Read Matthew 4:1-11Matthew 4:1-11
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Jesus and the Devil
4
1 . The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, so that the devil could test him.
2 After Jesus had gone without eating l without eating: The Jewish people sometimes went without eating to show their love for God or to show sorrow for their sins. for forty days and nights, he was very hungry.
3 Then the devil came to him and said, “If you are God's Son, tell these stones to turn into bread.”
4 . Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say:
‘No one can live only on food.
People need every word
that God has spoken.’ ”
5 Next, the devil took Jesus to the holy city and had him stand on the highest part of the temple.
6 The devil said, “If you are God's Son, jump off. The Scriptures say:
‘God will give his angels
orders about you.
They will catch you
in their arms,
and you won't hurt
your feet on the stones.’ ”
7 . Jesus answered, “The Scriptures also say, ‘Don't try to test the Lord your God!’ ”
8 Finally, the devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms on earth and their power.
9 The devil said to him, “I will give all this to you, if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 . Jesus answered, “Go away Satan! The Scriptures say:
‘Worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’ ”
11 Then the devil left Jesus, and angels came to help him.
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This week in our “we-Harmony” series, we took a look at the sacred relationship between husband and wife. No other relationship is so targeted by Satan because no other bond so closely reflects the connection that we as the church have with Jesus. We are His bride, and He is our groom. The union that is formed when a man and woman marry is holy in God’s eyes; it is an earthly representation of the way we are to relate and share intimacy with Christ. Just as nothing and no one else on earth is to come before or between us as husband and wife, so are we to have no other gods or idols that take priority over our relationship with Almighty God. The devil knows this and works tirelessly to cause marriages to splinter, making a mockery of the perfect design that God created for matrimony. The sanctity of marriage is under vehement attack like never before in history, and we must do our part to keep our marriages strong and reflective of God’s original blueprint. That blueprint will always be the one and only one to go by!
So, how can we combat the daily barrage of Satan’s attacks against our marriages? Well, the list would be lengthy, but I’d like to focus on a few things we can do to resist one main weapon in the devil’s arsenal, and that is temptation.
As you read the passage in Matthew 4, you saw how Jesus confronted head-on a manipulative and tactical ploy by Satan to tempt Him. Keep in mind that Satan approached Jesus with these temptations at a time when He knew Jesus would be particularly vulnerable, humanly speaking. Jesus had not eaten for forty days and nights! Verse 2 makes it clear that Jesus had become very hungry. And what does Satan do? He steps in to take advantage of that vulnerability and taunts the Son of God: “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
At this point, Jesus had a choice. He could have listened to the growling of His stomach and given into a sense of pride in His supernatural abilities to in fact do what Satan had suggested He could do. Jesus could have easily turned those stones into bread…after all, He would later go on to feed over 5,000r 5,000
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se za?ne z 1! Vrstica 0 ne obstaja!
WP-Bible plugin people with just one boy’s meager lunch! But, rather than taking that route and yielding to temptation, Jesus set the example once again for what one of our responses should be to temptation…quoting Scripture and being prepared!
Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3Deuteronomy 8:3
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
3 ; . so he made you go hungry. Then he gave you manna, b manna: See . a kind of food that you and your ancestors had never even heard about. The Lord was teaching you that people need more than food to live—they need every word that the Lord has spoken.
WP-Bible plugin, demonstrating His knowledge of Scripture and His readiness to use it as a shield in the face of temptation. We are to follow suit. We must have a daily intake of Scripture and put it to memory so that we too can be prepared when Satan tempts us. Satan knows when we are tired, whether physically or emotionally or even spiritually, and it is at those times that we are particularly apt to be easy prey. As the song by Casting Crowns, “Slow Fade,” says, people don’t crumble in a day…it happens over time, and we must take precautions every day to avoid that.
When faced with a temptation to step outside of what’s right and wrong in our marriage, whether to talk with someone we shouldn’t, look at something we shouldn’t, or do something we shouldn’t, long before the talking, looking, or doing takes place, a choice is made, and like Jesus, we need to be prepared to make the right one!
In Matthew 4, we can learn another thing about temptation, and that is where it’s genesis comes from. Temptation is always from Satan! Now Jesus may test us from time to time, but He never tempts us. By that I mean that the purpose behind the trial helps us identify where the postmark comes from. If the circumstance is rooted in temptation, the results will always incur guilt, pain, and some sort of distancing from God and most likely others as well. If the situation is a test, the end result will incur peace, joy, and a drawing closer to God and others. The potential ramifications of our choices are great indicators of whether we’re being tempted or tested.
The ultimate temptation that Satan lay before Jesus was a call for Jesus to worship him, to bow down to him and Satan would “give him the kingdoms of the world and all their glory.” (I almost laugh at such an offer. It all belongs to God already!!!!) Jesus responded by telling Satan to “Get out of here…you must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.”
When we begin being lured by temptation and start listening to the lies and deceit intrinsic to temptation, we are turning our eyes away from God and subtly worshiping something or someone else. Whether we’re pursuing an evasive “feeling” that we believe we’re entitled to in our marriage, that illusion of constant happiness and fulfillment, or outright giving into sin through lustful and disobedient behavior, ultimately we aren’t worshiping God any longer through our marriage. We are dually serving Satan and worshiping ourselves while turning our back on God. Everything about our lives is supposed to be an act of worship, and anything less than that is displeasing to our Heavenly Father.
Hebrews 4:14-16Hebrews 4:14-16
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Jesus Is the Great High Priest
14 We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about him.
15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!
16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.
WP-Bible plugin holds great words of power and encouragement for us as we daily do battle against temptation:
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
Hebrews 4:14-16Hebrews 4:14-16
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Jesus Is the Great High Priest 14 We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. 15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.
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God’s grace and mercy are there to help us every moment of every day. When we’re tempted, we need to turn to Him in prayer and ask for His help to resist Satan. And as James 4:7James 4:7
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
7 Surrender to God! Resist the devil, and he will run from you.
WP-Bible plugin reminds us, when we resist Satan, he will flee! We must be prepared for temptation, call upon Jesus for help, and use what we know about Scripture and Jesus’ example to be victorious!
Fight for your marriage! It’s worth every effort and whether you believe it or not, your relationship with your spouse carries eternal significance! Nothing man or the media says overrides God’s view of marriage, and His Word and standards never change. And that’s a really good thing!
great ideas. I always follow your ideas and apply them.
Just one question though. Have you made writing this blog as your profession or do you do this in your spare time?
Just curious…
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I’m glad you are finding help and benefit from these devotionals.
In answer to your question, I write the blog in my spare time. It is not a part of my regular job description. But, I truly enjoy doing it and am always blessed to hear that God is using it to help others.