THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS (PART IV)

“When Strength Turns to Weakness”

By Akin Ojumu

In the last installment of this commentary series, we learned that as the hosts of Heaven rejoice over the triumph of a Christian in his walk with God, the legions of hell burn in fervent indignation. Whenever a child of God is victorious, there’s an uproar in Hades. Because Satan cannot stand a Christian living triumphantly, he’ll do all he can to pull him down. So, it’s often the case that the fiercest attack a believer is ever going to face in life comes right after the greatest victories.

Consequently, a Christian cannot afford to be complacent. The Christian life is lived one battle at a time. It’s a mistake for the soldier of Christ to bask for too long in victories won. Just as soon as one fight is over another one starts. The believer who lets down his guard following a victory in one battle risks turning the sweet taste of victory into a sour taste of defeat. 

If you think I’m being hyperbolic, ask Elijah, the prophet. Soon after the spectacular encounter on Mt Carmel, when Elijah mocked, ridiculed, and eventually slaughtered the false prophets of Baal, he found himself at the crosshair of Jezebel’s wrath. All it took for Elijah to take to his heels, was a simple death threat. Here’s a man who had just defeated 450 false prophets running for his dare life in fear of a woman. From the height of victory, Elijah plunged to the depth of embarrassing defeat.

Vigilance is key to a victorious Christian life. Because temptation is inevitable, the believer must constantly keep his eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. If he ever wants to overcome temptation, the soldier of Christ must train his eyes on the Commander. And as John MacArthur once said, “the Christian life is nothing more than practicing the conscious presence of Jesus Christ.” A believer who is going to remain victorious is the believer who keeps the lovely face of the Master ever before his eyes.

Now, it’s important to stress that to practice the conscious presence of the Lord Jesus is nothing mystical or esoteric as some have made it. Focusing on Christ Jesus is not a deep mystery known to only a select few spiritual elites. It has got nothing to do with you accessing portals or entering dimensions. To keep your eyes on Christ simply means you immerse yourself in His Word and prayer. It’s by studying the Bible that God’s Word comes to dwell in you richly. 

As you diligently study Scriptures, your mind is cleansed by the washing of water with the Word. Progressively, you build up your spiritual muscles, and you are transformed on the inside by the renewing of your mind. When the temptation eventually comes, you realize you are able to say, “It is written…” just as the Lord Jesus did when He faced Satan’s temptation.

Today’s installment of this commentary series will examine the strategy the devil used when he tempted the Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness after He had gone without food for forty days and forty.

Matthew 4:1-3

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.””

The first temptation the devil brought to Christ was to ask Him to turn stones into bread. It’s important to realize that Satan is pretty cunning and strategic. He would never have asked the Lord Jesus to turn stones into bread if he did not know that He was indeed capable of turning stones into bread. The devil knew very well that Christ had the power to do what he was tempting Him to do. It’s with that knowledge in mind that he presented the first temptation. 

In asking Christ to turn stones into bread, Satan wasn’t daring Jesus to perform a supernatural He was incapable of performing. This temptation, like the other two, was targeted at the core of Christ’s power and ability. As the Son of God, turning stones into bread was no big deal. It was something Christ was quite capable of doing.

Here’s the lesson for all of us.

Satan always tempts us in the area of our strength. The temptations that come our way are targeted directly at the core of our ability. This is one of the reasons we easily fall for temptation. We always get tempted with what we are well positioned and prone to do. The devil isn’t interested in diminishing your strength or ability. Rather, he wants to co-opt you to use your strength and ability to do his bidding.

Stories abound of people who have allowed their comeliness to become a source of temptation. There are attractive looking men whose destruction have come by way of their physical appearance because the devil capitalizes on their good looks to bring ruin on themselves and others. I don’t have to tell you of beautiful women whose stunning looks and curvy shapes are weapons of mass distraction in the hand of Satan.

The history books are replete with eloquent people who have used their gift of gab to manipulate people to do their bidding. Many there are who use their natural charm and charisma to amass great following whom they in turn exploit for greed and selfish gain. This is the reason why most of the world’s dictators and tyrants are gifted orators possessing irresistible charm.

There are brilliant scientists who deploy their innovative skills and ingenuity to invent instruments of pain and misery. Men and women with highly fecund minds are known to use their superior imaginative prowess to imagine vain things. We have talented artists whose work of art glorifies Satan. Then there are the Yahoo boys who channel their God-given intellect towards criminal enterprise.

In addition to hijacking our strength and abilities to use for his own purposes, the devil also tempts us with things to which we are most susceptible. Temptations come in areas of our lives where we are inclined to fall. 

The Book of James speaks to this reality in profound terms.

James 1:13-14

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

The word “drawn away” in the above passage is a hunting term. It’s a phrase used to describe the luring of an animal into a trap. A trap is baited, and the animal is lured into the trap. It means to be led, to be compelled, to be impelled, to be lured into a trap. To be baited and caught.

To be drawn away means to be pulled by an inner will and power, i.e., something on the inside. What draws you away into temptation is something that already exists within you. It’s your own lust and not somebody else’s that lures you away. It’s your own weakness, the things that catch your fancy. And what this pull is varies from person to person. 

What pulls Mr. A. could be women, or automobiles, or drugs. Whereas for Ms. B., might be shoes, food, or something else. If you don’t have a predilection for gluttony, the devil is never going to tempt you with food. You are not going to get tempted with alcohol if you are not naturally predisposed to being a drunk.

The word “enticed” in James 1:14 is a fishing term. It means, literally, to capture or catch i.e., to catch a fish with bait. To bait a hook and catch. The same word is found in 2 Peter 2:14 (BEGUILE) and 2 Peter 2:18 (ALLURE). It means to entice a fish with bait.

The reason that animals get baited and trapped, and fish are baited and trapped, is because the bait looks good. It looks attractive. It looks inviting and all the prey sees is the dangling bait. It dangles out there and it promises a tasty indulgence. It promises a satisfying morsel. It promises greater pleasure, fun, reward, and it lures the suckered victim into its trap and hook. But instead of the anticipated pleasure, what happens when the prey grabs the bait is the pain of capture and death. So it is with temptation.

Again, here are the two take home messages from today’s commentary. You are going to be tempted in the area of your strength and ability. Then, you will be tempted with things to which, and in areas in which, you are most susceptible to fall.

We’ll take it from here next time.