Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. (Matthew 4:1)
To a society that has been trained to think materialistically, the idea of a devil—an enemy of souls—can seem absurd. Many people today believe in neither God nor the devil, and some are reluctant even to acknowledge the idea of evil.
Yet most people hold two opposing ideas in their mind at once.
On the one hand they say that only material things exist; while on the other hand they allow for the existence of a spiritual realm.
Language often gives them away.
When a loved one dies, they speak of them being ‘up there’. They sense that something lives on, and that life cannot be explained in material terms alone.
Yet we largely live as though there is no God. As a society, we are caught in a contradiction.
The Bible teaches us that our instinct is right: there is a spiritual realm, there is a God who made this universe and to whom we are accountable—and there is an enemy of our souls, whose constant mission is to keep us as far from God as possible.
So who is this enemy of souls, and how does he operate? We gain some understanding from the temptations he hurled at the Lord Jesus Christ, which we read about in the fourth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel.
Who is Jesus Christ?
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. By his power the entire cosmos was created out of nothing.
The human race has rebelled against its Creator, rejecting God’s rule and living for ourselves. This is sin, and sin cuts us off from God and leaves us under his judgement.
Christ came into the world to make a way of salvation: a way for human beings to return to God and become free from the power of sin. Jesus Christ became truly human (while remaining truly God) so that he could be nailed to a cross, where God the Father put on him the guilt of all those who would be forgiven throughout human history, so that they might be reconciled to God.
Only through this substitutionary atonement—Christ taking the place of sinners—can we be forgiven and have our lives transformed by God.
In Matthew chapter four we read of the Lord Jesus being tempted by the devil. He was led into the wilderness, where he fasted for forty days and nights. In the weakest possible human condition, he faced three immense assaults from the tempter.
Who is the tempter?
Scripture describes this enemy as a vastly powerful angel who rebelled against God and was cast out of Heaven. He is called the adversary and accuser—the devil—and he is intensely hostile to humanity, the chief object of God’s creation.
Christ had come to save countless people, and the devil’s aim was to try to turn him from that mission.
The first temptation: live for yourself
First of all the devil attacked Christ’s humanly weakened state. He said: “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”
In effect, the temptation was: “If you are the Son of God, use your power for yourself by turning these stones into bread. Avoid this hunger and the suffering still to come. Act for yourself alone. Abandon your plan to save people.”
Christ answered: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Living as a man, Christ would trust his Father to provide. He would not abandon his spiritual mission or use his power for personal comfort.
The same temptation comes to us. The tempter says, “Use your gifts, strength and opportunities for yourself. Forget God and Heaven. Think only of the money, recognition, power or pleasure you could gain.”
This will be the first big temptation. It’s all about self-love and pride, and it’s coming at us all the time. “Forget that God gave you your abilities and that you’re accountable. Don’t give him any praise or study time. Don’t give him any obedience or service—everything is for you.”
In the face of this temptation Christ remained pure and holy, and qualified to be our Redeemer; we, however, fall so easily.
The second temptation: presume upon God
The devil then took Christ to “a pinnacle of the temple”, whether in reality or in a powerfully realistic vision. The location was possibly the southwest corner of the Temple in Jerusalem, overlooking the Kidron Valley, where it is said by Josephus the contemporary historian there was a 450-foot drop.
There the tempter urged Christ to throw himself down, quoting Psalm 91 and claiming that whatever he did, his heavenly Father would protect him. But once again the plan of redemption would be abandoned: Christ would gain public admiration through a miracle, and avoid suffering. Humanity’s fate would no longer be his concern.
The Saviour rejected the temptation entirely. But if the devil tries it on Christ, don’t you think he will try it on you?
Satan whispers: “You are not a hardened atheist; you vaguely believe there is something like God. But you don’t need to be overly religious. Live as you like. Throw yourself into this world. If God is there, he will take you up in the end.”
This is presumption. We fail to grasp God’s holiness and the seriousness of our own sin. We should be asking: how can guilty people stand before a holy God?
What a risk we are ready to take! We are like young people who take a car without a licence or insurance, never imagining that they will be caught.
We say, “Yes, I believe in God in some sense, but I do not think about him. I will live without him and assume everything will be all right in the end.”
When someone dies, people often say, “He is looking down at us from Heaven.” Perhaps—but perhaps not. How did that person really stand in God’s sight?
This is the risk the devil urges us to take: let life run its course, hope for the best, and leave eternity to chance. Pay God no homage; give him no worship, obedience or thought. Never consider his offer of salvation or your need of his forgiving love.
The third temptation: worship anything but God
Next we read that “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 offering to concede to Christ all his influence in the world, if the Lord will revere him.
That the eternal Son of God could submit to a created angel is absurd and impossible, but to the human aspect of Christ it might seem to have great appeal. To end all the devil’s orchestration of evil and harm on the earth without having to endure suffering and atonement, would be astonishing.
But at what a price! It would never provide forgiveness, renewal or eternal life for individual souls. God’s plan of redemption would be abandoned, and the devil would be elevated. The offer was obscene, and once again Christ rejected it entirely.
But the same temptation comes to us from our adversary: “Ignore God, follow the values I promote, and seek power, prosperity, fame and glory in this world.”
We serve the devil most effectively when we dismiss his existence, smile at the very idea of a tempter, and let every impulse to sin have its way.
Humans are created to be worshipping beings. If we do not worship God, we give our devotion to the things of this world—money, possessions, appearance, entertainment, success or sport. Good things become idols when they receive the love and loyalty that belong to God.
We worship things of this world, and the devil coaches us to do it. What a tragedy that enjoyable and skilled games such as football become objects of worship, with many thousands of people devoting their entire emotional being to them.
What do you worship: a celebrity, an ambition, a field of learning, or yourself? Your idol cannot hear you, love you, forgive you or give you lasting help. It may cost you dearly and burden you heavily. Nothing created is worthy of the worship that belongs to Almighty God.
Fall to temptation, or run to Christ
Here, then, are the three great temptations. First: use your gifts entirely for yourself, seeking fame, fortune, happiness and pleasure. Second: believe in God if you must, but do not take him seriously; assume he will accept you in the end. Third: give your worship and emotional energy to anything but God.
These temptations keep us living far from God and can carry us into death under his judgement.
Yet it could be so different. God is living, compassionate and loving. He sent Christ into the world to endure violence and insult and to die on Calvary’s cross, bearing the punishment of all who turn from sin, trust him and come to him for real life.
Trust him now. Do not listen to the inner voice of temptation. Turn away from the enemy of your soul, believe in the Saviour who came to die for you, and receive the free gift of forgiveness and new life.
From a sermon preached by Dr Peter Masters at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Sun