Handling Temptation

Luke 4:4

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written…

1 John 2:16 tells us “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.” The lust of the eye deals with getting; the lust of the flesh deals with doing; the pride of life deals with being. Doing, getting, and being are the three ways the devil tempts all of us. So he caught Jesus at what he thought was his weakest moment, when he was hungry. Jesus had fasted and prayed 40 days and 40 nights. Fasting backs you up from the physical table so you can be connected with the heavenly table. Satan said, If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread.” Jesus responded, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” If Jesus needed bread he certainly wouldn’t have gotten it from Satan. Anything you get from the devil is costly. Nor would Jesus alter what God had originally designed. If God made stones, he intended for stones to remain stones.

Now the devil is never satisfied at making one attempt. Then the devil took him up into a high mountain and showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment’s time and offered them to Jesus if he would only bow. But Jesus told him there was only one person for Him to worship and that’s the true and living God. So the devil brought him to Jerusalem and set him on a pinnacle of the temple saying, If thou be the Son of God cast yourself down.” Let it get out all over town that you are a super Jesus. Jesus quoted the word, “Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God.” Jesus had disciplined himself through fasting and prayer and filled himself with the Word of God. Jesus handled temptation superbly.