"The Devil Made Me Do It"
Matthew 4
4/27/97
Intro: If we were to have a tug-of-war, who would you want on your team? Probably one side would call for Tim Brown or Tim Boren, the other side would call for Mike Moore. Yet when the contest was over, where was the battle lost or won? It was not a question of who was the strongest person on your team, but who was the weakest. Not the ability of just one person, but the combined resources of the group. In the Christian life, ultimately the battles we face are not over the areas in which we are the strongest, but in the areas of our weakness.
This morning as we look into Matthew 4, we see Jesus faced with his humanity and his desires as he is tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Look with me in Matthew 4.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 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 does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’" Then 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.
Jesus was as human as we are. He is led away by the Spirit of God to be tested, to be proven. Ultimately, the goal of the Spirit is not to see him fail, but to prove that he will not fail. The Spirit that leads him into the wilderness is the same Spirit that came upon him at his baptism. The testing of Christ is ultimately a source of victory. Which of you would want to use a parachute if I said, "It’s really good, my mother crocheted it herself." We would be somewhat skeptical. Likewise, what about if I took a chemical set, mixed chemicals together and said, "Here, try this, it’s good." You’d probably say, "Let someone else try it first."
Jesus is led away to be tempted. I love the understatement of scripture. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. You bet he was! He was probably ready to eat those scorpions running around. In the midst of his weakness and vulnerability, Satan comes and hits him with three attacks.
I. Questioning God’s Provision - Satan first tries to tempt him on the physical area. After being so hungry, Satan points out all of the rocks around him. Satan reminds him that he has the power to turn the stones into bread to satisfy his human hunger. What is Jesus’ answer? "It is written." Jesus quotes the scriptures. Why does he do that? I once heard a powerful message by E. V. Hill, a black minister in the PromiseKeepers circles who said that the reason Jesus answered with scripture was so that we would have an example to follow. Jesus could have refuted the devil with his brilliant wisdom. He could have left and avoided the devil. But instead he chose to do something that we can do: He used the word of God.
What was Satan’s ultimate temptation: really it was to question the provision of God. Paul writes, But my God shall supply all your needs. do we really believe that? It is so very easy to believe that if we want anything, we need to get it for ourselves.
1 John 4:15-17 tells us, Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever.
Satan appeals first to the lust of the flesh, the cravings of the physical nature. Jesus replies by remembering that ultimately physical gratification is not the most important thing in life: obedience to God is. Why is it that people will give up any amount of money to have a meaningful life, job, spouse, etc.? Money does not satisfy. Monarchs of England have stepped down from ascending the throne so that they could marry a commoner that they loved. If you really love God and trust his provision for you, you will rather serve him in poverty than to deny him in wealth and riches.
II. Forcing God’s Hand - Satan now comes with a second temptation. This time Satan tries a little harder. He comes with an emotional appeal to Jesus pride. Satan takes Christ to the pinnacle of the temple. He takes him to church so that he can use a "spiritual" argument. It’s a whole lot easier to justify doing something we want if we have a "spiritual" argument to back it up. Satan has tempted, Jesus has responded with Scripture. Now Satan tries to bend the Scriptures for this second temptation. Notice in both the first and second temptation, Satan starts out with the phrase, "If you are the Son of God." Satan makes this an issue of pride, tempting Jesus to prove his deity and power.
Satan tries to get Jesus to jump from the temple. This is not really a question of power or ability: this is a question of forcing God’s hand. How often do we try to force God’s hand. Time after time in the scriptures we see God’s men doing miraculous feats in confrontation with Satan’s forces. Yet, these were always done because they were led by the spirit, not because they wanted to flaunt their power.
What would you think if I said to you, Stand back and watch me levitate this pulpit. Do I have the power in Christ to do it? Yes. I have the power to move a mountain if I have the faith. Will it happen? No, because there is not a reason why God needs to prove himself through me in that way. Satan tries to get Jesus to try and force God’s hand.
How often do we "barter with God." Did you ever put something in the offering plate, not because you wanted to give, but because you wanted that "hundredfold" return that Christ talked about? I have "Christian coupon books" in my files of faith healers who tell you that you can have whatever you want if you will only send in your faith gifts to support their ministries.
III. Taking Matters into Your Own Hands - The third temptation comes with a spiritual test. Jesus is taken to a mountain and shown all the kingdoms of the world. They are all offered to Christ. Was this a valid offer? Yes. Was it a real temptation for Christ? I believe once again the answer is yes. I believe the temptation is one of taking matters into your own hands. Jesus has been promised a kingdom. Yet for thirty years, he has been waiting for God’s delivering of this kingdom into his hands. Here Satan offers him immediate gratification. Looking ahead, I believe Jesus knew he would have to suffer and die. Satan offers him an alternative: worship him and have instant kingdoms.
How often do we want to help God out by taking matters into our own hands. We long for someone who will understand the problems we face in our marriage, so we build a relationship with someone of the other sex at the office. Soon we find that we are saying that we can no longer stay married because God has brought this new person into our lives.
It can be so very tempting to make life convenient and comfortable for ourselves. Is it wrong for someone to be rich or wealthy or important? No. Is it wrong to want a lot? The love of money is the root of all evil.
Do you ever get tired of waiting for God to work? I’m sure Jesus struggled with waiting for those thirty years. Yet, the rewards are always greater when we serve God. Jesus knew what kind of kingdom awaited him if he only waited for the kingdom prepared by the Father.
the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- these are all very real temptations that we face every day.
So how do we face them? By using the word of God. We need to read and study God’s word so we will be able to resist the attacks of Satan.
Ephesians 6: 11 - Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Let’s look at the final verse of the passage in Matthew. Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. When you resist the devil he will flee from you. When you entertain temptation, you will face more and more temptation. If you want to win over temptation, you must confront the devil "head on."
Satan tempts Christ to doubt God’s provision, but faithfulness shows God’s provision through the angels. Satan tempts Christ to force God’s hand, but patience shows God revealing his hand. Satan tempts Jesus to take matters into his own hands, but obedience shows that only in following the Father’s ways is there true victory.
How have you been doing at facing the temptations in your own life? God offers the victory to you today!
