The Batte Begins

Luke is continuing to provide a progression of things that took place regarding the life and work of Jesus for Theophilus.

Luke 4:1–13 NASB 95

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ” And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ” And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

We must get rid of the notion that we are only wrestling against ‘flesh and blood’ on earth. Our wrestling is essentially in the spiritual realm, the realm of the heavenlies. It is simply another way of emphasising … that we must always think of the enemy who is fighting against us as one who is not only personal, with his personal agents, but also as one who lives in the realm of the spirit.

The Christian Warfare, 64

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)

God is pleased

Led of Spirit to wilderness (35 x 5 miles)

Jesus faced this battle and knows how we feel when we face battles.

Hebrews 4:15 NASB 95

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

1. Our foe in the battle is real!

Satan is the source of our temptations

Luke 4:3 NASB 95

And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Some will tell you Satan is not real

Satan is busy at work

Sowing tares, causing division, crime, seeking to devour

1 Peter 5:8 NASB 95

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

2. Our foe attacks us the same way he attacked Jesus.

He knows our flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:41 NASB 95

Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Satan attacks our fleshly desires in three ways.

Physical needs

Luke 4:2–3 NASB 95

for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Position in Life

Wealth, popularity,

Luke 4:5–7 NASB 95

And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.”

Comfort of Life

avoidance of suffering

Luke 4:9–11 NASB 95

And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ”

No one likes pain

He knows that taking the easy way is not always the easy way.

If Jesus had taken the easy way there would have been no “easy way” of atonement for us.

3. Our foe is a looser

Jesus defeated Satan in 3 ways

Jesus knows who He is!

verse 3,9

There is no “If”,

Jesus made clear who He would follow

Luke 4:8 NASB 95

Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ”

Jesus believed and trusted the Word of God!

“It is written”

You can win your battles with the Devil in the same way!

Remember who you are!

Galatians 3:26 NASB 95

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Decide who you will follow!

Matthew 6:24 NASB 95

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Trust and use the Word of God

Hebrews 4:12 NASB 95

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Matthew 4:4 NASB 95

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ”

Proverbs 30:5 NASB 95

Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

James 4:7 NASB 95

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.