05/08/2011 - HOW TO RESIST TEMPTATION

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Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Matthew 4:11

Oftentimes, after a great experience with God, man goes through a period of temptation. Christ, for example, had been baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan river and was soon filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-17). It was a beautiful moment which was witnessed by many people who probably spent days telling others about that divine manifestation. However, the first experience that Jesus had after being invested with authority was being led up by the Holy Spirit – who had come previously to give Him power – to be tempted by the devil.
Well, going to a desert is not pleasant. Maybe not so bad if someone spends a few hours there with all comfort and in safety. However, staying there for 40 days fasting, amid wild beasts, is an experience nobody would want to go through. But it was in the wilderness that the devil tempted Jesus three times. In his first attempt, he pointed to the Master’s physical needs, suggesting that He turned stones into bread, but the answer was: It is written [...] (Matthew 4:4). In his second onslaught, the tempter set the Lord in the pinnacle of the temple and told Him to throw Himself down for the angels to fulfill their ministry. Here, we notice that the evil one tried to tempt Christ’s mind and soul, but the Lord gave a similar response: [...] It is written (verse 7). In the third attack, the devil offered Him all the gold and all the glory in the world, but with one condition: that Jesus should kneel down and worship him. However, the response was even more emphatic: “Away with you Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (Verse 10).
In the three times He was tempted, Christ didn’t resort to anything, except to the Word of God. That is the lesson we must learn in order to be prepared when the enemy attacks us. The only way to defeat the devil and his traps is using what is stated in the Bible, because in so doing no temptation will stand.
The biblical record states that upon Jesus’ command, the devil left him (verse 11a). My brother, Satan will also obey your command when he realizes you have remained faithful to what is contained in the Word of God. There is no point complaining to the Lord saying you do not want to sin. You need to be firm against the enemy because in the very least he wants to rob you of your everlasting happiness.
When Jesus made the devil leave, angels arrived and ministered to Him (verse 11b). The same happens with us: when we are tempted, God looks at what goes on in our hearts. We may even slip a little out of sheer insanity, but if there is fear of the Word within us, the Lord will help us.
In Christ with love,
R. R. Soares