Devotionals

Facing Temptation (The trial of Faith)

by Henry Jaegers
10/16/20
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Jesus said, follow me: What happens next?

Facing Temptation (The trial of Faith)

Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry. And when the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But Jesus answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out the mouth of God. (Matthew 4: 1-4) 

Lately, these verses have captured my attention. What is there about these verses that are so common to all of us? Why everyone probably has this memorized. But as I have been contemplating the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, I have discovered that immediately after Jesus received his declaration from God, the first thing that God had on his agenda for him was to go into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. 

Now immediately, this raises some questions in our minds as to why Jesus, the exalted son of God, was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. 

1.    The timing of the temptation. 

The time was immediately after his exultation and endorsement by the father. He was led by the Holy Spirit to begin what might be the greatest trial that he ever faced. Our subheading that says "what happens next?", In this case, might be properly labeled; "what happens first?" 

So, in considering this, have you ever wondered why the new Does Christian have so much trouble with temptation shortly after his conversion? God makes no mistakes as to the timing of the trial of our faith. Our loving God takes into consideration just how much temptation he allows to come into our life. We all know the verse in first Corinthians chapter 10:13, "that no temptation has come your way that is not common to man. That means temptation is something that we all face and if it does not bother us, it may be a more serious thing to consider. So, the first thing to consider in this matter of temptation is at the right time, God allows this according to our ability to say no!

2. The purpose of the temptation so why does God allow the temptation to come into my life at the earliest possible time? You see, the temptation is always connected with the trial of our faith. Someone said that faith is like muscles, you have to exercise them for them to become strong. That is why temptation is necessary. Now consider this, as to how important it is that we be strong in the midst of our temptation. There are various kinds of temptations that come to us and many of them are easy to resist. But the value of temptation is when we resist and say no to them when it seems like it is too much for us. It is at this point, where resistance is most beneficial. When the temptation is difficult, that's when our spiritual muscles begin to develop. Many times, we yield to temptation, and maybe too often. Yielding to temptation weakens you rather than strengthens you. So, we must resist the temptation when it is the hardest. 

3. The intensity of the temptation 

It is important to know that even though Jesus was the son of God, he was tempted in all points such as we. That is important to know. He did not have an advantage over Satan because he was the son of God. He faced the severest temptation all the way to the end without giving up. And that is why it is so important for us to remember, that Jesus our high priest is not one who is unacquainted with the struggles that we face. We are told he faced them all, without giving in to them at all. 

4. The victory over temptation 

Now here is where it gets interesting. You would think that after going forty days and nights without food or drink that Jesus had the right to turn stones into bread, but that was not his purpose. His purpose was not to prove that he was the son of God. Satan already knew that and what he was doing with Jesus was providing him a distraction from what his purpose was supposed to be. His purpose was not to satisfy his hunger and to perform a miracle. His purpose was to overcome the temptations of Satan. Turning those stones into bread would have been a distraction. I love Jesus' answer, and, to tell you the truth, I never saw this before until recently. Jesus says “it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone". What is the significance of that statement? Jesus' purpose was not to turn stones into bread or to perform a miracle. To do this would be a distraction from his main purpose of overcoming Satan. Doing the will of God, no matter how great the intensity of the temptation or the trial was, God's purpose was not to give into it but to resist it and do the will of God. Remember, God's will, was not to satisfy his hunger, God's will was to overcome Satan. 

So when you are tempted to yield to that little morsel or thing that so easily beset you, remember that it May just be another one of Satan's distractions. Simply get up, walk away, find something more important with which to occupy your mind, and pretty soon you will experience the rest of the verse when Jesus said, but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted above what you're able, but will also make a way to escape. And sometimes that way of escape is simple as getting up, change your location, and begin to find something else to do than to turn those stones of temptation into bread. Now that’s something else to think about!