Into the Wilderness: Tested, but Not Alone
You never really know if you’re ready until you’re tested.
I remember the first Certified Volunteer Firefighter class that I ever taught. We spent months training … running drills, studying techniques, learning how to handle the heat and smoke, how to breathe through the mask, how to stay calm under pressure and how to stay alive. But training in a classroom and practicing with controlled flames isn’t the same as the real thing.
Then came the day of the burn test at the State Fire Academy. The class partnered up and stood in front of a raging controlled fire, feeling the heat, seeing the smoke billowing out every window of the burn building. The flames roaring like they had a mind of their own. This was the moment of truth. Would they panic? Would they freeze up? Or would all of the training kick in?
The wilderness is God's proving ground. It’s where faith is tested, it’s where character is forged, and where dependence on God is deepened.
And Jesus, before He ever preached a sermon, before He ever called a disciple … He was led into the wilderness. Before His ministry ever started, He was tested.
You know, If Jesus had to go through the wilderness, it makes sense to think that we will probably have our moments in the wilderness too.
But here’s the good news: When you get there, you’re not going to be alone.
Turn to your neighbor and say “You’re not alone”
The Wilderness is a Place of Testing
The Bible tells us in Matthew 4:1-2: "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry."
Let’s stop right here for a minute because we need to get this… Jesus was led into the wilderness … He didn’t get there by accident, He didn’t get there because He strayed off course, Jesus was in the wilderness because the Spirit took Him there.
Sometimes when we find ourselves in the wilderness the first thing, we do is start questioning why we’re there… you know what I’m talking about “God, why am I here? Lord, what did I do wrong?” We don’t even consider the fact that we may be just where we’re supposed to be … We don’t even consider that the Spirit may have led us into the wilderness. We need to realize that sometimes the wilderness is a place of preparation, It isn’t always about punishment.
Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.
Moses stayed on the side of a mountain 40 days before receiving the Ten Commandments.
And Jesus fasted 40 days and was led into the wilderness before stepping into His ministry.
There’s something about the wilderness that prepares us for what’s next.
At the State Fire Academy, we ran scenarios in the “burn building” … (A building designed to simulate a real fire.) The heat is real, the smoke is thick, and the exits are controlled. The only way out is to go through it. The instructors are in there with you, now you may not see them, but they are there, and they don’t interfere with the evolution unless it’s absolutely necessary. Why? Because the struggle is part of the preparation. If they rescued every trainee at the first sign of panic, they would never be prepared for the real thing.
Maybe God allows us to walk through the wilderness not to break us down, but to build us up? Maybe when you’re in the wilderness you’re there to prepare for something greater…
Maybe you’re in the wilderness right now… Maybe it’s a season of waiting… Maybe it’s a season of financial hardship… Or even a spiritual dry spell.
Whatever it is don’t mistake the wilderness for abandonment. God is with you and He’s preparing you for what’s next.
The Enemy Uses the Same Old Tactics
"Just as the wilderness is a place of preparation, it's also a battleground where the enemy attacks."
In Matthew 4:3-11… We see how Satan tempted Jesus …
The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “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… Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
While Jesus was in the wilderness, the enemy showed up… Satan showed up and put Him to the test…
Satan tempted Jesus in three ways:
With a physical need… Turn this stone to bread..
With Pride … Jump, let the angels catch you..
With Lust… Look at all the things that can be yours..
This is all Satan has got it’s the same strategy the enemy used all the way back in Genesis when Eve saw that the fruit was good for food, It was pleasing to the eye & It was desirable for gaining wisdom.
Satan doesn’t have to be creative… He doesn’t need new tricks… because the same temptations still work today.
I going to give you a heads up today… I’m going to tell you when the enemy is most likely to attack… The enemy attacks when we are Tired…The enemy attacks when we are Alone… The enemy attacks when we are at a turning point.
Where is the enemy hitting you? Is it Your desires? Your pride? Your desire to be in control?
Victory Comes Through God’s Word
Recognizing the attack is the first step in defending against it.
Every time Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus responded with Scripture.
He didn’t argue…He didn’t try to explain Himself…Jesus simply said, “It is written” …Every single response was rooted in God’s Word.
Training to be a firefighter was crazy sometimes… we would do dressing drills… we did them over and over and over… and we did it that way because muscle memory is everything. In an emergency, we didn’t have time to stop to think about putting our gear on we just did it… We didn’t have to remember how to advance a hose line we did it without even thinking because we had done it so many times… our bodies and hands moved without hesitation...Without even thinking.
That’s how Scripture should be in our lives. When temptation comes, we shouldn’t have to stop and think, “What do I do?” Our first reaction should be to stand on the word of God.
Reading your Bible is great but Don’t just read Scripture … study it and train in it like it’s life or death. Because spiritually … it is… The Bible says “the Enemy prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” …
When temptation comes you don’t always have time to do a Bible Search…You need to know it already…
Memorize some key verses… Speak truth over temptation…Let God’s Word be your first defense, not your last resort. Say it together GODS WORD IS MY DEFENSE
This season of Lent is not just about giving up something. It’s about preparing for something… It’s about getting stronger… Stronger in the word…Stronger in your prayer life… Stronger in your faith… Stronger in the Spirit … It’s about doing all that you can do to grow closer to God and be more like Jesus….
Jesus walked into the wilderness led by the Spirit and He walked out with the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:14 says… Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region.
Trust me when I say, the wilderness isn’t the end… it’s the preparation for what’s next.
Where are you facing a wilderness moment? What’s one Scripture you can hold onto in this season?
Let’s use this season as a time of deep preparation. Because when the testing comes, we want to be ready. And remember through it all … we don’t walk through the wilderness alone… Say it with me “I’m not alone”
“I challenge you to memorize one verse that speaks to your struggle. Write it down, carry it with you, and when temptation comes, speak it out loud.
“This week don’t just read Scripture—arm yourself with it. Write it, speak it, pray it—because when temptation comes, you need to be ready. And remember—you are not alone.”
