Suffering Temptation
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
Matthew 4:1-2
What is the longest you have gone without eating? Maybe during an illness, we might hit 24 or 48 hours, but it is rare. On a regular basis I use intermittent fasting for dieting and for letting my body heal. At about hour ten and a half, I start to get pretty hungry.
Can you imagine forty days? In the Bible such a long fast is only mentioned of Elijah and Moses. The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness just after His baptism. His fasting was not to demonstrate self-denial or to gain pride. It was to gain dependence on God. “Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered” Hebrews 5:8.
And in this weakened condition Jesus was tempted. He was tested by Satan. And with each temptation, Jesus responded with words from Deuteronomy – from the Word of God. Satan tried to use God’s Word to prove his points, but bent it and twisted it, using it in a false application trying to convince Jesus. Jesus resisted and Satan soon fled and angels came to tend to him.
I have learned three things about temptation during my study of this passage:
1) Answer temptation with the Word of God. “For the Word of God is sharper than a double-edged sword” Hebrews 4:12. If we know the Bible for ourselves we will not be swayed by false teachers. We will know how God wants us to respond.
2) We must be prepared to resist evil. By constantly nourishing our minds with God’s Word we are better prepared to turn away from temptation. “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you” James 4:7 This means we are at our best when we are opening the Bible every day and meditating on His Words “when we rise up and when we lay down”.
3) Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted. He understands our suffering because He has been there – much bigger than any temptations we will face. He can empathize with our weaknesses and will help us in our time of need. “Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:18
Lord, thank you for your example of suffering through temptation. Help me to study your Word and know it in my heart to be better equipped for fighting all lies and all temptation. Amen
