What we can Learn about Temptation from the only Sinless Person, Luke 4:1-13

Probably few things surprised me as much, following my conversion to faith in Christ, as the intensity of the temptation that I began to experience. After an initial honeymoon, following Jesus felt like (feels like) full-on war. C.S. Lewis put this in perspective in his book Mere Christianity, "No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — the only complete realist.” Before I became a follower of Jesus, I hadn't really been resisting temptation, so I had no idea the ferocity of the fight that would follow.  Reading Luke's account of Christ's temptation there are several beneficial lessons we can learn about how to behave during times of temptation.

1, Don't face Satan in your own strength. Jesus was "full of the Holy Spirit." Those who truly have experienced Christ have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to live inside them. He is our resource to fight the battles that war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11). Additionally, God gives us families, friends, Christian community, and Scripture and prayer to arm us for this conflict (Ephesians 6:10-18).

2. FIGHT temptation; don't roll over. James wrote, "Therefore, submit to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (4:7 HCSB). Martin Luther said, "We can't prevent birds from flying over head, but we can prevent them from building nests in our hair."

3. Realize that temptation is a regular part of everyone's experience. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "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" (ESV). This is so encouraging. You are not alone on an island! Everybody deals with temptation. The word used in Scripture for temptation can mean (1) an enticement to evil (that is Satan's game), or (2) a test, to assay (that is God's angle). Satan wants our failure and the attendant shame and confusion. But God wants to develop maturity. Paul's "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:1-10) shows us that sometimes God permits debilitating weaknesses in us as a way of keeping us tethered to Him, our hope.

4. Remember that Satan attacks when we are weakened through fatigue, anger, discouragement, and disappointment. He came to Jesus after He was weakened.  In the Biblical narrative of Cain and Abel, God responded to Cain's anger by reminding Him, "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Anger is a signal. The way we respond to it determines whether or not it becomes sinful (Ephesians 4:26). But we must know ourselves and our own rhythm so that we can be vigilant at times when we are susceptible to failure.

5. Defer rewards to God's timing. Every temptation is an offer of a reward taken at the wrong time. Satan tried to get Jesus to accept a path through life that averted the cross. The consequences for humans would have been devastating. Satan promises us something immediately, that will also cause instant regret, guilt and condemnation. Moses' life illustrates how deferring to God's timing yields blessing (Hebrews 11:23-26).

6. Fight Satan's lies with God's truths. Satan misquoted Scripture again and again. He is a liar and the father of the lie. Jesus knew Scripture (is the author of it) and countered Satan's error with truth. Rich Mullins has a great song called "Quoting Deuteronomy to the Devil" (the title always makes me chuckle. That's the idea.

7. Keep in mind that Satan does not give up. In verse 13 of Luke chapter Four, it says "And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time." I've got good news and bad news: the good news is if Christ is in you your name is written in His book of Life in indelible ink, the bad news is we will live with the reality of an enemy who wants to destroy our testimony until the day we die. Follow the example of the only sinless Person.