{"id":608,"date":"2024-09-07T15:57:58","date_gmt":"2024-09-07T15:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bibleholyghost.com\/?p=608"},"modified":"2024-09-08T19:24:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-08T19:24:10","slug":"why-did-satan-tempt-jesus-christ-in-the-wilderness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bibleholyghost.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/07\/why-did-satan-tempt-jesus-christ-in-the-wilderness\/","title":{"rendered":"WHY DID SATAN TEMPT JESUS CHRIST IN THE WILDERNESS?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Biblical meaning of temptation is\u201d a trial in which man has a free choice of being faithful or unfaithful to God.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus said to him.\u201d Away from me, Satan! For it is written: \u201cWorship the Lord your god and serve him only.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew 4:10.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was Christ\u2019s response to Satan after His third temptation in the wilderness.  Satan must have known Christ would not sin, and yet he tried to tempt Him anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why bother? Why is this episode included in the New Testament since Satan\u2019s attempts were useless?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SATAN\u2019S THREE TEMPTATIONS FOR JESUS<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christ had not eaten for 40 days and nights.   He had retreated to the wilderness to be with the Father and to pray after his cousin, John, baptized Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At His weakest point, Satan tried to break the Saviour.   He urged Jesus to do three things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. <\/strong>Turn stones into bread.  <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Matthew 4:3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • <\/strong>Jump from the pinnacle of the temple so the angels could save Him.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

       Matthew 4:6<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • <\/strong>Bow down and worship the devil in exchange for power.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Matthew 4: 8-9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Satan kept upping the ante, as though he believed Jesus was only waiting for the right temptation:  the best offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Christ resisted<\/strong> all of these temptations because it was \u201cImpossible for Jesus to sin<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Son was wholly obedient to the Father.   Jesus used the Word of God against Satan <\/strong>to \u2018clarify that God alone is God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        WHAT WAS SATAN\u2019S PURPOSE IN TEMPTING JESUS?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        His goal is to \u201csomehow kill Jesus\u201d and thereby enjoy victory over God, vengeance perhaps for being thrown into the fiery pit of Hell with his fellow conspirators following their rebellion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Since Jesus was fully God and fully man, able to sympathize with the reality of temptation to men, Satan must have believed He would succumb to the desires of the flesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Romans 8<\/strong> says \u201cThose who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live by the Spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Immanuel was sent\u201d in the likeness of sinful flesh \u201cbut did not set His mind on earthly desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        At Jesus’s baptism,\u201d the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        Matthew 3:16<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Christ lived by the spirit, so, Satan could not tempt His flesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        WHAT WAS GOD\u2019S PURPOSE IN LETTING JESUS BE TEMPTED?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        How can one live up to the sinlessness of Christ when we know that if we were put under this much pressure, we would\u201d probably yield to it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The purpose is not to make us feel small but to empower and educate us on how we can resist temptation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        James 4:7<\/strong> says that the power to resist the devil is ours if we do what Christ did: submit to the Lord.  Christ is our model: turn the Word against the evil one and worship God.   Every word of the Bible is \u201cGod-breathed and useful for teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        2 Timothy 3:16<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        This episode took place because God allowed it and we can use it to learn how to stand firm against the Devil, just as God permitted Satan to tempt Job and Job worshipped the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Satan tempted Job by taking everything from him, but Christ\u2019s temptations were the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Devil tempted God\u2019s Son to be obedient elsewhere; to derive power from the forego the coming trials at Satan\u2019s side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Almighty wanted to demonstrate how far Satan would go and what is at stake for us as believers because Satan targets the same areas in the lives of Christians today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Believers are more likely to sin when faced with hunger or fatigue.    Christians still wrestle with doubt (wil<\/strong>l God save me?<\/strong>) and pride (the desire for power<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        As Jesus waits for God to minister to His body, he trusts the Father\u2019s plan for eternity and submits to the Lord.   As heirs of Christ, we can do it too.   The serpent fails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        WHAT IS STRAIGHT PATH IN THE WILDERNESS WHEN WE ARE TEMPTED?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        Matthew 4:1-11<\/strong> reminds Christians to expect and endure evil without giving in, but also shows us how to resist by using the very words of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Even Christ quoted Scripture as His defense, rather than coming up with new wisdom.   In his farewell to the Ephesians elders, Paul said \u201cI commit you to God and the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

         Acts 20:32<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Christ is the Word by which believers receive the inheritance of God; the grace which is our salvation and our stronghold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        John 1:1<\/strong> says, \u201cIn the beginning was the Word<\/strong>, and the Word<\/strong> was with God, and the Word <\/strong>was God.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In this encounter with Satan, Christ essentially protects Himself with—; the truth of who He is; the unchangeable I AM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        WHAT TRUTH DID SATAN TWIST WHEN HE TEMPTED JESUS?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Christ responded to Satan with the truth and \u201cwas the first to quote scripture in His encounter with Satan,\u201d always beginning \u201cIt is written.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Today, Satan twists Scripture to confuse and fool us which is why we must know the Bible.   We utilize the Word of God,\u201d sharper than any double-edged sword\u201d Hebrews 4:12<\/strong>, and thereby invoke the power of Christ for our defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cSatan takes this his cue from our Lord\u2019s words.\u201d   Once he understands Jesus\u2019 defense, he seeks to twist our Lord\u2019s trust in the Father.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Satan tries some \u201csubtle twisting of God\u2019s word,\u201d and perhaps<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cthe adversary felt certain he could overthrow our Lord even on Biblical grounds!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Of course, Christ has the advantage.   He knows the Word; He is the Word, but memorizing the Bible is not enough: we must come to grips with what God means to say and who He is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Not only the Word but the speaker matters.   Even non-Christians use Bible verses out of context, adopting them as devices to mold truth to their purposes and desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Son \u201changs on every word of God.  {..} Every word.   Not a few words.  Not the words particularly easy to accept.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What a shallow and short-lived victory that would have been: to be manipulated by Satan into talking Scripture out of context.   Those who are \u201chostile to God\u201d do not \u201csubmit to God\u2019s law\u201d Romans 8:7.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Jesus did not turn the stone into bread because God had said: \u201cMan does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord\u201d<\/em> Deuteronomy 8:3.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        He did not jump from the top of the temple because God\u2019s people \u201cdo not put the Lord(their) God to the test.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Deuteronomy 6:16<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Christ did not bow down to Satan in exchange for power because Satan had no power to bestow: \u201cFear the Lord your God, serve Him only\u201d Deuteronomy 6:13.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Jesus did not need new words; the Father had spoken sufficiently in the law He gave to Israel when they were in the wilderness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Deuteronomy <\/strong>means\u201d WORDS\u201d<\/strong> in Hebrews.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        HOW CAN WE USE THE BIBLE TO DEFEND OURSELVES AGAINST SATAN\u2019S TEMPTATIONS?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Out of Context, the Lord\u2019s words seem lifeless and powerless.  But Christ always knew what the Father meant by what He said.   He did not read the Word to get something out of it for Himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cJesus read the word to trust God, not test God.\u201d  \u201cGive careful attention to proper interpretation\u201d and \u201chide God\u2019s word in your heart so you can live by it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        This is our shield and our sword.  Christ has shown us by way of His own experience with Satan\u2019s temptations, at a time when He was weakened by hunger and thirst and isolation, how to defend ourselves when we are weak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        THE THREE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS SYMBOLIZE.   THREE TYPES OF TEMPTATION THAT PEOPLE FACE, AND HOW TO RESPOND TO THEM:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n