Jul 7

Luke 4:1-13
Memorise Hebrews 4:12
“The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”

Right after Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit led him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. The verb ‘tempted’ is in the present tense, giving the idea that it was not just 3 specific incidences that he was tempted, but that continually throughout the 40 day ordeal he was continually assaulted by the Devil. It was at the very end of the 40 days that the Devil appeared to Him one final time and made one final push to try to cause Jesus to sin.

The threefold temptation that Jesus faced was the same temptation that the Devil tempted Adam with in the Garden of Eden – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Unlike Adam, Jesus was victorious. He defeated Satan with the Word of God, and in so doing he achieved righteousness through a perfect obedience to the commandments of God. Christ alone was able to fulfil the covenant of works which Adam failed in, and in so doing, through this active obedience, he fulfilled all righteousness that enabled His death on the cross to be worthy to atone our sins. Thus it is important to note that our salvation was wrought for us not just through the sufferings of Christ on the Cross, but also through his active obedience throughout his life on Earth. This event is but one which exemplifies the perfection of Jesus while he was on Earth.

Throughout the temptation of Jesus, He only used one thing to resist the attacks of Satan, and that was the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. This continues today, to be the one and only thing which we have to counter the attacks of the Evil One. We must know the Bible well if we are to be successful in our Christian walk! The question we should ask ourselves is how well do we really know the Word of God? We may read it for a few minutes every day, been in church for years , and attended Sunday School, and many Bible studies. But do we really know the Bible well enough to stand against the Devil? Remember that Satan is far smarter than we think, and knows the Bible far better than many Christians. Temptation can come any time, any place, and we must be prepared! Remember that when temptation comes our way, we must always be quick to brandish the Word of God as our sure defence against any attack that Satan can send our way. Is this your response to temptations?

Thought: How can I use the Word of God if I don’t know it well?
Prayer: Lord may You grant me the faith to be more diligent in my study of Thy Word, and be able to use it in times of temptation.