Victory Over Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

Immanuel – 11/26/23

Before Jesus officially begins His public ministry, He is driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tested (Mark 1:12). I’ve titled this sermon, “Victory Over Temptation” because Jesus clearly triumphs over Satan’s seductions. And the triumph is not His alone, but it is a victory for all who are united to Him.

40 days alone in a desolate wilderness, just Jesus and the rocks and the elements, with no one present to witness what happened. And yet the temptation of Jesus is recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This means that at some point afterwards Jesus told them about His 40 days without food, and the trials that followed.

We can only reason that Jesus disclosed this private experience because He wanted the disciples to learn something about Himself and then perhaps to learn something about the battle with temptation. That’s exactly what we’re going to explore today.

Purpose

1. Ask, what is the temptation, what is the sin, what is the solution?

2. See the example Jesus gives us in fighting temptation.

Read vs 1-2

Temptations

Notice how verse 1 says that the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness. The Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized is over 1,200 feet below sea level. The land rises steeply east and west of the Jordan Valley, and in whichever direction, Jesus had to ascend a couple thousand feet to get there.

40 days and 40 nights have passed. It is the 41st day and Matthew says Jesus was hungry. Sounds a touch understated. Jesus was starving – literally starving. And in this weakened state Satan sees an opportunity and is more than eager to feed Jesus’ temptations.

Satan thinks he has the advantage, but what he does not realize, apparently, is that he is walking right into a trap. God has planned the entire episode. The Holy Spirit had isolated Jesus in the wilderness for nearly a month and a half. It is hard to be alone, and any one of us would be deeply vulnerable emotionally after such isolation.

Additionally, Jesus had eaten no food, undoubtedly causing severe physical weakness. The longest I’ve ever fasted was 6 days. I felt it in every part of my body. It gnaws at your mind. I cannot imagine going 40 days, the weakness that would come with it.

But this was according to the Father’s will, and Jesus – guided by the Spirit – obeyed. All of this was to weaken Jesus emotionally, physically, and mentally, to test His spirit, to show the tremendous strength of His will and love for His Father. Therefore, when Satan showed up in the 41st day, the trap was sprung.

Then comes the first temptation.

Read vs 3

When Satan says, “If you are the Son of God,” this is not a temptation to cause Jesus to doubt. Satan clearly knew about the declaration 41 days prior: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Could there have been a stronger confirmation that Jesus was indeed the Beloved Son of God? Both Jesus and Satan understood this.

Thus, the temptation is not for Jesus to doubt His sonship. The temptation calls into question how the Son of God should live. It works like this: “If you are the Son of God, you clearly have the power to turn the stones into bread. Just do it!” And we know Jesus could do this, for He will perform a miracle and multiply a few loaves of bread enough to feed thousands; and then He does it again.

But clearly, in this instance, if Jesus were to turn the stones to bread, He would be sinning. That’s what Satan is after, getting the Son of God to sin just as he got Adam – the first son of God – to sin. Satan wanted to break this perfect image bearer. But where’s the sin? Eating when you’re starving is not a sin.

But turning stones into bread would be taking matters into His own hands. He would be failing to trust in God for provision and seeking to provide for Himself. God’s provision was coming, He just had to wait for it – as we see when angels come and minister to His needs in verse 11. Failing to trust in God’s provision is a sin.

Jesus will preach on this very matter in the Sermon on the Mount.

“Do not be anxious, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’…For the Gentiles seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” -Matthew 6:31,32-33

God is the One who will provide. Though Jesus is God the Son, it was the will of the Father that His Son live like a man: lowly, meek, trusting in the Father’s provision. Then by trusting in the Father, and seeking His kingdom, the Father would provide everything for His Beloved Son according to His timing.

Jesus demonstrates this perfect trust when He replies to Satan.

Read vs 4

Each time Jesus defeats Satan’s temptation, He does it with Scripture. Here Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8. Deuteronomy 6-8 is a section of Scripture where Moses is reminding a new generation of Israel about all the things that had happened during 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. All of Jesus’ quotes come from within this section of Deuteronomy.

And [God] humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

-Deuteronomy 8:3

God let Israel become hungry so He could feed them. The Father willed His Son to become hungry, which Jesus obeyed through fasting, so that the Son could rely on the Father’s good provision.

What a great reversal! Israel grumbled and complained, Jesus perfectly endured. And in an even greater reversal, Adam, who had more than enough to eat, chose to eat the only prohibited food. Conversely, Jesus chose extreme privation, though He had the power to turn the wilderness into Eden. It’s because He knew God was restoring Eden through another process, and Jesus trusted in the will and the way of the Father.

So how shall the Son of God live? He has the power to live like a god, and turn rocks into bread, and speak any comfort into existence that He pleases. Instead, as a lowly man must do, Jesus chose to be a son that must wait upon the goodness and grace of His Father - just like all the rest of us.

Satan’s first temptation is defeated.

Read vs 5-6

Jesus has ascended a few thousand feet out of the Jordan Valley, now Satan has Him ascend to a greater height, some pinnacle of the temple. I think Satan transports Jesus there mentally, like in a vision. You’ll see why I think this shortly.

Regardless, Jesus now sees Himself at such a height where a fall would be fatal. And looking down, certainly there would have been throngs of Jews coming to worship at the temple. A great fall arrested by a sudden angelic host would have amazed everyone there.

Taking a cue from Jesus, Satan quotes Scripture to urge the jump – quoting Psalm 91:11-12 almost verbatim. It’s a promise that God will protect His children.

This time, Satan’s temptation works like this: “God promises protection, so demonstrate your great faith in front of all these people and jump! See how God will work! Make a miracle happen and prove your significance.”

It is a temptation to self-righteousness, to compel God to act on His behalf. Satan wants Jesus to act as if the Father is supposed to serve the Son, rather than the Son serve the Father. If Jesus were to do this, He would be manipulating God, making the Father into His own personal genie.

This temptation is alive and well today as so many Christians chase miracles. “Since you are a son or daughter of God,” says the Devil, “make a declaration that God will heal, will provide, will bring success.” I see this all the time. I was just praying with a group of people when someone started praying, “God we declare, in the name of Jesus, that healing is coming” for that particular person.

Miracles are amazing and can carry such affirming power. We would rejoice if the miraculous suddenly broke out in our midst. But woe to us if we ever think we can manipulate God into working miracles.

Attempting to get God to act, by issuing decrees and declarations in Jesus’ name, is part of the Word of Faith movement and it is a heretical poison in our modern church. Satan is most certainly behind it, using Scripture out of context to sell his lie.

Where does the Bible tell us to make declarations in Jesus’ name? Is God beholden to our declarations? Is it our word that He must obey, or His word that we must obey? Let us never think that we can turn the Almighty Creator into our own personal genie. Let us not test God.

Read vs 7

Once again, Jesus combats the Devil’s temptation with Scripture. Though Jesus does not directly address Satan’s usage of Scripture, the implication is clear: Satan has misapplied God’s word. He has taken it out of context, twisted it, turned it into something abominable that would encourage sin.

Be warned, we are surrounded by devils that twist the Bible, take passages out of context, and get people to chase their own passions: whether it is to pine after prosperity, or chase miracles, or simply to help you feel relaxed in your lifestyle of self-focused comfortability. If Satan was tempting Jesus with misapplied scripture, you can bet he is tempting you with misapplied scripture!

If you are not a student of the Bible, how will you know when it is being misapplied? How will you know when the devil is speaking? I’ve heard so many people using Scripture out of context, or someone telling me that they heard God speak to them in some way. Again, if you are not a student of Scripture, then how do you know you are not hearing from the Tempter?

Though I am here to help with this, so are the others that teach, it is not enough to rely on your pastor, or a podcast, or a YouTube channel. Laziness in the Bible leaves open a door where lies will worm their way in. Study the Word and let us all help each other rightly divide scripture.

Jesus knew Scripture. He loved it. Even as a boy He immersed Himself in His Father’s word. He had no trouble defeating Satan’s twisted passage with a truly applied verse.

Once again, Jesus quotes from that same section of Deuteronomy.

You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.

-Deuteronomy 6:16

At Massah, Israel was thirsty and grew violent, demanding that God intervene and give them water. They were demanding a miracle. The people could have trusted, prayed, waited, and God would have provided – as He had promised. But instead, the people were on the verge of a riot, nearly ready to stone Moses (Exodus 17:1-7).

So, God, overflowing with patience and grace, met the sinful demands of the people. He had Moses strike a rock with his staff and caused a river of life-giving water to gush forth. God was merciful, but the people had tested Him. Israel had compelled God to serve them, rather than waiting on God’s will and way.

But Jesus sees Satan’s temptation for what it is: an attempt to force God to act as Jesus dictated. Weakened though He is, Jesus’ spirit stays strong. “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Instead of testing the Lord, making demands or declarations, Jesus offers another way.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” -Matthew 7:7

Instead of attempting to impose your will upon God, ask God in humility. If you request is aligned with His will, He promises to give. You just need to wait on Him and trust. Instead of seeking your own will, humbly seek the will of the Father.

The second temptation is defeated.

Read vs 8-9

Preparing for the final temptation, for a third time Satan takes Jesus up; this time to the highest height. Being that a mountain does not exist where all the kingdoms of the earth can be viewed, this is a vision, a mental transportation – just like I believe the temple pinnacle was.

On this tremendous height, Satan delivers his most unveiled temptation: “Worship me and have it all.” Satan could offer this because until Jesus’ victory was complete, he was the god of the world.

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.

-2 Corinthians 4:4

Satan was the ruler of the world until all authority in heaven and on earth was given to Jesus. Therefore, Satan had the authority to give Jesus the kingdoms of earth. Make no mistake, Jesus deeply wanted to rule the world, not because He is a megalomaniac, or power hungry, or anything like that. He knows that the world will flourish, that justice will flow, that the people will be glad; for He is the Prince of Peace! Indeed, He came into the earth to earn the right to rule the earth.

But why is this a temptation if Jesus knew He would inherit the nations anyway?

Because Satan was offering the kingdoms of the earth without a cross, free of pain, easy, simple, comfortable. All Jesus had to do was engage in a little devil worship. It’s an “ends justify the means” situation.

The sin? Choosing ease over God, comfort over obedience. In short, the sin would have been to choose Himself. And choosing yourself over God is effectively devil worship. It is to conform to the image of Satan, him being the first to look upon his own magnificence and love himself.

But once again, taking up Deuteronomy, Jesus decisively defeats Satan’s temptations.

Read vs 10

With this quote Jesus has now proven that He loves His Father with all of His heart, all of His soul, all of His mind, and all of His body. Jesus’ worship belongs only to the God of all glory.

Jesus knew that any amount of suffering, any amount of loss, was worth it. He was ready to suffer the loss of all things because of the surpassing worth of knowing His Father. Forsaking His Father to avoid pain was absolutely inconceivable to Him. Jesus would not bend.

Instead of the self-serving path of ease, Jesus chose the harder road, the narrower way, and chose to obey His Heavenly Father even knowing there was a cross ahead.

Jesus chose to serve God rather than to serve Himself, for He knew His treasures did not come from the glory of the kingdoms of earth, but from the kingdom of heaven.

“Do not lay up treasures on earth…but lay up treasures for yourself in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” -Matthew 6:19,20,21,24

Christ promises that there are treasures for you, ones that you will enjoy forever, if you will only give your life in service to God. Trust Him! His rewards are so much better than the fleeting pleasures of this brief life. Trust and obey!

With all of His heart, soul, mind, and strength, Jesus trusted in the Father. His victory over temptation was complete. Satan came looking for a victory, and he left utterly defeated. With the test complete, and His righteousness proven, God swooped in to care for His Son.

Read vs 11

Notice how every temptation was an attempt to hijack Jesus’ desires and twist them into self-serving purpose. Desires of the body, desires for significance, desires for comfort and power. All of these desires come from God, and are good desires, so long as these desires are used to serve Him. The moment these desires are tempted to look inward, and hunger to serve yourself, then know that sin crouches at the door.

Jesus went into that wilderness to make His desires go from 0 to 100. Severe starvation will do that to anyone. And then, when His desires were at a maximum level, like a raw nerve He faced the Devil’s temptations in our place, for everyone united to Christ is true Israel.

Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, a consequence of their sins. Every passage from Deuteronomy that Jesus quotes remembers a moment where Israel failed the exact temptation He was being afflicted with.

Israel was hungry, so they became angry with God and were ready to go back to Egypt. Jesus was hungry, and could have miraculously made food for Himself, but He waited and trusted in God’s provision.

Israel was thirsty, so they violently demanded a miracle from God. Jesus trusted in the will of the Father, and did not attempt to make God provide a miracle.

Israel wanted to reproduce what they had become comfortable with, so they made an Egyptian calf out of gold and worshiped it. Though Jesus was offered all the nations and all their gold, He chose to forsake Himself in order to worship God.

I have said now multiple times in this sermon series, Jesus was taking up Israel’s history to do what Israel could not do. He was identifying Himself as True Israel, Israel in one man. Now, all who are united to Him join Israel, become Israel, and inherit all the promises that God has ever made to Israel.

Jesus did what Israel could not do, and He did what we still cannot do. There is not a person here who hasn’t fallen to the temptations of the evil one. But because Christ overcame temptation and went to that cross, He bought our forgiveness with His own blood. He gave His life as our ransom.

So if we trust in Him and give Him our loyalty then we are forgiven: our past sins, your present sins, and every future sin you will commit. Forgiven!

And your sins are not only forgiven, but now you have been given the tools to overcome temptations. Though Jesus is God, and at a word He could wield all the power of heaven, He chose not to. He chose the way of a lowly man. He chose to believe in what He could not see. He chose to trust in His Father.

And He did this not with miraculous powers, but simply by rooting Himself in Scripture. Battling temptation with promises from Scripture is a powerful weapon against the enemy.

If the temptation of lust grips you:

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” -Matthew 5:8

If you are tempted to be judgmental:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” -Matthew 5:7

If you are tempted not to take the opportunity to tell someone about Jesus:

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” -Matthew 5:11-12

For every temptation, there is a promise of God to combat it. Become a student of the Bible and memorize promises. Equip yourself. Get ready to go to battle. You’ve already been forgiven, but that doesn’t mean you should give in to sin.

I leave you with one final promise in the battle against temptations.

Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. -1 Corinthians 10:12-13