“And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13 ESV).
The devil departed from tempting Jesus after three failed attempts. It might be noted that these are the same three temptations to which Adam succumbed. Yet, Jesus overcame them all.
The temptation of Adam and Eve began with Satan’s question, “Did God really say?” (Gen.3:1). And so, he introduced the doubt of God’s Word into their minds, making them susceptible to his wiles. So Eve was deceived, deciding that the forbidden fruit “was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise” (Gen.3:6).
The apostle John described these three temptations as targeting “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Satan tempted Jesus and Adam with the same three tests: 1) The flesh (Adam: fruit; Jesus: bread), 2) the eyes (Adam: pleasant; Jesus: glory), 3) the pride (Adam: wisdom like God’s; Jesus: prove you’re the Son of God). While Adam doubted God’s Word, Jesus answered all three of Satan’s tests with quotations from God’s Word.
Satan still uses the same bag of tricks today, but we can learn from Christ’s example and depend on His power to overcome temptation as He did. As the psalmist said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11). In Christ, we are overcomers by His Word.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we pray as the Lord Jesus taught us today. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For we want to always live as obedient servants. And when we are tempted, give us a way out and remind us of Your Word that we might overcome the devil. In Jesus’ name, amen.