.png)
READ Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. -Matthew 4:1-4
1st temptation (Matthew 4:1-4)
The devil tried to get Jesus to doubt His Fathers love, protection, and provision BUT Jesus was able to resist of the devil’s temptations because He KNEW the SCRIPTURE and HE OBEYED IT! Feeding on and obeying God’s word is more important than consuming physical food because it IS OUR FOOD! John 4:32-34 says, “But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” “Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other. Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” So, Jesus is saying here that Feeding on Scripture is more important that physical food!
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test. -Matthew 4:5-7
2nd temptation (Matthew 4:5-7)
This time Satan used the word of God…. BUT OUT OF CONTEXT. This is HUGE YALL…. I want you to notice how Satan took scripture out of context and twisted it just ever so slightly, so it SOUNDED true.... but Jesus KNEW scripture and quoted it correctly back to Satan. This is why it's so important for us to be in the word DAILY so that we KNOW it and we can recognize when Satan is LYING! We know he is a liar! John 8:44 says, “…He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
3rd temptation (Matthew 4:8-11)
The devil offered Jesus a shortcut…. To avoid suffering the cross. Jesus replied AGAIN WITH SCRIPTURE! Jesus used scripture to battle each temptation that Satan come at Him with. Jesus knew that WORSHIP AND SERVICE GO TOGETHER! To worship God is to SERVE GOD!
Satan used real needs and potential weaknesses to cause doubt – but Jesus is the answer… USE THE WORD TO COMBAT THE ENEMY!
Let’s REREAD Matthew 4:10-11 “Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”
I can’t reiterate it enough…… Satan used scripture…. So how important, how vital is it that we get into the word? Reading scripture, being in prayer, being in worship….. our “spiritual nutrition” as I like to call it should be JUST AS IMPORTANT TO US AS OUR physical nutrition! We should put it in the same category as food, water, and air….. because knowing scripture helps us rebuke the enemy. Jesus is our perfect example and so WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?? He is recalling scripture to fight off the enemy!
We operate in authority because we are filled with the Holy Spirit! Revelation 19:16 says, “And on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Have you ever paused to consider what He means by King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Jesus is the King of Kings….. who are the “Kings”??? THAT’S US! So, what he is saying is we have the power to operate in His authority! And Satan must listen!
You have the power and the authority to rebuke Satan and tell him to BE GONE!
You CAN overcome temptation, anxiety, anger - hurt or fear… because you have the Power of the Holy Spirit within you! Memorizing scripture helps you to SPEAK THE WORD - just like Jesus did in the wilderness.
NOW HOW DO WE MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE?
In the printable below I go over the steps you can follow to memorize scripture.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
Jesus and Satan both quote scripture. Do we see differences in the way each of them used scripture? What differences?
What do we notice about ourselves, and about our own responses to situations or temptations, as we read this story?
What Scripture are you working to memorize this week? What scripture are you using to combat temptation in your life?
Thanks for reading, sweet friends!
<3 The Bohemian Homemaker - Michelle Warren
Comments