Welcome to Day 4 of our 40 Day challenge! Matthew 4:1-11

(Catch up with us, with our reading list, and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3)

Today we are in Matthew 4:1-11

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Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Knowing Jesus is so much more important than knowing about Jesus. Throughout our walk with Christ we have the opportunity over and over again to learn His character and see His ways.  This is vital in knowing how to discern and respond to temptation. In today’s passage, we see the devil using scripture against Jesus. Jesus also knew scripture, and knew the character of God, and was clear on what God wanted Him to do. We need the first two in order to have the third.

We also see the devil use that ever so damaging word: if. If you are the Son of God, he said. The devil knew who Jesus was. Just as he knows who you are. But if he can cause you to question or doubt your calling as a disciple of Jesus, you won’t be acting on your call or mission. And he is clever. He knows where we are weak. He knows those tender parts. He might try to make you doubt your worth or belovedness in Christ, or your salvation.  He might try to make you question if you really can be forgiven, again. Or he might try to get you to fast-track a promise of God, as with Abraham, or try to convince you that someone who disagrees with you is not just wrong but evil, and deserve bad things to happen to them. And that  you really are better than that other group of people.

He works on our weaknesses, our fear, our woundedness, and our failings, our pride and our egos.

Where are you vulnerable? What parts of your heart are tender? How can you use the Word of God to defend against the attacks? Spend time considering this and writing down scripture to counter the attacks that certainly are coming at you.