Matthew 4:1-11 (KJV) Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
There are some outstanding lessons we can learn from the record of the temptation of Jesus as recorded in the Bible.
The Spirit Initiated The Temptation
The Bible says that God cannot be tempted neither does He tempt anyone. But when we look at the account of Job, (_Job 1:) and that of Jesus, (Matt 4:1-11**) we will realize that God permitted the temptations. This suggest that God can allow us or make us pass through temptations. The reason God allows us to be tempted is to test our faith which will in turn make us stronger.
The Devil Is The Tempter
The devil is the tempter not God. God can let us go through a temptation but it is the devil who is the tempter.
The Temptation Follows Spiritual Growth
It was when Jesus had finished 40 days and 40 nights fasting that the temptation came. Also, Job was tempted when God had declared his credentials as a righteous man. When we make spiritual advancement we should be ready for the test. When we are growing in grace and faith, we should be conscious of the test.
The Temptation Anchored On Pride And Material Lust
This is something every christian must take note of. Twice the devil told Jesus “If you are the Son of God.” That is a call for pride. It was stirring up his pride and ego. We must have that control over our pride and self ego if we must overcome the temptation. We one has successfully subdued pride in his life, such a person will be able to overcome every test and temptation.
Materialism was the next thing the devil used. Many people have fallen because of lust after material things and pleasure. As children of God, we should be temperate in all things. We should pursue life with modesty. Though we are not to settle for poverty, we should be careful not to bow to the devil because of drive towards material gains.
The Victory Came From The Word of God
This is the conclusion of the whole matter. We will only overcome the temptations and the tests that come our way through the Word of God. Studying the Word of God is the guarantee for victory over every temptation.
Let us share biblical lessons to edify one another. If you are a christian brethren, share a passage of the scriptures you have read today in the comments section. Explain it in at least 50 words. You will receive 50 Ecency Points. Let edify ourselves with the Word of God even on the blockchain. God bless you.