The Devil Is In The Details (March 6, 2022)

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).