Matthew 4:1
King James Version
4 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit
into the wilderness
to be tempted of the devil.
What purpose does it serve?
How are we to overcome it?
That verse above was very telling.
I just let the SPIRIT of God lead me, and bring me into understanding.
Fortunately, I have a simple brain, and don't look for what's not there.
But here's what I found:
The Spirit allowed temptation to come upon Jesus.
Even as He had fasted for 40 days, and 40 nights, Jesus triumphed.
If satan was coded to destroy; Jesus was coded to TRIUMPH.
Jesus did not have a desire for power in this world.
He was already "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS".
There was nothing to prove.
But satan exists to prove something.
He wants the THRONE of GOD.
Isaiah 14:13
King James Version
13 For thou hast said in thine heart,
I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:
I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation,
in the sides of the north:
Jesus leads by example.
That means, He showed us how to conduct ourselves, in the face of temptation, and to triumph in God.
The Son of God became Son of man, so He can show us how.
He became flesh, suffered, and died for our sins, and rose on the third day, and went back to heaven, where He came from.
Evil makes itself complex, to confuse us.
But if your heart is right with the LORD, and you read SCRIPTURE, plus, you're born of the Spirit, evil cannot take root in you.
Evil aims to cloak everything in darkness, so we won't see the "light of the glorious gospel of Christ".
It has to be what it is, for JESUS to be WHO He IS -- the Savior, and Redeemer.
You cannot fight, if there is no enemy.
In this case, the enemy made himself known, loud and clear:
Isaiah 14:12
King James Version
12 How art thou fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer,
son of the morning!
how art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations!
Jesus showed us how He managed temptation many times, and put evil in its place, knowing we can do the same, if we are OF God.
Everything in the New Testament shows JESUS leading by example.
Evil aims to corrupt, to destroy, to mock, but if you are God's own, what can evil do?
James 4:7
King James Version
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
Evil exists so you can test your faith, and belief, in God.
Can you handle all the trials, and temptations?
Can you handle the distractions, and confusion?
Can you handle the mockery?
Believers can!
Listen to this verse:
1 Corinthians 10:13
King James Version
13 There hath no temptation taken you
but such as is common to man:
but God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it.
You will not be tempted "above that ye are able".
There is a "way to escape", that "ye may be able to bear it".
The LORD is truly merciful.
We will not be tested, beyond our limits.
God really cares for us.
We are not without help.
Be not afraid.
We have the arsenal to conquer evil.
We have JESUS.
We have the WORD of God.
We have the LOVE of God.
It's all JESUS.
Related material:
"My Confidence Comes From the LORD"
"Evil Trembles Before GOD"
"Strength Bible Verses"
Tempation of Jesus verse
(Verses from biblegateway.com)
Updated 21 January 2022
