Struggling with Temptation?

After Jesus was baptized, Luke 4:1-13 tells us that he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Tonight, we'll look at how Jesus faced this time of temptation, and it will show us how we can face temptation. We'll see how Jesus had power over temptation, and his example will help us find power over temptation in our own lives.

This is an amazing story, offering unique insight into the nature and character of Jesus. For one thing, it's one of the few stories told about an event in the life of Jesus in which there are no eye witnesses. How did Jesus' disciples know about the temptation he faced in the desert?

There's only one way they could have known. He told him them about it. At some point during his time of ministry on earth, he told his disciples about the time he spent in the desert, battling temptation in a showdown with the devil. The temptation story has been called "the most sacred of stories" [by William Barclay] because in it "Jesus is laying bare his inmost heart and soul." He told his followers about the struggles he faced.

Another interesting point is that this story reminds us that Jesus was truly human. Luke says,
(v. 2) He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

Luke's words give evidence that this story wasn't just a legend created by the early church, because it emphasizes the humanity of Jesus.

I would like for us to consider a couple of things that we need to do if we are going to be able to overcome temptations.

We need Expect Temptation.

Temptation is inevitable. Even good people are tempted. Even people who walk in the Spirit are tempted. Luke said...
(v. 1-2) Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.

Did you get that? He was led by the Spirit. He was doing exactly what God wanted him to do, and still he faced temptation. We have a tendency to think, when we face temptation, that God must have abandoned us or there must be something wrong with us, or else we wouldn't be experiencing temptation in our lives. That's not true. Even good people experience temptation. Even people who's lives are led by the Holy Spirit experience temptation.

There's an important distinction I want to make. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted, but it wasn't God who tempted Jesus. God doesn't tempt you to sin; he doesn't try to entice you with evil opportunities.

Some people think that is how God tempts us with sin—that he puts the cookie on the table and says, "Come on, I dare you to eat it." God doesn't do that. Temptation is inevitable, but it doesn't come from God. The Bible says...

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone...(James 1:13) God's purpose is not to tempt us, but to give us power over temptation.

We Need to Understand it Temptation Works

Many times we lose the battle against temptation because we don't understand how temptation works in our lives. Temptation is, by its very nature, deceptive. It often presents itself to us in a type of twisted logic. Luke tells us that the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. Then he said,

(v. 9) "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here."

Then, notice what Satan did next. He quoted scripture at Jesus. He said...
(v. 10) "For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Do you see what Satan was doing? He quoted scripture knowing that Jesus knew it was absolutely true, but he was trying to get him to apply it in a twisted, self-serving way. He was saying, "Come on, Jesus. God will take care of you. Jump." And there was an unspoken implication, "Or do you really believe God will take care of you. Maybe he won't, if you're not really the Messiah."

Satan knows what buttons to push, too. And he'll use whatever twisted logic he can. He'll say things like, "You know that God wants you to be happy, right? And you know that you'll never be happy as long as you're married to this person. So God must want you to get a divorce... Unless, of course, you believe that God just wants you to be miserable for the rest of your life." Or he'll say, "God doesn't want your family to do without the necessities of life, and you need your money much more than the government needs it, so cut some corners on your income taxes. Spend that money on your kids. Unless, of course, you think God doesn't want you to have enough to live on."

Temptation just doesn’t fight fair. We need to better understand how it works so that we are equipped to attack it! I hope these words have been an encouragement to you!

Blessings!

Will