Victory Over Wilderness Temptations

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written,  "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 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. - Matthew 4:1‭-‬11 ESV

Rev. Dan Whang

Temptation is something we all struggle with. In English, we consider temptation to be something that is leading us away from God and towards sin. But in the Greek, it is seen as a form of testing. Temptation a way of seeing them substance of our faith.

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
Deuteronomy 8:2 ESV

Victory over temptation

Israel walked in the wilderness for many years. They saw how they stumbled and sinned. It is a clear picture of how much we need a Savior. Israel was supposed to be the true sons and daughters of God. But they failed and aggrieved God in the wilderness. But where they brought frustration, Jesus brought hope and redemption. In the wilderness, Jesus shows victory rather than failure against sin. From His victory on our behalf, we then act in faith.

Severity of temptation

We are called to be sober minded. On the battlefield of life, the enemy is looking to take us out. The enemy is looking to twist our desires to distract and disable us in the spiritual battle. Our individual desires are different, but the temptation comes to everyone.

Jesus was tempted to change stones to bread. Why? The devil was telling Jesus to stop being human. It is a question of trust in God's provision. Will we trust God to provide?

Jesus was told to throw himself off the top of the temple. Why? It is trying to find reassurance from God. We want to know that God is good for His promises.

Jesus was offered glory and significance. What does it mean? For us, we want glamour and glory. We want greatness and significance; to make a mark for those we come after us.

Strategy against temptation

How does Jesus fight temptation? Three words. "It is written..." He memories and places trust in God's word. We meditate on God's promises and place it in our hearts. This takes time and discipline. It is not enough to recite a Bible verse. We must believe it.

Yes, we must have accountability and the will to avert our eyes. But before that, what do we believe? Do we believe that giving into that sin will bring happiness and joy? Will we find everlasting fulfillment in following our flesh?

A verse to help us to resist and battle sin:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:15‭-‬16 ESV