[Statements in brackets are for the preacher not the preaching. They are notes that reflect ideas based on the homiletics recommended in "Preach with No Pants" (https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/preach-with-no-pants-john-allen-sermon-on-inductive-250167) which proposes an inductive-deductive five-point outline: Trip, Tension, Twist, Truth, Triumph. (Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the NET Bible.)]
[EXEGETICAL Subject - The devil's temptations...]
[EXEGETICAL Complement - ... were completely defeated by Jesus by quoting Scripture.]
[APPLICATIONS]
[God may lead us into difficult situations.]
[The devil attacks you when you are weak.]
[The devil attacks you where you are weak.]
[The devil watches for opportune times to attack you.]
[We resist the temptations of the devil with Scripture.]
[We resist the temptations of the devil with our knowledge of Scripture.]
[We stand strong in trials with our knowledge of Scripture.]
[Our spiritual power is directly related to how well we know the Bible.]
[Three general areas of life hold temptations and trials.]
[We have the ability to drive the devil away.]
[HOMILETICAL Subject - The trials and temptations of life...]
[HOMILETICAL Complement - ... we find the way out through Scripture.]
[HOMILETICAL IDEA - Sharpen your Sword of Scripture to conquer the battles of life.]
[HOMILETICAL IDEA - The sharpness of you Sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17) decides your battle against the devil.]
[HOMILETICAL IDEA - You need the sharp sword of the Word of God to fight the devil.]
[HOMILETICAL IDEA - You need the sharp sword of the Word of God to fight your way out of dark valleys.]
[HOMILETICAL IDEA - Your knowledge of Scripture enables you to win over trials and temptations.]
[TWIST - The Clue to the Idea, Most Startling Idea]
"It is written!"
_____________________________________
[TRIP/UPSET]
A most disturbing "promise" of Jesus is, "In the world you will have trouble and suffering" (John 16:33). Most days we forget that. I have said it before: "This ain't heaven yet. We live on a sin-cursed planet under the dominion of the utterly evil, powerful god that we call the devil" (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 1 John 4:4; 5:19).
[TENSION - Provoking the Questions, Opposites of the Truth]
The devil attacks us. If that scares you, just worry first about temptations that come from your own sinful nature. In some sense it doesn't matter which of our three enemies the trouble comes from, the world, the flesh, or the devil.
We face temptations to sin, temptations to stray from God, troubles that try our faith. And the devil knows our weaknesses better than we do. He will certainly take advantage of you in any situation.
(Vv. 1, 14-15) And why doesn't God protect us from the devil? Look at poor Job. We want to hunker down and hide, hoping the devil doesn't notice us.
But that means many people live in defeat. We don't want to be cowards. We don't want to be weak, helpless babies mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Do you know the Bible tells in 1 Cor 3:1 and Heb 5:13 not to be babies?
In the world we have trouble and suffering. I need to remind myself often of something C.S. Lewis said. It was very wise, like basically everything he said.
One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe -- a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease and sin. The difference is that Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and went wrong. Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks this is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel.
Enemy-occupied territory -- that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.
("Mere Christianity," page 51)
Paul talks about this spiritual warfare in Eph 6, encouraging us to be strong in the Lord and in his power, to stand against his attacks.
[TWIST - The Clue to the Idea, Most Startling Idea]
Maybe Jesus can show us how. He came to live the perfect human life on earth, completely dependent on the Father. How did he defend himself against this powerful "Dark God"? He showed us how, three times in a row in case we miss it. The key is simple, your reading ability.
Turn to Luke 4 to see how to live life in victory. Read Luke 4:1-15.
[TRUTH - Preaching the Bible's Solution]
Verse 1: Notice that God may lead us into a place of trouble! What? Our loving, caring heavenly Father takes us to these places of trouble and temptation? Didn't Jesus pray for our protection in his High Priestly Prayer (John 17)?
And what about the Lord's Prayer, "Lead us not into temptation?" We have to say this is like a child telling his mother, "Please don't give me more broccoli." I'm afraid we just need it sometimes. God takes advantage of those troubles. Why? Frankly, he has to force us to grow. Otherwise, to be honest, we would all live like Garfield, the cat, "Eat, drink and be lazy." The Bible is full of verses on our refinement and spiritual growth. But like with Job, God carefully measures the exact amount of pressure.
This is why Martin Luther is credited with saying, "Even the devil is God's devil." I have to wonder if Satan feels like a total tool sometimes. How good to be a child of God, safe in his arms!
Notice that the trials come to us in common areas of life. 1 John 2:15-17 lists them. These are reflected in the serpent's temptation of Eve and of Jesus here in the wilderness. Someone called them gold, glory, Gloria. Or we could say, pleasure, possessions, power (prestige, position).
Think how easily these identify the common idols of life. Pleasure covers food, sex, sports, music, media, entertainment, whatever makes us feel good.
Possessions include all the stuff of life, including the most obvious, money. Emotional and financial security probably fits here, perhaps the undue value put on family and friends also.
Power covers politics, of course. It also references our control over others, firstly in our own family. But it also shows our jobs, our reputations, even our status in the church.
What's the idol in your heart that makes us want to break the first of the Ten Commandments? What are you most tempted to honor above God?
Jesus was beginning to starve, so the devil tempted him with food. We are tempted far sooner with food. But food is necessary, isn't it? "God made food taste good. It's not my fault."
Jesus would someday be the King of Earth, so the devil tempted him with a shortcut. He actually offered him all that power that he had stolen from Adam. The devil promises us a perfect life, "when all those people around me do what I think they should do!"
Jesus would soon face wholesale confusion, disagreement, and denial about who he is. So the devil offered him a spectacular display of his special relationship with God. So many want that spectacular display for us.
We recently studied Mark 11. On his way into Jerusalem he cursed the fig tree. Once in Jerusalem he got angry, made a whip, and flipped over tables. I thought, "Hmm, when I'm on the highway or seeing the news, and if I am to use Jesus as my example..." Sorry. No.
Seriously, we should use Jesus as our example in facing the attacks of the devil and the troubles of life. Your most powerful weapon is knowing just three words: "It is written."
Just know what the Bible says. You don't have to attain some spiritual superman height. It's as simple as the Sunday School song, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Know and believe what the Bible says.
"So," you say, "we have to memorize verses?" And then we have this memorized response, "But, I don't have a good memory." But it's good enough for this. You remember a lot of things, like your phone number, your address, your spouse's name, hopefully her birthday, and even your anniversary. The key is repetition, reminding.
I have said more than once, "To memorize, don't memorize." Instead read and re-read the verses. If you do that for 21 days, they say it will sink into your subconscious, whether you push on it or not!
The hard and painful work of memorizing is in cramming the verse into your short-term memory. That may be good, but you want it in your long-term memory. That comes through a lot of little reminders.
Another idea is to do what Moses told the Israelites to do some 3500 years ago. In Deut. 6 he says to put those verses up all around the house. Many people say the best place is the bathroom mirror. Then you can start the day with God's "true truth" in the forefront of your mind.
One more point of encouragement, you can use this powerful sword of the Spirit without knowing it word perfect. You will know the principle of the verse. I have often said to myself, "I don't know the reference and I can't quote it, but I know there's a verse that says..."
The bottom line is this: You have to know the stuff the Bible says. Once a week at church or reading your Bible a day or two during the week is not enough. You need to be familiar with it in order to follow Jesus further in and out of the dark valleys to the green pastures and refreshing waters.
Finally, notice the result of winning the battle against the devil in verse 14, "power in the Spirit." That's a piece of that supernatural power that created this universe and brought Jesus back from the dead! Paul prayed that in Eph 2:19-21, for that "incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength. This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come."
[TRIUMPH - The Nugget of Truth]
In the world we will have trouble and suffering, but Jesus, the Bible has told us many things so that in him we may have peace. We can take courage because he has conquered the world, the flesh, and the devil. He lives in us.
