Then Jesus Was Led By The Spirit Into The Wilderness To Be Tempted By The Devil

Then Jesus Was Led By The Spirit Into The Wilderness To Be Tempted By The Devil

Matthew 4:1-4 New International Version

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

There is much we can learn about when Jesus was tempted by the Devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights. Because He was in the wilderness, and it was dry and hot, most likely He also went without water. It shows us that even though Jesus was fully human in every way, He was empowered supernaturally by The Holy Spirit. It is also important to see that The Holy Spirit didn’t lead Him into the wilderness until He was baptized in water and The Holy Spirit came upon Him.

Everything Jesus did was according to the Father’s will and timetable. Jesus never did anything because it seemed like a good idea or because He lived according to His own wisdom. Jesus’ life was built in deep prayer. Jesus didn’t do anything without spending time in His Father’s presence and seeking Him in prayer. There is much we can learn from the life of Jesus by simply studying His prayer life.

But it was in His weakest moment that the devil came to tempt Jesus. Often the devil will sit back and observe us. He is committed to be patience and wait on the perfect opportunity to strike. As he observed the Son of God in the wilderness and observing that He is not eating for forty days, he knew that Jesus would be hungry. The devil tempted Jesus to use His authority and power selfishly to meet a need that existed physically but that was outside the Father’s will. Jesus was led into the wilderness to fast and was led by The Holy Spirit. Before Jesus would begin His public ministry, He would face the temptations of the devil. It would prepare Him to face the devil many times on many occasions and ultimately to face the devil at Calvary and overcome him.

The devil will always attack at our weakest moment. He will thoroughly study our lives and when he finds a weak spot, he will exploit it with all that he has. But the key to overcoming the devil is the word of God and the leading of The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will always give us a way out, but we must see when Jesus responded, He responded with the truth of scripture.

Spending time in God’s word daily is essential for victorious Christianity. We are not called to be doormats of the enemy. We are called to bring glory to the name of Jesus. This can only happen as we spend time each day meditating on the truth of God’s word and allowing The Holy Spirit to transform and change us from the inside out.

Today you might be facing temptations that you have struggled to overcome. Begin to cry out to God and place the battle in His hands. Confess your need for God’s power and strength, humble yourself under His mighty hand, and fully rely on His grace and strength. Stop trying to overcome that which the devil is throwing at you in your own strength. His strength is sufficient in our weakness. The more we humble ourselves, the more victorious we will be.

Prayer

Father help me each day in every temptation I face. Deliver me from every device and scheme of the devil. May my life glorify you in all things. May my heart and mind be one with yours. Help me to live a life committed to holiness and righteousness. Have your way Father in all things. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!