Bible Studies

Battling Temptation Skillfully

by Manuel Vargas 
05/19/24
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

Battling Temptation Skillfully 

Before Jesus entered into the Ministry…Before He cast out any demons…Jesus had to battle Temptation skillfully, during His fast for 40 days.

 Hi Faith-writers, I thank God for another opportunity to share His word with His people. Demonology is a topic that God wants me to teach uniquely. I would like to share it in a practical and more explanatory manner, when the Holy Spirit leads us.

 One of the biggest secrets we overlook in our calling is the temptation factor. The Holy Spirit not only filled Jesus when He was Baptized by John the Baptist at the Jordan. But the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for 40 days to be tempted of the devil. (Luke 4:1-2 NKJV) 

In order for us to grow spiritually we need to undergo the temptation factor. This spiritual warfare is not designed to break us, but it is designed to make us into mature servants of God. God is not going to allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to handle it, Paul said (1 Cor. 10:13 NKJV) 

However, God will make a way of escape and strengthen us to bear the temptation.

What is our wilderness?

 1. Wasteland—is a place where it is uninhabited. No-man’s land or a neglected area.

2. Jungle—where there are a lot of creatures and dangerous animals.

3. Desert—where it is dry and barren, no vegetation or growth or water.

4. Badlands—where we don’t know who is dwelling there either in the rocks, caves, or woods.

 Literally speaking, Jesus went into a real wilderness. Danger awaited Him. Besides the devil, Jesus had to totally rely on God’s protection against vipers, wild animals, and thieves who hid in the wilderness. Jesus did not have bear spray or a rifle. Jesus did not have a tent or camping equipment. This is where Faith 2.0 had to be applied. Adding to this Faith He wasn’t well nourished, He was fasting. With no weapons He took God at His Word and trusted the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is leading us when we get a job at McDonalds instead of Wall St. … When we move to the ghetto instead of the suburbs… When we get demoted instead of promoted…When we break-up in our relationship instead of it being genuinely developed…When we get fired because of lay-off’s. We entered our wilderness.  

I remember that I was about to get promoted in my last job in 2012, and all of a sudden, the Facility manager and assistant manager were fired. Then the new ones didn’t like me. I was overlooked for promotion. I wondered why? Well, I realized later that I had to care for my daughter during the day. So, I had to work overnight. I couldn’t afford a baby-sitter anymore. Then I started writing on this website. It was easier to study at night when everything was quiet. Plus, I did not have to deal with the new administration who dropped the ball several times and only lasted a few months and one was fired the other moved on. I stood there for 11 years and God had me write 274 articles from February 2011 to December 2016. God allowed me to go through this wilderness to start my online ministry. 

The other test during this time was the pay rate. I went from making $1800 a week in construction to making $515 a week in maintenance, talk about temptation. I had to hold on to the Scripture that Paul quoted, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13 NKJV) When Paul quoted this, he was referring to the financial status he was encountering (Phil. 4:10-13 NKJV). 

It was 11 years of financial struggle. It was also 11 years of humility, I had to clean 27 bathrooms in this homeless shelter. Besides the rest of the building. Every day it was America’s dirtiest job. I will spare you the details. 

The other temptation was the women who worked there. They always made advances to me daily. Like Joseph in the Old Testament, I had to run or pray them away. I would pray Lord please remove either me or this person who is trying to sleep with me. They all would eventually be fired or quit. And replaced with new ones. It was hard. Because at home my wife was struggling and over-burden with her job and going to college at night. No play-time between us. Which increased the passion and need in my life. It was hard, but this was my wilderness. Man shall not live by sex alone—really! God, come on Man! LOL! 

Spiritual warfare 101

We need to make a distinction between the Holy Spirit and the devil, when it comes to the temptation factor. God led me into the wilderness (The Homeless Shelter Job). The devil used the new administration, the pay rate, and the women daily to tempt me, besides the men who stayed at this shelter. I had to swallow my pride and submit to ignorant managers who did not know anything about buildings. Yet, I have built skyscrapers and Mansions for a living since I was 13 years old and cleaned them after they were built. 

I had to deal with these wanna-be gangsters who lived in the shelter. Yet, I was a real drug lord and gun dealer. I’ve been in over 40 shootouts in Brooklyn and Manhattan in the 80’s, I hurt and killed people. I’m a great fighter and a real OG. Yet, I had to forgive my enemies daily and ignore the comments. I flew off the handle 5 times. But I realized I needed to mature in this area. 

(The shelter Jungle).

The women, Hi and Bye! Don’t engage in fleshly conversations. It’s easy to go there.

All the while, I thought God was wasting my time. My skill set. My talent. My, My & My…ah wait a minute! Say again! The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. The Holy Spirit led Manuel into the homeless shelter job. (I hope you’re getting this point!) If we don’t pass the wilderness test, we will remain there longer than 40 days. It was 11 years for me.

In February 2022, I was hired to work as a porter at a High-end Luxury High rise building in the Upper East Side in Manhattan. Now, I’m earning $30 to $42 dollars an hour in a 40-hour week. After a few months, I became a Concierge (Doorman) over-night. It’s quiet and I’m able to write articles. And study for more Licenses. I’ve obtained 10 licenses so far. I need 10 more. I’m studying to be a Stationary Engineer. You basically baby-sit the mechanical equipment in the building and repair them. A Stationary Engineer makes $80 to $120 dollars an hour. Promotion comes from the Lord at His time.

My daughter is 14 years old now. She goes to school on her own. My time has been freed up and things are going well for my family financially. My wife is still in college at night and working during the day. 

We Battle with the Word of God

I heard many Christians say, the devil is out to get me! He is out to get everybody not just you or me! But we need to battle the devil with the Word of God, no matter how many times he comes to tempt us.

Jesus Battled with the Word

I want to outline the Battle that Jesus had with the devil. It’ll be easier to detail the battle;

1. If You are the Son of God. The devil will tempt us in the area of our identity. (Luke 4:3 NKJV)

Right now, you may be thinking about whether you’re male or female. Or LGBTQ. When we get thoughts that challenge our identity—where does it come from? The devil! Not God! If we were born physically with a male organ or female organ God did not make a mistake. Even if we look masculine or feminine. We need to look at Scripture to see who is really behind the confusion. 

The devil heard what happened at the Jordan river when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. God spoke from heaven and said this is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased (Luke 3:21-22 NKJV). The devil tried to confuse Jesus with His Identity as a Son. If you are the Son of God. What do you mean, IF? Jesus said, the devil is a liar (John 8:44 NKJV) He will lie to us every day. So, if God says, you are His son or daughter. The devil will misidentify us and cause us to question who we are.

A feeling is not a fact. A fact is, when you have a male organ. Then you are, therefore, a male XY. If you have a female organ, you are a female XX. This is a scientific fact and truth. Just because a thought from the enemy is injected into our minds that questions our identity and we take that thought which is evil--as a truth. We will be confused. You can change your organs, but you will suffer for the rest of your life under medication that will destroy you.

I remember when I was around 8 years old. I was playing under my aunt’s bed. Then the room got filled with about 8 girls from 14 to 22 years of age. They started talking about guys and the freaky stuff they engaged in. (Use your imagination porn type conversation). Later, two of these girls were caught engaging in sex. One decided to be straight, the other, lesbian for some time. Fast forward 28 years later. I’m 36 years old, summer 2004. I was with these girls again at a sweet sixteen party. Both women now were married with men and each had kids. One was a born-again Christian and the other Catholic. 

They figured it out after a few years. That they were female and they needed to marry males and have their own families. Was it a phase in their past that they engaged in Lesbianism? I believe it was a lie, until God granted them the Truth. I’ve heard that lesbians go to extremes because women know women’s hot spots during sex. After the evil pleasures, reality kicks in and confrontations with Truth evolve. 

2. The devil said, if you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luke 4:3-4 NKJV)

Notice how Jesus was tempted in His Identity—If you are the Son of God.

Jesus was tempted in His Authority—command this stone to be bread.

Jesus could have done it. But He was fasting. There will be times when you have the skill, the talent, the money, the ability—but we must remind ourselves is it God’s will to do this? 

In my last job I was able to bail these new managers out of every building problem they needed fixed but since they rejected me, I was bound to just clean and not fix the building. This is where we need to stay in our lane so-to-speak. And not to do it all. Or go out of the will of God, most of all. I wasn’t being spiteful. There are protocols at certain jobs. My hands were tied.

 3. In Matthew 4:5-7 NKJV; Matthew records a temptation that Luke did not. If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. Then the devil misquotes scripture to justify reason.

 Now, we know where thoughts of suicide come from. They come from the devil. NYC has seen an increase in subway surfing. Teens are trying to make money on YouTube by riding on top of a train and falling to their death. One incident occurred while I was on the train going home from work a month ago. They stopped mid-platform and said they had door issues. They had us walk to the first 3 cars to exit onto the platform. The teen was under-neath the train dead. 

Jesus said, the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy us (John 10:10 NKJV) But He came to give us life and life more abundantly. The devil will entice you to be a dare-devil. He comes to kill.

 There are Christians doing things that are a misquote of real truth. An example is the snake handling Christians to prove Mark 16:14-18 NKJV. Jesus said, it is written again, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. We cannot prove God or tempt Him to see if He will rescue us because of our foolishness. 

Unless we are working in a Zoo or as a vet with proper safety protocols we should not play with snakes. It’s like subway surfing. You will lose your balance and fall and die. The leader of the snake handling Christians was bitten and died. The Apostle Paul didn’t die because he wasn’t playing with snakes. He was gathering sticks and a snake bit him and nothing happened. (Acts 28:1-6 NKJV) And it started a healing ministry on the Island. We have to be Biblically wise, and not allow the devil’s temptation of twisting scripture to get us off track. 

4. The last temptation that Luke and Matthew recorded was the temptation in the area of fame and fortune. The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth and said that it was given to him and he would give it to Jesus, if Jesus was willing to bow down and worship him. Jesus said, you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve. (Matt. 4:8-11 NKJV) 

There are going to be offers that sound too good to be true. But there’s a price to pay. We see what is happening in Hollywood and the corrupt music industry. It’s all coming to light. The sex, lies and drugs that are destroying talented people who believed evil producers and became a victim. 

God is not going to use and abuse us. God has a real pure plan for our lives. We don’t have to bow down to low-life perverts who work for the devil. Or worship the devil in some hidden grove or secret society. We have to Worship the Lord God and Him only. May God Bless you in Jesus’ name, to stand strong in the face of temptation.