Overcoming Temptation

Happy New Year, everyone. We made it - we survived 2020. It wasn't easy, but with God's grace, here we are. With the start of this new year, we can put the past behind us and look forward with hopeful anticipation of all that God wants to do in us and through us this year. As the Psalmist says, "weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning."  

I sincerely hope and pray that 2021 is a year of joy for you: a year where your job satisfies you; where your marriage is fun, whimsical, and intimate; where your friendships are deep and meaningful; where your kids have that breakthrough that you've been praying for and where your soul is fully alive in Christ and your spiritual connection with God almighty is strengthened and deepened. 

A new year brings us to a new teaching series, and I am beyond excited about it. We have just finished teaching through the Christmas narrative, and while Matthew's account has a couple of essential pieces to the story, the bulk of the Christmas narrative is found in the gospel written by Luke. So I thought we would keep going through Luke from now till Easter, journeying with Jesus and learning some life lessons from him along the way.  

Now the only way to preach all of Luke's stories would be to spend about two years doing so. And while that could be amazing, we are going a different route. I have chosen 15 stories from Luke's gospel that will carry us from the Galilean wilderness to the cross in Jerusalem, and I hope that just like how the more time you spend with someone helps you get closer to them, we would get closer to Jesus as we journey with him. 

So let's get into it. Today, we will start this series with the temptation of Jesus, found in Luke 4:1-13. I think you are going to get some good stuff out of this passage because temptation is something that every one of us faces, whether it's the temptation to overeat, overspend, or oversleep (you know those things we never do at Christmastime) or whether it's other temptations like the temptation to squeeze Jesus out of our life by being too busy, or the temptation of letting your feelings overtake your faith, or the temptation to allow evil and injustice to go unchecked in your life and in the world.  

Temptation is everywhere because we have a spiritual enemy who actively wants to derail your intimacy with Jesus. An enemy who whispers words of deceit and shame into your mind, who wants you to be isolated, bitter, fearful, and angry instead of living a life of faith, hope and love with a healthy relationship with God and with others. 

But do not despair. Although all of us experience temptations, we can overcome them. We can enjoy a healthy mind, a healthy body and a healthy soul that is fortified, disciplined and focussed so that when the temptations come, we have the power to beat them.  

So let's read the passage now and see what we can learn about overcoming temptation from the only one who ever perfectly accomplished it, Jesus of Nazareth. If you are using a Bible at home, turn with me to Luke 4:1-13 or just follow along with the scriptures on your screen.

Luke 4:1–13 NIV

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

This is the Word of the Lord. Let's pray.

1. Jesus had his IDENTITY attacked 

If you were to read the previous chapter in Luke, you would see a lot about identity. In chapter 3, verse 21, Luke describes Jesus' baptism. When Jesus comes out of the water, Jesus heard a voice from Heaven that said, "You are my SON, whom I love. With you, I am well pleased."

Then Luke goes through a genealogy that tracks Jesus' ancestors all the way from Joseph to Adam and then back to God - to further his point that Jesus is the son of God. You see, what God revealed in the experience, he confirmed with the scriptures. Jesus had an experience where he heard God speak, and then it was reinforced in the scriptures as Luke names Jesus' genealogy according to the Old Testament. What God reveals to us in the experience, he confirms in the scriptures.

So God speaks to Jesus about his identity as the Son of God, and then Luke shows us that he is the Son of God through the biblical genealogy. What do we see next? In both the first and third temptation, Satan says to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God" or "Since you are the Son of God." Satan is challenging Jesus' identity as the Son of God! 

But isn't that the way Satan also attacks us? God has told us who we are in the Scriptures, and so Satan often attacks our self-image so that he can make us impotent in Jesus and keep us from experiencing the abundant life Jesus offers to us - the life Jesus died to give us.  

So how does Satan attack your identity? He whispers his lies into your mind - telling you that you aren't good enough - telling you that God couldn't love you, not after what you did - telling you that you aren't strong enough, smart enough or talented enough to do what God has called you to. He brings up your past wounds, all those hurtful things people have said and done to you and keeps you imprisoned in your mind with them. But today is the day that you need throw those lies off of you and those shackles of your wounds and embrace the truth of who you are - that you are an anointed and beloved child of the Most High God who has saved you, who dwells within you, who has equipped you to do everything that He calls you to. 

God the Father spoke to Jesus and affirmed Jesus' first and most crucial identity: He was God's son. And in that, we see a great life lesson. Of all the identities we have - mother, father, male, female, CEO, pastor, student, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever - the most critical and crucial identity that you and I have is the one we share with Jesus: we are God's children.  

And I think our identity as the children of God is the most important identity we need to embrace into our self-image because being a child isn't about doing - it's about being. Jesus hadn't walked on water, fed 5000, turned water to wine or healed anyone yet. He embraced his sonship and was baptized. And in his being, God said, "with you, I am well pleased." 

When my children were just babies, all they did was cry, wiggle and poop. They contributed nothing to the household. They did no chores around the house. They never paid rent. They cost me a fortune in formula and diapers. And one of them was in diapers for over ten years. And I loved them. I still do. 

God's love for us isn't based on what we do, but on who we are and in Christ, we are his adopted children. Paul writes in his letter to the churches in Ephesus, 

Ephesians 1:5 NIV

he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

Too many of you live your lives like you are the hired servant of a king, trying to earn his favour by not doing too many bad things and maybe doing a few good things. But you need to know, in the deepest part of your psyche, that God sees you first as HIS beloved child, and he loves you because you exist, not because of what you do or don't do.  

So the first thing we see in this passage is that Satan attacked Jesus' self-image - his identity as the Son of God. The second thing we see is that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit.

2. Jesus was full of the HOLY SPIRIT

Luke starts his account of Jesus' temptation by telling us that he was full of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 4:1 NIV

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

And this is not a throwaway line. Even though in both Matthew and Mark's gospels, it says that Jesus was led by the Spirit, only here in Luke's gospel does it say he was full of the Holy Spirit. This truth-bomb has a massive impact on not only our interpretation of this event but also on how we approach the temptations and trials we go through. 

Many people think that because Jesus is God, his power came from his divinity. They believe that Jesus was able to heal people and walk on water and raise the dead because Jesus is God, and of course, God can do those things. But when Jesus entered into humanity, he laid aside some aspects of being God. For example, Jesus was not omnipresent when he was born - he was limited to a particular time and space. Jesus wasn't omnipotent - Mark 6:5 says that Jesus couldn't do many miracles in Nazareth because of their unbelief. He wasn't omniscient - he said that even he didn't know when he would return to earth in the end times in Matthew 24:36. Jesus was fully God in his nature, but he was also fully and completely human, and as human, he was dependant on God the father, and he was empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus did all His miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit, including overcoming this temptation. 

You see, this is why you should all study theology and become theologians - because theology leads to a greater appreciation of God and a deeper walk with Jesus.  

Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, which is what empowered him to overcome the temptations that Satan threw at him. Jesus won, not because he was God, but because the Holy Spirit helped him. And that's some good news for you and me. 

It's good news because the same Holy Spirit who filled Jesus, who empowered him to do miracles, who fortified him to overcome temptations is the same Holy Spirit who lives in every one of you. Well, if you have chosen to follow Jesus. You see, when you say yes to God's call to die to yourself and give your life to Jesus, then the Holy Spirit comes on you and dwells within you. He convicts you of your sin, he leads you into truth, and he empowers you to overcome the temptations you face. 

Do you have the Holy Spirit in your life? Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Saviour, and by faith in Him are you saved? If you have never made that decision for yourself and you are tired of feeling spiritually lost, and you desire a relationship with the Living God who loves you so much that he sent Jesus into this world to die on the cross as a means to bridge the gap between God and you that your sin has created and if you want to receive the Holy Spirit, then today, right now, you need to pray. You need to pause this video, confess your faith in Jesus, your need for Jesus and your desire to receive the Holy Spirit. And if God has been moving in your heart and today you have said "YES" to following Jesus, then I want to be the first to welcome you to the family. You have a spiritual family that is worldwide, and we are here for you, to help you grow to become the man or the woman of God that he is calling you to be.  

If you prayed that prayer right now, would you reach out and EMAIL me at [e-mail]. I would love to connect with you wherever you are, get to know you better and see how I can help you in this new life you have chosen. 

Now, most of you watching have already made that choice to follow Jesus, so I want to ask you something: Do you hear Holy Spirit speaking to you? The Holy Spirit speaks into our inner person, and I have noticed that if I allow my life to be overrun by other voices, I stop hearing what the Spirit says. Voices that distract me and say things like "hurry up," "get more done," "where's my phone," and "what's wrong with you."  

As followers of Jesus, we need to position ourselves to hear the Holy Spirit speak to us by creating quiet, spiritually intimate times with the Bible and in prayer and listening for the Spirit regularly, just like Jesus did. When we do, we fortify our inner person to overcome the temptations that Satan throws in our way to knock us off course. To have victory in your life over your temptations will require you to draw near to God and to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. 

So we have seen how Satan attacked Jesus' identity and how Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. The third thing in this passage that we should pay attention to is that for each temptation that Satan offers to Jesus, Jesus responds with Scripture.

3. Jesus fought Satan with Scripture 

That's why having that time in the Bible every day is so important - it's what helps us hear the voice of God. Jesus had just heard God's voice in the experience of his baptism. Now he hears another voice telling him to break his 40 days fast and turn the stones into bread to appease his hunger. But Jesus remembers the scriptures that he has been studying since he was a child and realizes that this new voice is contrary to the Bible. He realizes that this new voice is telling him to serve himself and use his power to take care of his own needs, which is the opposite of the whole reason he came. He didn't come to earth to be served, but to serve others and to offer his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

So Jesus He replies to Satan's first temptation with "it is written" - Jesus knew the Scriptures in his heart, so when the temptation came when the attack of Satan came for him, he was ready. Jesus quotes, from memory, Deuteronomy 8:3, which says, 

Deuteronomy 8:3 NIV

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Jesus responds to Satan with Scripture because what does not agree with Scripture does not come from God. 

On Jesus' second temptation in Luke, Satan takes Jesus to a high place and shows him all the kingdoms of the world and says, in essence, if you worship me, I'll give them all to you. But again, what does Jesus do? He responds with Scripture. Now Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13, which says, 

Deuteronomy 6:13 NIV

Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.

On the third and final temptation in this encounter, Satan takes Jesus to Jerusalem, to the temple and challenges him to jump off it, revealing his divinity to the people. And here is a unique twist - Satan quotes the scriptures to Jesus in order to tempt him. Satan quotes Psalm 91:11-12

Psalm 91:11–12 NIV

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

And while Jesus knows this verse to be true, he also understands that this verse doesn't mean that he gets to presume that God will fulfill it right there and then. He knows that Satan is twisting Scripture to suit his purpose. So Jesus responds by quoting a different scripture, Deuteronomy 6:16, which says, 

Deuteronomy 6:16 NIV

Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.

After this, the devil left him until an opportune time. Jesus won. Jesus overcame the temptations that Satan brought before him by using the scriptures he had studied all his life. So, for all of you who don't like reading the Bible, who only interact with the scriptures during sermons, I would say that you need to change that. Not only are you missing out on the beauty of hearing God's voice speak to you more regularly and with greater clarity, but you are also leaving yourself vulnerable to the attacks of Satan. Jesus knew that the best tool to overcome temptations is the word of God, and he has made that tool available to you and me. So, put in the work to know the scriptures in your heart and mind. Have some verses that are powerful and important to you memorized and ready to go to help you have victory over your temptations.

So far, we have seen how Satan attacked Jesus' identity, how Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and how Jesus responded to Satan's attacks with Scripture. The fourth thing that I want us to notice in this passage is that Jesus refused to take the shortcuts because shortcuts lead to shallow faith. 

4. Shortcuts lead to shallow faith 

Satan offered Jesus a shortcut to his hunger problem - turn stones to bread. He offered Jesus a shortcut to an earthly rule - worship me, and I'll give you all of them. He offered Jesus a shortcut to getting followers - do this stunt and prove you are who you say you are. All of these shortcuts would have good for Jesus but bad for you and me because taking any of them would have circumvented the cross - it would mean that Jesus would get what he wants but wouldn't have to be crucified for it. And if he had taken them, he would not have been an acceptable sacrifice because he would be stained with sin. Jesus didn't take the shortcut because he knew that our salvation could only be found through his sacrifice. 

It's easy to take shortcuts in life. Too many of us want the instant lottery win but not the hard work of a steady job. We want the hook-up but not marriage. We want to lose weight, but we don't want to diet and exercise. We want to know God, but we don't want to study the Bible. Those shortcuts make for an easier life, but not a deeper faith. Your faith, just like your body, will never get stronger by accident. It takes a deliberate decision every day to regularly exercise your faith through prayer, studying and memorizing the scriptures and keeping in step with the Holy Spirit's daily leading. When we do those things, we will deepen our faith, know Jesus more intimately, and we will overcome our trials and temptations.  

Taking shortcuts leads to shallow faith, but the daily habits of being with Jesus will root you deeply so that no temptation will overtake you. 

Conclusion

This passage is an excellent reminder that through the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, we can overcome the temptations that come our way. Remember who you are in Christ, refuse to take any spiritual shortcuts, and hide God's word in your heart so that you might not sin against him (Psalm 119:11).

May this year be the year that you overcome the temptations you usually give in to that hold you back from being the person God is calling you to be.  

Let's pray.