ESOCS Devotional 30 July 2024 – Overcoming Temptation With the Word of God
MEMORY VERSE: “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”(Luke 4:6 KJV)
TEXT: LUKE 4:1-9
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
Underlying the dialogue between the devil and Jesus are two competing storylines. The devil offered a storyline of self-indulgence (make yourself bread from stones), self-aggrandizement (all the nations of the world will belong to you if you worship me), and self-serving religious identity (if you are the Son of God cast yourself from the top of the temple). Meanwhile, Jesus responds with quotations drawn from the Old Testament that show awareness of the true source of life and identity (He knows that life is more than food), His reliance on God (the one worthy of true worship and service), and His understanding of God’s character (not one to be tested).
Both Jesus and the devil quoted Scripture. In response to temptation, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy, but it is not enough to know Scripture. The devil, who quoted from Psalm 91, also knows Scripture. Scripture must be read rightly in light of God’s nature and the life envisioned for God’s people. Such a life is rooted in God’s narrative of deliverance and a response of faithful obedience to God, rather than in self-reliance, which is the devil’s story.
Jesus countered Satan’s suggestion with Scripture (Deuteronomy 8:3). What Satan said made sense – “Why starve yourself to death?” But what is written makes even more sense. Jesus reminded Satan of biblical truth that every word of God is more important than the very bread we eat.
Again, Jesus answered Satan with the same resource available to every believer: The Word of God used by a Spirit-filled believer. In resisting these temptations as a man, Jesus proved that Adam did not have to sin; there was not something faulty in his make-up. Jesus faced worse than Adam did, and Jesus never sinned. “Get behind Me, Satan!” is the right and eternal command. Satan obeys it promptly! In this, Jesus fulfilled the exhortation later expressed in James 4:7: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” For it is written, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.” For the second time, Jesus countered Satan’s deception with Biblical truth, quoting from Deuteronomy 6:13.
This time, the Devil knew and quoted Scripture in his temptation (Psalm 91:11-12). “Go ahead, Jesus; if you do this, then the Bible promises angels will rescue you, and it will be spectacular self-promotion.” Jesus answered Satan’s misuse of Scripture with the proper use of the Bible, quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16. As Jesus rejected Satan’s twisting of Scripture, He rightly divided the word of truth, understanding it in its context.
When Satan said, “For it is written …” it reminds us that Satan is a Bible expert and knows how to twist Bible passages out of their context. Sadly, many people will accept anyone who quotes a Bible verse as if they taught God’s truth. But the mere use of Bible words does not necessarily convey the will of God. Jesus resisted these temptations because He walked in the Word and in the Spirit; these two are the resources for Christian living (Eph. 6:10-13).
- Do you diligently search the scripture?
- Lord Jesus, help me to stand against the wiles of the devil in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Daniel 1:1-end; Acts 12:20-end
ESOCS Devotional 30 July 2024
