CHAPTER 17
RESISTING TEMPTATION
What must we do when doubt comes? What must we do when temptation comes? We must look to our Lord Jesus Christ for an example of the proper response when the devil comes to put us through tribulations, temptations, and trials:
THEN WAS JESUS LED UP OF THE SPIRIT INTO THE WILDERNESS TO BE TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL.
AND WHEN HE HAD FASTED FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS, HE WAS AFTERWARD A HUNGERED.
AND WHEN THE TEMPTER CAME TO HIM, HE SAID, IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD, COMMAND THAT THESE STONES BE MADE BREAD (LUST OF THE FLESH).
BUT HE ANSWERED AND SAID, IT IS WRITTEN, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD. (SEE DEUT. 8:3)
THEN THE DEVIL TAKETH HIM UP INTO THE HOLY CITY, AND SETTETH HIM ON A PINNACLE OF THE TEMPLE,
AND SAID UNTO HIM, IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD, CAST THYSELF DOWN: FOR IT IS WRITTEN, HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING THEE: AND IN THEIR HANDS THEY SHALL BEAR THEE UP, LEST AT ANY TIME THOU DASH THY FOOT AGAINST A STONE (PRIDE OF LIFE).
JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, IT IS WRITTEN AGAIN, THOU SHALT NOT TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD. (SEE DEUT. 6:16)
AGAIN THE EVIL TAKETH HIM UP INTO AN EXCEEDING HIGH MOUNTAIN, AND SHEWETH HIM ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD, AND THE GLORY OF THEM (THE LUST OF THE EYES);
AND SAITH UNTO HIM, ALL THESE THINGS WILL I GIVE THEE, IF THOU WILT FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP ME.
THEN SAITH JESUS UNTO HIM, GET THEE HENCE, SATAN: FOR IT IS WRITTEN, THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD, AND HIM ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE. (SEE DEUT. 6:13; 10:20)
MATTHEW 4:1-10
Do you see that Jesus refused to rely on His own strength? If Jesus was going to rely on the strength of His flesh, He would have made sure to eat a hearty breakfast before He confronted the devil. Instead He fasted for forty days prior to His battle in the wilderness.
Jesus Christ only relied on the Word of God! For years, I wondered what fasting was all about. I fasted because I noticed in the Holy Scriptures that God’s people fasted when they really desired something from God, but I did not understand it. Fasting illustrates that we have come to the end of our physical rope. We no longer have confidence in our own strength and our own wisdom. We finally must turn only to God to deliver us from the problem. We have turned away from our own strength and we have turned completely to rely on God’s almighty power. If God’s Word says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,” then Jesus was not going to rely on eating bread. He was not going to put any confidence in His flesh. Jesus was going to rely completely on God’sWord!
BUT THE HOUR COMETH, AND NOW IS, WHEN THE TRUE WORSHIPPERS SHALL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH: FOR THE FATHER SEEKETH SUCH TO WORSHIP HIM.
GOD IS A SPIRIT: AND THEY THAT WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.
JOHN 4:23-24
Do you see how our Lord Jesus Christ responded when the devil tempted him in the wilderness?
He did not grit his teeth and repeat, “I’m not gonna turn the loaves into bread,” over and over again. He did not start an exercise program and start to bulk up on a high protein diet. He did not start practicing Socratic debating techniques.
Jesus simply spoke the Word of God. Do you see how He resisted the devil? Jesus spoke the Word of God. Do you see how He defeated the devil? Jesus spoke the Word of God!
Jesus was able to tune into the God frequency, the same way that we can tune into the God frequency. Jesus did not pull a copy of the torah out of his back pocket and start reading silently to himself. God’s Word was in him. His weapon was the spoken Word of God. Jesus is the spoken Word of God.
How did Jesus know the Word of God? He memorized the Word of God!
IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH; THE FLESH PROFITETH NOTHING: THE WORDS THAT I “SPEAK” UNTO YOU, THEY ARE “SPIRIT”, AND THEY ARE LIFE.
JOHN 6:63
When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus whether He was the Messiah, “He that should come.” Jesus told them:
GO AND SHOW JOHN AGAIN THOSE THINGS WHICH YE DO HEAR AND SEE:
THE BLIND RECEIVE THEIR SIGHT, AND THE LAME WALK, THE LEPERS ARE CLEANSED, AND THE DEAF HEAR, THE DEAD ARE RAISED UP, AND THE POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.
MATTHEW 11:4-5
Jesus was giving John the Baptist’s disciples a reference out of the Book of Isaiah concerning the coming of God:
SAY TO THEM THAT ARE OF A FEARFUL HEART, BE STRONG, FEAR NOT: BEHOLD, YOUR GOD WILL COME WITH VENGEANCE, EVEN WITH A RECOMPENCE; HE WILL COME AND SAVE YOU.
THEN THE EYES OF THE BLIND SHALL BE OPENED, AND THE EARS OF THE DEAF SHALL BE UNSTOPPED.
THEN SHALL THE LAME MAN LEAP AS AN HART, AND THE TONGUE OF THE DUMB SING:
ISAIAH 35:4-6
If you have a reference Bible, you will see that Jesus quoted liberally from the Old Testament. Jesus knew the Word of God! Jesus spoke the Word of God! Jesus is the Word of God incarnate! He also expected John the Baptist to know God’s Word! God expects everyone to know and believe the Word of God! Ignorance of God’s Word is no excuse. When Jesus told the story of Lazarus and the Rich man, the Rich man begs Father Abraham to send Lazarus back to his brethren to warn them about the torments of hell:
ABRAHAM SAITH UNTO HIM, THEY HAVE MOSES AND THE PROPHETS; LET THEM HEAR THEM. AND HE SAID, NAY, FATHER ABRAHAM: BUT IF ONE WENT UNTO THEM FROM THE DEAD, THEY WILL REPENT.
AND HE SAID UNTO HIM, IF THEY “HEAR NOT” MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.
LUKE 16:29-31
Jesus illustrates in this story that God expected the rich man’s brothers to know the Word of God. Claiming to be ignorant of God’s Word will not excuse you from going to hell!
People seem to forget that Jesus was the Son of man as well as the Son of God. He suffered the same limitations as we now suffer, Jesus overcame the world and Satan by memorizing and speaking the Word of God. Jesus was an expert with the sword of the spirit by the time He was twelve years old.
AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT AFTER THREE DAYS, THEY FOUND HIM IN THE TEMPLE, SITTING IN THE MIDST OF THE DOCTORS, BOTH HEARING THEM, AND ASKING THEM QUESTIONS.
AND ALL THAT HEARD HIM WERE ASTONISHED AT HIS