THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS
Text: Luke 4:1- 13
Luke 4:1-13 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, (2) where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. (3) The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." (4) Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'" (5) Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. (6) And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. (7) If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." (8) Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" (9) Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, (10) for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,' (11) and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" (12) Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (13) When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time (NRSV).
I once had a seminary professor who seemed to suggest in one of his lectures that the devil that Jesus encountered in the wilderness could have been a fictional characterization to explain evil. It seems that perhaps he was trying to provoke a response from his students to test their faith It is a scary thing to realize that people can believe in Jesus but claim the devil is a myth that is used to explain away evil. That’s is a lie! Satan would love for us to believe that he is a myth. We know that it cannot be true because Jesus faced the devil in the wilderness who tempted Jesus to try to renege on His mission to save the world of lost sinners in every age.
Two 6 year olds struggled with the problem of the existence of the devil. One boy said, “Oh, there isn’t any devil.” The other, rather upset, said, “What do you mean, there isn’t any devil? It talks about him all the way through the Bible!” the first replied, “Oh that’s not true, you know. It’s just like Santa Claus, the devil turns out to be your dad.” Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press. [original source: G. Lewis, Demon Possession, ed. J. Montgomery ]. Satan is no joke and neither is hell!
Satan is alive, busy, deceptive, destructive and determined to destroy us. He wants to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10a). Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8) and give to us “… everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow! “ (John 10:10b The Passion Translation).
How do we handle temptations? Whom do we rely on? Jesus addressed these things as He is driven by the Spirit into the wilderness. The Devil was in the details.
Today, we look at how Jesus was tempted and resisted temptation.
TEMPTATION
Has the devil ever gotten personal in tempting you ?
1) Ambush: Satan seeks to get us by surprise attack. He hides his intention out of sight like an enemy army. Like a sniper, Satan conceals his traps. What does scripture say about all these things?
(a)James 1:14 tells us that each person is tempted when he is lured by his own desire (ESV).
(b) Since Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (I Peter 5:8) we can bet that he uses what will lure and bait us by “our own desire”. Satan will distort the truth, mix truth with what is false in order to deceive, to cheat, kill, steal and destroy (John 10a). Therefore, you better believe that Satan will make your temptation personal
(c) As someone (John Sowers) said, “Temptation is a lot of things, but mainly it is doubt. His [Satan's] assault casts doubt on our true name, our position with the Father and our place as sons “[and daughters]. (John Sowers. The Heroic Path. New York, New York: Jericho Books, 2014, p. 162). Satan acts like a Pied Piper trying to lure us away from being who we as God’s children!
2) Native language: “… When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 NIV). The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44) and the spirit who is at work in the lives of those that are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2).
3) Bait: Satan always uses bait to lure us into temptation. Consider how the bait was used in this story…. I read a story about “…an enthusiastic but somewhat unscrupulous salesman who was waiting to see the purchasing agent of an engineering firm. The salesman was there to submit his company’s bid, or price quote, for a particular job. He couldn’t help but notice, however, that a competitor’s bid was on the purchasing agent’s desk. Unfortunately, the actual figure was covered by a can of juice. The temptation to see the amount quoted became too much, so the salesman lifted the can. His heart sank as he watched thousands of BB’s pour from the bottomless can and scatter across the floor”. (Source unknown).
How did Jesus handle temptation?
1) Temptation number one: The first temptation that Satan threw at Jesus was a temptation of the flesh. “We must not seek to meet legitimate needs in illegitimate ways” (Tony Evans. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019, p. 964). It was about using His power to satisfy physical hunger. Jesus was at His weakest and most vulnerable spot physically dealing with hunger pangs. Satan told Jesus to turn stones into bread. Jesus answered and said “Man shall not live by bread alone alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Luke 4:4; Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3).
(a) Jesus was born poor, grew up poor, lived among the poor. He was sympathetic for those He came to save. Turning stones to bread was not impossible to Jesus. However, it was not in God’s will for Jesus to yield to his own hunger.
(b) Would you be able to stand going without food for forty days? What is the longest that you think you could go without food? We hate it when they make us fast and get nothing else to eat for a medical procedure don’t we? That is just one day. How well could we do with forty days?
(c) The forty days and nights that Jesus went without food is reminiscent of the forty years that the children of Israel spent wandering in the wilderness.
2) Temptation number 2: The second temptation that Satan threw at Jesus was religious. We serve the one we worship and worship the one we serve. That is why Jesus said Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him." (Luke 4:8 NRSV).
(a) Here is the chief of fallen angels asking the Son of God, the Prince of Peace to worship the Prince of darkness in exchange for the Kingdoms of the world.
(b) Satan told Jesus that He would give Him what already belonged to Him if Jesus would bow down and worship Satan himself. Do you see a hint of irony here? Do you detect a hint of idolatry and desecration here? Winning by forfeit would not have been a victory for those that Jesus came to save!
3) Temptation number 3: The third temptation was about testing God by intentionally putting Himself in harm’s way by throwing Himself down so that God’s angels would intercede and protect Him (Deuteronomy 6:16, Psalm 91: 11 & 12).
(a)Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test'" (Deuteronomy 6:16, & Luke 4:12 NRSV).
(b) Later, Jesus faced this temptation in the Garden of Gethsemane as “a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees” (John 18:3) came to arrest Jesus. He could have chose to call on the angels of heaven to rescue Him and avoid the cross (Matthew 26:53). Instead, He chose the suffering, the flogging and the crucifixion for our salvation!
RESISTANCE
How good is your endurance? James 4:7 tells us “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (NRSV).
1) Resistance: Jesus resisted Satan and Satan left Him till an opportune time (Luke 4:13). Satan will do the same to us. He will tempt us with persistence, leave when we resist Him in the strength of the Holy Spirit and then Satan will look for other temptation opportunities.
2) Persistence: Satan has the persistence of a rattle snake. There was a hunter who was climbing a ledge near Red Bluff in Northern California when he encountered a four four foot rattlesnake that struck at him and got his fangs caught in a wool turtleneck sweater. It was persistent. He got stuck where mobility was limited while the rattlesnake was persistent. He grabbed the snake with the left hand behind its head. He had to use his right hand to grab his rifle and dislodge the snake’s fangs from his sweater. It struck at him eight more times before he strangled it to death. (Charles Swindoll. Quest For Character. Portland, Oregon: Multnomah Press, pp. 17 -18). That reminds me of a question I once asked my mother pertaining Satan’s persistence. I asked her what could I do to get Satan to leave me alone completely. She told me that Satan would bother me as long as I am on this side of heaven.
3) Discipline: 1I Peter 5:8 - 9 tells us “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. (9) Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering” (NRSV).
What was the one common thread that you see that Jesus used through every temptation that Satan threw at Him?
1) F.R.O.G. Jesus, the Son of God in human flesh, fully relied on the strength that was given to Him by God the Father! He relied on the Word of God empowered by the Holy Spirit that drove Him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1 - 2).
2) Endurance testing: James 1:3 - 5 reminds us that “… you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; (4) and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. (5) If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you” (NRSV).
3)The sword of the Spirit: Paul called the Word of God the “sword of the Spirit for good reason (Ephesians 6:17). Like we mentioned at the beginning Satan is no myth! Trying to face anything that Satan throws at us without God’s help is destructive.
4) Swordless: How would we ever be able to successfully stand up to Satan with only the strength of the flesh? How can anyone resist the devil if they do not believe that he exists? Doesn’t Satan already have them where he wants them? If they do not believe in God, then how can they use the Sword of God’s word?
5) God’s faithfulness: 1 Corinthians 10:13 tell us that “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it” (NRSV).
Temptation can trap us. As some unknown author has written, “You can’t play with the animal in you without becoming animal–like. You cannot be careless with the truth without becoming comfortable with falsehoods. You cannot become insensitive toward others without developing a heart of stone. Give a foothold to what you consider to be inconsequential questionable actions and eventually you may find a person in your skin you’ll have difficulty living with.” https://www.proclaimsermons.com/illustration.asp?LoggedIn=Yes&ID=Wil2850260583&illust_type=category&illust_cat=Temptation We can do all things in Christ who strengthens us and in His strength alone (Philippians 4:13).
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
