today, this very second, at the right hand of God, waiting for us!
The issue is, do we want the trinkets of this world, which moths eat and rust destroys, which we cannot take with us when we die, and do not satisfy us anyway, or do we want a kingdom which endures forever, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and being with God in heaven, in perfection, where we will truly be satisfied.
The Lord Jesus was tempted to get these things by avoiding the cross, we are tempted in the same way. We can have the things of the world, BUT ...
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mar 8:36
The Lord Jesus will not look down on us when we are tempted in this area, and call out to him for help, so that we might keep things in perspective: ETERNITY.
Temptation #3
The temptation regarding jumping off the pinnacle of the temple = the pride of life; worldly honor and esteem.
Nobody wants to be a nobody, we all want to be a somebody. Within the individual sphere of life which God has assigned to us, that is OK. If I do a good job at work, and I am recognized as such, that is OK. As a parent, neighbor, etc. it is nice to have it said about us, "He's a good guy. They were good parents," that is all OK. In fact the elders of Christian churches are to "have a good report of them which are without" (1Ti 3:7).
But this temptation is going beyond that, it is tempting God to endorse us using abnormal means to attract attention to ourselves in an effort at self-aggrandizement; it is trying to force God's hand, making him do what we want, so that his name is not dishonored, when we do something foolish.
To get off the roof of the Temple, walk down the stairs!
The Temple yard was full of people; they all would have seen Jesus falling down from the pinnacle, and in mid-air the angels catching him; humanly, THAT would have attracted many to follow Jesus, BUT that is not the God ordained way! That is tempting God to violate the norm, the "rules." The God ordained way to draw people to Christ is through the preaching of the word, written or spoken: period!
Think TV Evangelist, who uses gimmicks and showmanship; that is wrong in God's work, that is wrong in any context!
In life, not doing what we should do, but sitting back and waiting for God to do, is wrong. Saying, "God will provide," and not using the normal means of life, is wrong, it is tempting God!
Work is the God ordained way to provide for ourselves. God personally made a garden for pre-sinner Adam to work in. If you are short of money, either work more, or spend less.
Not going to the doctor when you are sick is wrong; trusting God to use the normal means of medicine is the right thing to do. And doing it to get personal recognition as someone who "trusts the Lord, who is super spiritual," is doubly wrong. It is attention grabbing, it is pride.
Pride is the Devil's sin! It is what lead him to covet Jesus high place in heaven, and say:
"I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Isa 14:13-14
It is for this reason that newer converts should not be elders, and why elders need to have a good name among the non-church community:
"Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil." 1Ti 3:6
"Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." 1Ti 3:7
The opposite mind-sets to pride are meekness and humility. See my Blog entitled "Meekness and Humility."
EVERYTHING in American culture today wars against that, our culture is filled with the pride of life, and doing everything to draw attention to one's self with wreckless living and foolish risk taking. The Devil wants to destroy us, and he uses wreckless and foolish living in the lives of many to do it.
How drunk can I get? How fast can I go? How much debt can I carry?
And as Christians, the issue is, I am his child, I am too important for God to let me fail. He will use any means I determine to "save" me. I can be reckless, I have him over a barrel, he must rescue me, for his own name's sake. Sorry, he doesn't have to, we are all expendable, his universe will continue just fine, it will not stop because you are not around, the world did not stop when Adam sinned and died.
During the last several years, how many good Evangelical ministers have fallen, thinking God would overlook their sin, because they were doing so much for him!
The issue is pride, self-exaltation. Jesus was tempted in this area: If you are the son of God, throw yourself off, the angels will catch you.
Christian, the Lord Jesus will not look down upon you when you are tempted in this area, and call out to him for help and strength to resist.
He is a perfectly suited high priest, having himself been tempted in this area, in fact in all areas, just like we are; he will strengthen us with the victory that he won.
To sum up, Jesus defeated the Devil for us. He started destroying the works of the Devil during the Temptation, and finished it on the Cross, and is only waiting for the last day to jail the Devil forever.
Christian our Lord Jesus, our Elder Brother has defeated our enemy; follow in his foot steps.
And if you are still not a true born-again Christian, there is a real Devil who is deceiving you, tempting you with a carrot on a stick, so that you will follow him on the broad, easy, self-satisfying road; the road everyone else is traveling, BUT THAT ROAD LEADS TO HELL.
20 March 2026