Scripture: Luke 4:1-13; Dt. 26:1-11 and Ps. 91:1-2
Theme: Jesus' Victory in the Wilderness
Proposition: Luke shares with us 1. The Devil is Real 2. The Holy Spirit is our Helper 3. Scripture holds the key to victory
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God our Father and form Jesus Christ the Son who came to take away the sin of the world.
After Jesus' amazing baptism in the River of Jordan, the Bible tells us that he was led by the Holy Spirit in into the wilderness for an intense spiritual retreat. Like Moses (Exodus 34:28) and Elijah ( 1 Kings 19:4-8) Jesus spent 40 days in solitude, fasting, prayer and meditation with His Heavenly Father. He spent forty days allowing the Holy Spirit to cleanse His mind, His heart and His soul. For forty days, Jesus was able to be with His Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit without any interruptions or distractions. This time enabled Jesus to be prepared for His public ministry.
After Moses' forty day spiritual retreat with the LORD, he came down from the mountain with the 10 Commandments ready to build a new society for the LORD. Through the Spirit of the LORD, Moses was empowered to lead a group of former slaves to become the people of God's Kingdom here on earth.
After Elijah's forty day spiritual retreat with the LORD, Elijah anoints Hazael, Jehu and Elisha. Hazael will lead Syria while Jehu will become the king of Israel. Elijah along with Elisha go in the power of the Spirit to confront the evil monarchy of Ahab and Jezebel and to see an end of their wickedness.
After, Jesus' forty day spiritual retreat with the Father and the Spirit, Luke shares that Jesus was attacked by Satan, the most evil force of all creation. The Devil (or Satan) believed that this was his prime opportunity to defeat God the Son. The Devil believed that by Jesus taking on humanity, Jesus had left himself open to be defeated by the Devil's temptations. The Devil believed that he could defeat Jesus much like he had defeated Adam and Eve.
Luke shares in this passage that while it was an intense battle, it was also a short lived battle. The Devil's temptations, appeals and bait were simply no match for the Son of God. Jesus had spent the last 40 days with the Father and the Spirit being anointing and empowered. No matter how hard the Devil tried, he could not come between the love relationship that Jesus shares with His Father and the Holy Spirit. He couldn't tempt Jesus to mistrust the plans of His Heavenly Father. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is more than a match for the Devil. He has to leave a defeated foe.
There are some vital spiritual lessons we are to learn from our passage this morning. I would like to share with you three of those lessons this morning:
1. This passage teaches us that the Devil is real
A recent survey reported that only 57% of Americans today believe in the Devil.1 A further study done by the Barna group states that it may even be lower than 57%. When Barna did their research survey they discovered that the number was closer to 47%.2 Based on those surveys, increasingly more and more Americans doubt the existence of the Devil.
It is good to get people's opinions. It is good to see how people are thinking. But in this case, not so much. The Bible is God's Word and The Bible clearly tells us that there is a Devil. And so, while it is interesting to see how many Americans believe or don't believe in the Devil, the fact is - the Devil exists. Luke 4:1-13 tells us that after Jesus' 40 day retreat with His Heavenly Father he faced the Devil. Matthew and Mark also share this story along with the writer of Hebrews.
The Scriptures beginning with Genesis all the way to end with the book of Revelation are very clear. There is evil in this world and there is a leader of evil and his name is Satan. At times he is given other names like Lucifer, Beelzebub, the Deceiver, the Accuser and the Prince of this World. But whatever people choose to call him, the Devil is real. He exists.
Not only does the Devil exists, I believe that he has an organized force that is arrayed against the will of God on our world. I believe that there exists a demonic opposition force on our planet that is determined to destroy love, compassion, health, wholeness and peace.
I believe that the Devil is a profoundly evil, fallen angel who is totally dedicated to the destruction of everyone's lives. I believe that he is a supernatural being who "walks about, seeking whom he may devour". I believe He and his legion of demons can dwell within people, and can control their bodies, minds and souls. I believe this because this is what the Bible tells us and this is what Jesus believed.
Many people today try to make light of the Devil by making jokes about him. But they do so at their own peril. The Devil is nothing to be joked about. He is the most evil, malicious and monstrous being that has ever been self-created. The Bible uses words like cunning and deceiving and shrewd when it comes to describing him. Once the Devil was a beautiful angel, full of light and goodness. But he decided to rebel and in his rebellion created himself to be a liar, a thief and a murderer. He chose to be a being full of hate, full of immorality and full of all kinds of evil.
Notice in our passage the ways the Devil tried to tempt Jesus to sin against His Heavenly Father
+He tempts Jesus to believe that if Jesus doesn't take care of himself no one will. That when Jesus needs His Heavenly Father the most, God will betray him. The Devil tries to get Jesus to mistrust His Heavenly Father. That is what the 1st temptation is all about concerning the turning of stones into bread. The Devil was trying to get Jesus to mistrust His Father's promise to care for Him.
+He then tempts Jesus to believe that ends will justify the means. That if your ambitions are worthy, then it is okay to break the rules. That is what the 2nd temptation is all about.
+He goes on to tempt Jesus to believe that through a great "show or sign" Jesus can gain popularity and save the world. He appeals for Jesus to save mankind through an act of the flesh and not of the spirit. He wants Jesus to abandon God's plan for salvation.
In all of these temptations there is an underlying constant suggestive theme. It is the Devil attempting to get Jesus to mistrust His Heavenly Father. It is the same line of strategy that the Devil used against Adam and Eve - "Do you really believe God is good and that He has your best interests in mind?" "God is not your friend, He is holding out on you." "You can't trust God."
A great preacher, John Claypool, who recently went home to be with the Lord, told the story of twin brothers who inherited a store from their father. When their father passed away, they began carrying on the business. These brothers enjoyed running the store and worked very well together in joyful collaboration. However, one incident occurred that almost completely destroyed their relationship. A man came into the store and purchased an item that cost a dollar. He placed the dollar on top of the cash register. The brother who was working on the store floor at that particular point in time, because he knew this customer, walked with him to the door and talked briefly. Then, the man left the store. When the brother went back to the cash register, the dollar was gone. He called his twin brother to the register and said, “There was a dollar lying on this register. Did you take it?” His twin brother said, “No. I didn’t know anything about it.” Nothing more was said until an hour later, when the brother brought it up again, saying, “Are you sure you didn’t take that dollar? Surely it was there. I know he put it right on top of the cash register.” Once again, his twin responded, “No. I told you, I didn’t take that dollar. Do you distrust me?” This began, in a sense, a feud that eventually culminated with the twin brothers building a partition down the middle of their store and creating, not one, but two stores. Claypool told that the brothers rarely talked for the next twenty years.
Finally, one day, a man pulled up outside of the two stores, got out of his car, and walked into the store on the left. He saw one of the men there – an old man – and said, “Are you the one who runs this store?” The fellow said, “Yes, I’ve been running it now for about twenty years.” The man said, “Good, you’re the one I guess I need to talk to. Twenty years ago, I was a vagabond; I was a bum who was following the trains and riding the boxcars from city to city. I got off the boxcar in this town. I was walking by your store one day and saw a transaction made between you and an individual who put a dollar bill on the register. I slipped into the store while you were talking to him and put that dollar in my pocket. I left through a side door without you ever knowing. I wanted to now, make it right.” The brother said through tears, “Would you mind telling my brother the same story?” The man did – he went next door and shared the same story. Finally, the two brothers, who had allowed a mistrust to destroy their relationship, hugged in reconciliation.3
Humanity's basic sin against God breeds out of mistrust and pride. The devil will do his best to get us to mistrust God and one another. He knows that once we start down the road of not trusting God and one another he has won. When we don't trust God, we start looking out for #1. When we don't trust God we decide that the ends justify the means. When we don't trust God, we fall to programs that promise success and don't depend on God's way and the Holy Spirit for results.
Luke is clear here - there is a Devil and he is out to steal from us, destroy us and send us to a place called Hell. He is not our friend and will never be our friend.
II. This passage also teaches us the importance of the Holy Spirit
In the beginning chapters of his Gospel (and even more in the Acts of the Apostle) Luke makes one point very plain and it is this - the Holy Spirit always played a vital role of importance in the life of Jesus (and later in the life of the Church).
+Jesus is born of the Holy Spirit (1:35)
+Jesus receives the anointing of the Holy Spirit at His baptism (3:22)
+Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit (4:1)
+Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit (4:1)
Luke will go on to share over and over again about the importance of role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' teaching and preaching. (Luke 4:18f). Jesus was Spirit-filled and Spirit-led.
Dr. Fred Craddock, originally from Humboldt, TN is careful to point out in his writings that what we have here in this passage is a confrontation between one who is full of the Holy Spirit and is being led by the Holy Spirit against Satan.4
Jesus did not attempt to face the Devil alone. He faces the Devil in the power of the Holy Spirit. Facing the Devil alone was the fatal mistake that Adam and Eve made back in the Garden of Eden. Now, having the Holy Spirit did not exempt Jesus nor does it exempt us from having to face temptation. But allowing the Holy Spirit to be in control was and is the only way humanity can defeat the Devil. Jesus in this passage pointedly shows us that the only way we can successful defeat the Devil is through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is why Jesus was so adamant about the disciples waiting for the infilling power of the Holy Spirit in Luke 24 and Acts 1. That is why Jesus spoke so much about the need and power of the Holy Spirit in John 16 and prayed so intently for the Holy Spirit to be in the lives of His disciples in John 17. Jesus knew full well what it meant to be human. He knew that if we attempt to defeat Satan in our own power we will lose not just once but each and every time. He knew that in order to fight Satan one must fight on a spiritual plane and that mankind desperately needs the power of God's Holy Spirit.
Billy Graham said it very well - “As humans we have two great spiritual needs. The first is forgiveness, which God has made possible by sending His Son into the world to die for our sins. Our second need, however, is for goodness, which God also made possible by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell within us.” This morning, our greatest need in Christ is to live in the power and infilling presence of His Holy Spirit. In our own strength we will fail. But in the power of the Holy Spirit we can live a saved and sanctified life.
III. Thirdly, this passage teaches us the power of Scripture
Jesus teaches us the reality of the Devil. Jesus teaches us the need for the infilling power of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus teaches us the authority of Scripture properly used.
I say properly used because that is exactly what we see here in this passage. Jesus turns to Scripture in His battle with the Devil. Full of the Holy Spirit he arms Himself with Scripture. Scripture is able to confront and defeat the Devil at every turn. But it is scripture properly understood and used.
This passage tells us that the Devil knew the words of scripture. In fact, in his battle with Jesus, the Devil quotes scripture several times. But when the Devil quotes scripture, he twists it and mishandles it. He attempts to make scripture say something it doesn't. Luke wants us to focus on how Jesus used Scripture. He is wanting us to see how Jesus properly quoted Scripture and how Jesus used that scripture to defeat the Devil.
In His parable of the Rich Man (16:27-31), Jesus will tell us that scripture is more valuable than even miracles. If you remember, in that passage the Rich Man is wanting Lazarus to come back from the dead to speak to his brothers. He believes that if his brothers see a miracle it will convince them to follow God. However, Jesus tells the Rich Man that there is saving power in his brothers reading the words of Scripture. Jesus tells the Rich Man that if his brothers will listen to the Scriptures they will find salvation.
This morning, we have in our hands God's Holy Word. It is real, it is sharper than any two edged sword and it can give us the authority and the power we need to live out an authentic human life here on earth and be ready for Heaven one day. The Bible can be both our light and our lamp in guiding our daily lives.
If you ever wonder about the Bible's power, all you have to do is to return to our passage this morning. Jesus had all authority and power under his control. He could have called 10,000 angels and they would have been at his side in an instant. He could have rocked the seas and caused the mountains to fall. He could have done all kinds of miracles but when he faced Satan, he did none of those things. Instead, He used God's Word. He simply allowed God's Word to speak for him, direct him and guide him.
This morning, what this tells me is that we can never have enough of God's Word. This tells me that one of the most important things I can do in my life is to saturate myself with the Word of God. It tells me the Bible is one of our greatest weapons against the Devil, temptation and evil. However, according to a rather recent Gallup poll only 14% of the people in our country belong to a Bible Study Group. Only 14% of Americans spend quality time with others in studying God's Word. Only 14% avail themselves of this powerful tool in a meaningful way.
Should it surprise us then that the Devil and evil is winning here in our nation? Should it surprise us that so many people fall into the traps of the Devil? Should it surprise us that the news each day is full of more and more evil acts. As recent as 1980 over 70% of the people reported that they occasionally read the Bible and sadly that number has fallen below 45%. Actually, Gallup reports that from their research only 40% of Americans today turn to their Bibles on a weekly basis even though there is an average of 4.4 Bibles in every home. Most Americans own the Sword of the LORD, but it lays unsharpened and unused.
Doug Birdsall, president of American Bible Society, said he sees a reason for why the Bible isn’t connecting with people.
“I see the problem as analogous to obesity in America. We have an awful lot of people who realize they’re overweight, but they don’t follow a diet,” Birdsall said. “People realize the Bible has values that would help us in our spiritual health, but they just don’t read it.”
This morning, I challenge all of us to daily read and study our Bibles. That is why we are dedicated this year to reading a chapter together each day as a church. That is why on our church's face page we have a little daily devotion on each day's passage. It is so that together we can share God's Word. It is to inspire and challenge us to be in God's Word everyday. It is so those that cannot make it to a Bible Study has at least a partial one each and every day. I would encourage all of us to become a part of this plan and to invite others. To make it a discussion post each and every day.
This morning, Jesus reveals to us some amazing truths:
1. The Devil is Real - He is our Enemy and He Hates Us, Desires to Steal from Us and Wants to Destroy our Hearts, Minds and Souls. He wants us to be damned to Hell forever and ever.
2. Jesus shows us that we can defeat all sin through the power of His Holy Spirit. Peter tells us:
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39 NIV).
3. Jesus tells us that we can defeat the Devil with the Word of God.
Let us close this morning by singing - HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION # 689 (Traditional)
Contemporary - I give you my heart (This is my Desire) Morgan
1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2426645/Majority-Americans-believe-devil--especially-Republicans-blacks-women.html and
2 https://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/260-most-american-christians-do-not-believe-that-satan-or-the-holy-spirit-exis#.VrUGTbIrLIU
3 f ile:///C:/Users/Arnold%20HP/Downloads/The%20Battle%20of%20the%20Princes.pdf - also THE COMMUNICATOR'S COMMENTARY - LUKE - BRUCE LARSON - pages 84 - 85.
4 Interpretation - Luke - Fred B. Craddock - page 55
