Day 3 from my book “On the Way”
We face temptation everyday from everything to overeating, buying those shoes you can’t afford, or choosing social media over reading your Bible. The list is long and distinguished. Your temptations may not be my temptations but they are temptations none the same. Had I been Eve I think I could have stood strong against the temptation of an apple, but put a Baby Ruth out there and mankind would have been cursed just the same. I shouldn’t say that really. I wasn’t there and I haven’t walked a mile in Eve’s shoes. (I guess she was barefoot at that time though.)
The point is we live in a land called temptation. It’s confusing to navigate through. There are many side roads offering myriads of delicacies to distract us. It is difficult not to veer off and get side tracked. Each of us walk through this land every moment of every day. Adam and Eve were the first to travel through it. Epic failure on their part. They lost their way and temptation swallowed them whole.
Adam and Eve faced a strategic tempter in that peaceful garden so long ago. We face him also. His name is Satan. Jesus faced him and beat him and left behind a battle plan for us to also defeat that tempter.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall 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 glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'””
Matthew 4:1-10 ESV
Eve and Jesus were tempted by the same enemy. Satan used the same modus operandi. He attacked the Word of God. Jesus was prepared because the Word of God was part of Him. Jesus triumphed over temptation when He said, “It is written…” The very Word of God became His double edged sword over the attack of the enemy.
Eve failed because she questioned the Word of God. Eve succumbed when Satan asked, “Did God really say?” Eve paused and Satan came rolling in like a wrecking ball.
Jude challenges God’s beloved, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith…” Jude 20.
Jesus laid out a battle plan to defeat the tempter. Speak the Word of God. Let the Word of God become a part of you. Use it like a double edged sword. Let the Word of God build up your faith muscles.
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