Overcoming Temptation: Jesus’ Example in Resisting Satan
June 8, 2025
Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Matthew 4:1-11
We’ve spent the last several months pulling back the veil on the enemy’s tactics — exposing his schemes, his snares, and his shadow games. Let’s be real: Satan is not some cartoonish figure with a pitchfork and red tights. He’s cunning, deceptive, relentless, and far more powerful than any man or woman on their own. He’s a master of illusion, a professional liar, and a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
But here’s the good news: Jesus didn’t just defeat temptation for Himself — He demonstrated how you can walk in victory. Armed with the Word. Filled with the Spirit. Anchored in your God-given identity. Temptation is inevitable — but defeat is not.
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)
If you don’t know the Word of God — and if you don’t understand the tactics of the enemy — you WILL fall. You WILL be deceived. But if you stand on the Word… If you cling to truth like your life depends on it — because it does… If you learn how Jesus fought and follow His lead… Then temptation doesn’t have to lead to defeat. It can become a doorway to deeper dependence on God.
So today, we’re going to walk into the desert with Jesus.
I. The Setup: Led by the Spirit into the Wilderness (Matthew 4:1)
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4:1)
Before the battle begins, we need to understand who brought Jesus to this moment — and why. This wasn’t the devil hijacking God’s plan. This was the Spirit initiating a confrontation. It wasn’t an accident. It was a Divine appointment. Jesus didn’t stumble into temptation. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
That may mess with your theology… but it’s the truth. Some of us were taught that hardship is always the devil’s doing. That difficulty must mean you’re out of God’s will. That if things are hard, something’s wrong. That’s a dangerous way of thinking because many times God leads you into the wilderness to strengthen you and to teach you how to defeat the real enemy of your life.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)
Matthew 4:1 explodes the idea that difficulty means your out of God’s will. Look at what is says, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness…” — not away from God’s plan, but deeper into it. The wilderness wasn’t punishment — It was a proving ground. It was preparation. It was formation. It was assignment.
Here’s what I want you to know: God doesn’t waste wilderness seasons. He uses them to:
Strip away false identities
Strengthen spiritual muscles
Sharpen your discernment
Silence distractions so you can hear His voice clearly.
I think we also need to be humbled in this time. We are not as strong as we think we are and we cannot make it without the Divine intervention and help of the Holy Spirit. To be a strong Christian is to be a Spirit-led Christian
And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:2–3)
Before a Navy SEAL is ever entrusted with a mission, he must endure one of the most brutal training regimens in the world — Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S). It’s six months of relentless hardship: freezing water, sleepless nights, mental torment, physical exhaustion. Many wash out.
But those who endure it come out forged.
Not broken — proven.
Not discarded — deployed.
The wilderness of training isn’t punishment. It’s preparation for high-value missions.
In the same way, Jesus wasn’t in the wilderness because He lacked God’s favor — He was there because He carried God’s assignment. The desert doesn’t disqualify you. It proves you’re being prepared for kingdom deployment.
This was the proving ground for messiah. The Judean wilderness was not a forest like we think of wilderness. It is a dessert of mountains, rocks, caves, and heat. No food and very little water. It is a image of life for us. Before the victory God leads us through the dessert. Not to punish us but to strenghten us and to prove to us that through the Holy Spirit, we are stronger that we think we really are.
For Jesus:
Before the miracles…
Before the crowds…
Before the cross…
There was the wilderness.
The same Spirit that descended like a dove at Jesus’ baptism is the one who drove Him into the desert. Because the anointing must be tested. The Sonship had to stand face-to-face with Satan. This was not an accident. It was a divine appointment. I think it was also to prove to Satan that Jesus was Messiah.
Sometimes God leads you into a dry place not to crush you, but to confirm you. To teach you that man doesn’t live by bread alone. To reveal that what’s inside of you — the Word, the Spirit, the identity of Christ — is greater than anything the enemy throws at you.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3–5)
So let me say it again: The wilderness is not punishment — it is preparation. It is formation. It is assignment. And the God who brought you to it… will also bring you through it. Being tempted doesn’t mean you’re weak — it means you’re a threat. If you’re under pressure, you’re likely on the frontlines of a spiritual breakthrough. Stand your ground!
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6–7)
II. The Strategy: Satan’s Threefold Temptation (Matthew 4:2–10)
And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 4:2)
Don’t miss it: Satan didn’t strike when Jesus was strong, but when He was weak. Matthew 4:2–3 (ESV) – “And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came…” Tired. Hungry. Alone. He hits you when your guard is down — not when your Instagram devotionals are on point. Temptation is targeted, not random. It’s strategic. Calculated. Surgical. He’s not going to hit you when you are strong. He’s going to hit you when you are most vulnerable.
And Satan’s strategy hasn’t changed — he still uses these same three lures: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.
The same pattern that brought down Adam and Eve in Eden is the same pattern he tries on Jesus in the wilderness: So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6)
“Good for food” ? Lust of the flesh ? “Turn these stones to bread”
“Delight to the eyes” ? Lust of the eyes ? “All these kingdoms I will give you”
“Make one wise” ? Pride of life ? “Throw Yourself down… prove You’re the Son of God”
1. Temptation of the Flesh: “Turn these stones to bread” (v. 3–4)
And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:3–4)
This hits at desire — hunger, craving, the body’s urges. Satan says, “Satisfy yourself. You deserve this.”
Pornography
Gluttony
Addiction
Sexual temptation
Choosing what feels good over what is right
When Satan tempts Jesus to “turn these stones into bread,” Jesus doesn’t argue. He doesn’t philosophize. He doesn’t flex His divine power. He simply responds with Scripture: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Deut. 8:3) When you feed on the Word, you can starve the flesh.
This is spiritual warfare 101. Jesus reached for the sword — not a snack. Let’s pause here and let it sink in: Jesus, the living Word, still quoted the written Word to defeat the enemy. If He needed it, how much more do we? We cannot rely on AI, Youtube, Instagram, or some smiling face on TV for battleground theology. We must read, digest, and live in the Word of God and let it live in us.
2. Temptation of Pride: “Throw yourself down” (v. 5–7)
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Satan takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and says: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written…” (Matthew 4:6) Now he’s quoting Scripture! He pulls from Psalm 91:11–12: “He will command His angels concerning you… On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” But here’s the problem: Satan left something out. Psalm 91:11 actually says: “He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” That phrase is critical. “In all your ways” means as you walk in God’s will and path — not when you test or manipulate Him. Satan quotes Scripture out of context to tempt Jesus into spiritual pride and presumption.
This is demonic deception. Here’s another way to explain it. He tempts Jesus to prove His identity by demanding a supernatural sign. This is no different than some of the charasmania movements that emphasize signs and wonders over scripture
This is ego, pride, and spiritual arrogance. But we also find this in:
Manipulating Scripture to justify sin
Demanding God prove Himself to you
Seeking platform before faithfulness
“Name it and claim it” abuses
Jesus responds: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Deut. 6:16) Faith doesn’t test God — it trusts Him.
3. Temptation of Power: “Bow to me and I’ll give it all” (v. 8–10)
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” (Matthew 4:8–10)
It’s not just about worshiping Satan — it’s about getting the crown without the cross.
It’s about compromising to gain influence, success, ease, or approval.
We see this all the time in our lives. Selling out our faith so that people will like us. Compromising values for success. Blending truth with lies to “get ahead” Bowing to culture to keep influence. You compromise biblical conviction to keep peace with a prodigal child.You decide you’ve “done your time” instead of passing the torch with courage. You let TikTok shape your theology more than God’s Word. You bow to the culture’s idols — validation, image, pleasure — because it feels good in the moment.
In 2015, Kim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky, refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because of her Christian convictions. She lost her job, faced lawsuits, and became a national media target. All she had to do was sign the paper. But she said: “I can’t be separated from something that’s in my heart and soul… I didn’t lose my job. I gave it up for Jesus.” When culture offers the world in exchange for your worship, you must decide what throne you’ll bow to.
Jesus responds with fire: “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” (Deut. 6:13) The kingdom isn’t won through compromise — it’s secured through obedience.
Satan attacks in 3 primary areas:
Lust of the flesh – What I want to feel
Lust of the eyes – What I want to have
Pride of life – What I want to be known for
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. (1 John 2:16)
So it stands to reason that our victory over the world is not going to come from within the world, but from the One who created the world. Victory is found not in willpower, but in Word-power.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
III. The Victory: How Jesus Resisted — and So Can You
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. (Matthew 4:10–11)
Jesus didn’t argue. He didn’t debate. He stood on the Word, clung to the Spirit, and knew who He was. He didn’t just defeat temptation for us — He showed us how to walk in victory with Him.
He used Scripture — because truth is the only weapon strong enough to silence lies.
He was filled with the Spirit — not running on empty, but overflowing.
He stood firm in His identity — not proving Himself to Satan, but resting in the Father’s voice: “This is My beloved Son.”
You may feel weak — but He is strong.
You may feel tempted — but you are not defeated.
You have the Word.
You have the Spirit.
You know who you are.
Now walk like it.
Conclusion
Because when the enemy leaves… God shows up.
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. (Matthew 4:11)
The wilderness wasn’t the end. The trial wasn’t wasted. And the victory wasn’t quiet. Heaven responded to obedience. The presence of God came where the temptation once stood. When you stand in truth, God sends His strength. When you resist the devil, he flees — and God fills. You may be worn out, but if you’ll resist the enemy today, there is grace coming, strength rising, and joy returning.
Church, don’t miss this moment.
Some of you have been fighting temptation alone.
Some of you have been losing the battle in your mind.
Some of you have compromised your convictions, and you know it.
And some of you have just grown weary from the wilderness.
But hear me — Jesus didn’t just survive the wilderness, He conquered it. And by His Spirit, you can too.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
If you’ve been tempted and feel ashamed — come.
If you’ve compromised and want to repent — come.
If you’re tired and need strength — come.
If you want to declare spiritual war and say, “Be gone, Satan!” — come.
Let the angels come. Let the chains fall. Let the victory begin.
