“WHEN WE ARE TESTED” FEBRUARY 13, 2011

MATTHEW 4:1-11
FEBRUARY 13, 2011

“WHEN WE ARE TESTED”

I saw an article this week with the catchy title, “The unknown Enemy”. The enemy most often overlooked is not Al Qaeda, or the Taliban, or China, nor the drug cartels, or organized crime. The real enemy is Satan. Satan is pure evil and seeks to capture our hearts and minds. Jesus began his ministry not by immediately starting to preach. Jesus went into the desert being led by the Spirit into a confrontation with the devil. In this passage there are “two competing kingdoms who are seeking to claim the hearts and souls of men and women.” (NIV Application Commentary, Michael Wilkins) Most people focus exclusively on the confrontation with Satan and fail to appreciate the forty days that Jesus took to commune with God, his Father.
Jesus prepared for the confrontation by spending time in prayer with his Father. This passage holds the key to understanding how to confront our real adversary.
Satan did not make a frontal attack on Jesus. Jesus was hungry after forty days of fasting. One of the key words in this passage can be either translated as “tempted” or “tested”. A temptation is when a person is enticed to do something that is contrary to God’s will. A test is the opportunity for a person to prove himself or herself faithful in doing the will of God. James 1:2-4 (NIV) “² Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Temptation and Testing are the two sides of the same coin. Satan intends us to fail the temptation while God intends us to be strong and faithful in resisting the temptation and pass the test.
Matthew 4:3 (NIV)
The scripture Jesus used was from Deuteronomy 8 where the children of Israel failed the tests in their forty years in the desert. Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (NIV) “² Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Satan was attempting to cast doubts on the trust that Jesus has for his Father. Is God really there? Can I trust God to take care of me 24/7? Satan wants us to doubt that God is always there for us. Lucifer want us to think we are alone, with no one to help us.
In the second temptation Satan quotes scripture from Psalm 91. ⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" If Jesus had thrown himself off of the Temple wall, then the angels would have intervened to catch him; this would provide Jesus with a spectacular entrance before those in the Temple. This display of power would have instantly gained Jesus a following and revealed him as definitely having the blessing of God. Jesus was being challenged to proof his relationship before the people, yet in a way that would have been displeasing to God. ⁷ Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Jesus had already heard the words of the Father when he was baptized. Matthew 3:17 (NIV) “¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." God had his own plan for His Son. Jesus trusted God, his Father, and was going to follow the way the Spirit had revealed to him.
Satan twisted the scriptures for his own purpose. Psalm 91 is a hymn of praise of those who trust in God. Satan seeks to cast doubt so that we will not believe and trust the Word of God. Satan seeks to make us trust only ourselves. Jesus was led by the Spirit and he showed his trust in God’s word as seen in his quoting the scripture from Deuteronomy 6:16 where the children of Israel had tested God in the desert at Massah. ⁷ Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”Satan made a third attempt to trip Jesus. " ⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." The devil offered Jesus a short cut to bring the nations to bow before Jesus. This shortcut did not involve a cross but bowing before Satan. Our desires, which are not necessarily bad, tempt us to take short cuts to fulfill them. Yet we should ask ourselves if the shortcut will be pleasing to God. ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" The devil is powerful, yet he fled at the command of Jesus. James 4:7 (NIV) “⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) “¹² For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” We must take our stand on the truth of scripture.
When Satan fled at the command of Jesus, then his needs were taken care of. “¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” Jesus provides us a pattern of how to fight Satan, our real enemy. [1] Resist the devil. James 4:7 (NIV) “⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV) “¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” When tempted, we should just say, “NO”. [2] Our strength and power comes from the Holy Spirit, not from our own feeble strength.” Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.” [3] The Word of God is our guide. John 8:31-32 (NIV) “³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Psalm 119:11 (NIV) “¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”A mother went to be early one evening, but was unable to sleep. She sometimes liked a snack during the night so she kept bowl of fruit on her nightstand. As she lay there with her eyes closed, she heard the footsteps of her young daughter. The little girl thought her mom was asleep and tiptoed into the bedroom and she took a large bunch of grapes from the bowl and then crept back to her own room. The mother lay there quietly and was disappointed with her daughter in stealing the fruit. A few minutes passed and the child crept back into the room and replaced all of the fruit in the bowl. As the little girl left, the mother overheard her whisper. “This time I beat you Mr. Devil. Now go away!”
May we follow in the footsteps of the little girl. “This time I beat you Mr. Devil. Now go away!”
Let us pray. “³ The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Satan was not trying to get Jesus to doubt himself being the Son of God. The devil was attempting to get Jesus to prove himself by misusing his powers. It sounds like a boy saying “I double dog dare you”. Jesus was confident in the love of His Father, which gave him the strength to resist the dare. Jesus responded by using scripture. ⁴ Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Jesus was hungry, but there are more important things than food. Yes, it is true.