pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: temptation


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Standing on the Word

Jesus faced much temptation – food when he was very hungry, comfort when he must have been hurting, and power when he was at his weakest.  Satan was persistent.

But Jesus was consistent.  Each and every time that Satan tempted him, Jesus responded with God’s word.  Within the words of the Old Testament Jesus found strength.  Through the word of God, Jesus found a unity and strength that helped him stand again evil.  This unity with his father is what brought him through.

It is what will bring us through as well.  Whether tempted by lust, greed, power, envy, want, fame, desire, anger, talent… there is a word that will speak to us.  God waits in His word to step into our life when we need him most.  In God’s word we can find strength to face down all that the enemy throws at us.  God is faithful.  His word tells us that he will not tempt us beyond what we can bear.  In Matthew 11:28, we hear his love: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Rest from our battles, strength for the next fight.  May we rest and trust into God for all of our needs – and especially those where we must stand against temptation!


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In Every High and Every Low

The times that Satan chooses to tempt us are often like when he chose to tempt Jesus.  Jesus had just fasted in the wilderness for forty days.  He was tired and hungry – that is when Satan came.  Evil plies him when he is at his weakest.

Isn’t that when Satan usually tempts us too?  Evil doesn’t come knocking in the middle of a good day at work or while we are enjoying a nice dinner with the family.  Evil comes after a long day at work when we come home feeling a bit grumpy.  Evil comes just after we have been scolded for something we ought to have don (or not done).  We are angry, tired, offended, grumpy – whatever.  It is then that temptation can win.

But Satan is good – he can also enter when we are feeling great.  That sermon or presentation or game that we thought went really well?  Didn’t “I” do well?!  Here too we can be caught.  It is so easy to think that the things done well are the result of something we did instead of something God blessed us with.  Here too we can be caught.

Just as Satan’s attacks are constant, so too must be the attention we give to our walk with Christ.  Just as Jesus answered every temptation from the Devil with scripture from God, so too must we know the Word.  When we call on the mighty name of the Lord, Satan will indeed flee.  When we pray out to God, He is faithful.  He will answer.  In Ephesians 6: 11 and 14 we read: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”


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Temptation and THE Key to Standing Firm

After Jesus is baptized and God speaks proudly of his son, Jesus does an intriguing thing. Instead of launching into his public ministry, he heads into the desert. His childhood is long past and his days of being a carpenter are apparently over. Yet he chooses to take off 40 days before getting started. I wondered why.

God has clearly markedJesus as his son. God is in Jesus and Jesus is full of God. SO, again, why the 40 days? Now this is just a thought, so if you have another idea (or know something you read from a scholar…), please share!!

I think Jesus was truly the Son of God but he was also in a human body. So I think Jesus felt all the hunger, the thirst, the sadess, the joy, the jealousy, etc. that we all feel and struggle with at times. Sure, a big part of his 40 days was prayer and time with God. But part of it was also spent with Satan, the great tempter. Why did Jesus get a personal visit? I think he knew who was tempting him, so might as well go in person. Jesus faces three tests. Two were temptations – food after 40 days in the desert and power over the kingdoms of the earth. The third was a kind of temptation also – to test God. In his humanity Jesus needed to face and pass these tests.

These are things we too face. It may be clothes or company or sickness we face instead of lack of food. It may be position or wealth or ‘things’ instead of power. And it may be deals or bargains we try to make instead of testing God. Jesus faced them so that He can help us when we face them. He has felt the desire for these things yet passed the tests – for he was without sin. But He had to be there so when we struggle He can say, “I understand” and can intercede for us. Jesus WANTS to stand in the gap for us, so let Him!! When tempted, turn to the one who understands. When tempted, seek Him in prayer. When tempted, run into His arms.