How To Withstand Temptation Jesus' Way! - Matthew 4:1-6

 Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 

Jesus identified with us in his baptism and now he is going to identify with us by being tempted as we are. Notice the Spirit led him.  The Spirit Jesus received at His baptism led him to be tempted at the beginning of his public ministry.  The word for "tempt" is also translated "test".  One way to look at it might be what the devil used to tempt Jesus , the Spirit used to test him.  God allows us all to be tempted, though we should never go looking for it.  No temptation is so tough that we have to give in to it.  The Holy Spirit will give us the way out if we are willing to follow his way of escape.  But if we are "hell bent" on giving into temptation, God will allow us to do what we want.  

2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 

Fasting is one of the spiritual disciplines that falls under the category of "abstinence".  

"Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial. The book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:2; 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God." (GotQuestions.org)

You can really fast from anything.  I.e. TV, electronics, certain types of food or drinks. Fasting is kind of a lost discipline I think because people have missed the point of it.  It is not about depriving yourself of something but it is about drawing you closer to God. 

3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

The "tempter" is another term for the "devil".  It is not a question of whether the devil will come to tempt us, but when.  Notice the nature of the devil's temptation.  He says, "If you are the Son of God?"  He is appealing to Jesus' pride and trying to get him to show off.  Also notice Satan's strategy is to try and strike while Jesus is weak and hungry.  He looks for his vulnerablity and then tries to use his pride to get him to meet his physical need. 

"Satan did not question Jesus’ deity; he challenged Him to prove it or demonstrate it through miraculous works. "Command that these stones become bread": This was a temptation to use God’s gifts for selfish purposes. Satan suggested that Jesus use His miraculous powers to provide food for Himself. (Guzik)  

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Jesus' strategy is a very smart one, which we would do well to copy.  Jesus met the lie with the truth. In this case it was a verse from Deuteronomy which Moses spoke to the Israelites.  (Deuteronomy 8:3)  Jesus was a student of the Old Testament, which helped him to counter a falsehood with the true Word of God.

The context is when Moses was in the wilderness with the Israelites, and he was reminding them of God's provision of manna each day to meet their needs.  God used this situation as a test of whether or not the Israelites would obey and trust him. 

Jesus used Scripture to battle Satan’s temptation, not some elaborate spiritual power inaccessible to us. Jesus fought this battle as fully man, and He drew on no “special resources” unavailable to us. “Out flashed the sword of the Spirit: our Lord will fight with no other weapon. He could have spoken new revelations, but chose to say, ‘It is written.’” (Spurgeon)

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.

Since the first temptation didn't work, the tempter "reloaded". "The pinnacle of the temple arose some 200 feet from the floor of the Kidron Valley. A leap from there, and the appearance of the promised angelic protection, would be a remarkable spectacle." (Guzik)

6 “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.’”

Initially Satan uses the same strategy trying to get Jesus to show off his powers to prove his identity, but this time he adds a twist.  He quotes from the Old Testament as if somehow that might further test Jesus.  (Psalm 91:11-12)

Though the Word of God is always true, one can use it out of context and distort its meaning, which is what the devil is doing here.  A good student of scripture not only knows the plain meaning of the text, but also something of the context so as to interpret it correctly.  

Where do you consider yourself most vulnerable to temptation?  How often do you use scripture to re-focus on the truth of God's word?  Where and when are you tempted to try and prove yourself in unnecessary ways?  Notice that since Jesus was living out the calling God the Father gave him, he had no reason to try and "prove himself" This is same is true for us.  The appoval we need is the Father's approval. Everyone else is secondary.

As an extra credit project memorize this verse this week, and try using it the next time you are tempted.  Every time I have used this verse it has helped me to not give into temptation.  This shows us that if we are willing to turn to God when we are tempted, he will give us the strength to withstand it. 

"13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13