Wednesday; March 6

One of the best known stories in the New Testament is often referred to as “The Temptation Of Jesus”.  While there are only three of satan’s temptations listed in the text, we have a broader summary of the event when we are told, “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.” (Luke 4:1-2).  Those who know the rest of the story remember that Jesus passed the test with flying colors, but have you ever given much thought to how He did it?  I am sure there are several qualities that made Jesus sinless during this time, but here are three that stand out to me:
1.  Jesus was aware of what was going on.  Jesus knew that satan was trying to tempt Him, trying to derail His path to providing salvation to the world.  Do we acknowledge that satan is out to get us just as he sought to get Jesus?  To be successful, we better be aware of the devil’s presence and his ploys.
2.  Jesus was prepared for what was going to happen.  It is easy to look at Jesus’ fasting as making Him susceptible to His first temptation, but this fasting was a part of what prepared Him for doing battle with the adversary.  Are we ready to confront satan?  We’d better be because he isn’t going to wait for us to get prepared!
3.  Jesus believed the Bible.  When satan tempted Jesus, the Lord responded with Scripture.  In essence, His defense was a good offense.  Not only had He read it, He had played a role in writing it!  The Word of God is a powerful weapon that can be used to defeat temptation – but, it is only beneficial if we know it.  By knowing the Bible, we are armed with the truth about life and the hope of victory.
          We are blessed to have the story of how Jesus overcome some of His temptations.  He not only teaches us that success is possible, but it also shows us how He did it.
          Think About It!

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