Overcoming Temptation

Luke 4:1-2 (NLT) Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.

Luke 4:4 (NLT) But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’”
Luke 4:8 (NLT) Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
Luke 4:12 (NLT) Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
Probably one of the greatest displays of the humanity of Jesus is found in this passage. We know from scripture that Jesus was hungry, and He became tired. We also know that He had emotions of joy and sadness and as we see here – He experienced temptation. Every person experiences some type of temptation in their life – whether it be a sexual sin or indulgences like eating too much or even being a shop-0-holic. The question is though – “How do we deal with that sin?” Jesus gives us the answer in this passage by showing us how to deal with temptation. He states that we need to counter the temptation by knowing and using the Word Of God. Psalm 119:11 tells that that we should hide His word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him. When faced with a temptation Jesus dug deep and used God’s Word as a weapon of against the tactics of the enemy. May I encourage you this year to read God’s Word with a renewed passion? May I encourage you to memorize it? When you are dealing with any temptation in your life – stand on God’s Word. Read it. Quote it. Rely on it. God has given you an arsenal to use. You can be victorious today – trust God to help you. Use His Word today!