We read that many are being healed by Jesus, and we are introduced to the first few disciples in Luke, chapters 4 & 5. But what really stood out, and is loaded with personal application, is the temptation of Jesus.
Satan certainly gave it the ol’ college try tempting Jesus like he did. However, being the Son of God, Jesus had Satan all figured out and knew how to handle him. Strange as this may sound, it is comforting to know that Jesus faced temptations Himself, because now I know what to do and who to turn to when temptation strikes. Who do you turn to when you get hit?
Hit with everything in the book
It starts as soon as Jesus was baptized. Luke 4:1-2a, & 13: “And Jesus full of the Holy spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time”
(I am going to bet that this “opportune time” was when Jesus was betrayed by Judas.)
The key phrase here is “when the devil had finished every temptation”. This tells me that Jesus was hit with temptations that I probably haven’t been hit with.
Hebrews 2:17-18 tell us this; “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”
No way out? ~ ~ ~ Think again
1 Corinthians 10:13 assures us of this, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide a way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.“
Now there are only three temptations recorded for us to learn from, but we also know that Jesus was tempted with every thing imaginable. Jesus feels your pain when you are hit with temptation. He can help you walk away from it. Jesus walked away from it by quoting scripture. His father’s spoken words.
- Satan’s temptation: turn stones into bread.
- Jesus’ reply: Man shall not live by bread alone.
- Satan’s temptation: worship me and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world.
- Jesus’ reply: You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.
- Satan’s temptation: throw yourself down from here for it is said that He will give His angels charge over you.
- Jesus’s reply: you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.
Granted, as human beings, it is not always going to be possible to quote scripture when temptations arise. I will admit, memorizing scripture is tough. But there are two very simple, VERY POWERFUL words you can put to memory and recite every time Satan tries to pull out all the stops.
And they are: LORD HELP!
They shudder at the sound of His voice
So another interesting take away from Luke 4 and 5, are the demons and their reactions to Jesus. They know exactly who He is and what He is capable of.
Luke 4:33-34 & 41, we read this encounter: “And there was a man in the synagogue possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “HA! What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” and then in verse 41, we are given this picture, “And demons also were coming out of many, crying out and saying, “you are the Son of God!” And rebuking them, He {Jesus} would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.”
James 2:19 parallels this: “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”
In regards to a physical being, to shudder means to tremble convulsively, to shake because of fear, or cold. I don’t think the demons were cold. And there are two types of “fear”;
- Fear out of being afraid, scared for ones life.
- Fear out of respect, showing reverence.
They tremble in His presence out of fear because they are afraid. The demons fear for their lives. They know Jesus can destroy them.
Respect or afraid; how do you shudder?
The demons know Him, but so do we. The demons shudder and so should we, but out of respect and reverence for Him. The difference between you and I, and the demons, is that you and I can have a personal relationship with Jesus. The demons can’t. Jesus loves you. And He loves me, and wants a relationship with us. He wants us to reach out and take His hand when temptations strike. He has the words for us to rebuke Satan.
So what can we do when temptation strikes? Call upon the name of Jesus and send Satan away, trembling!