Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry…
When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him – until another time.
Luke 4:1-2, 13 (WEB, my emphasis)
Here is another Scripture that testifies to me that Jesus was fully human. He was tempted. Satan tempted Jesus through human frailties.
– “Are you hungry?†“Is there something you ‘hunger’ after?†Satan can subtly point you down a path to get it! Want a plasma TV but you really can’t afford it? How about a payment plan or the ‘lose your job coverage’?
– Want to be ‘the best’? How much are you willing to pay in time and priorities to reach ‘successful’? What standard are you using to define success and to whom are you comparing yourself? What are you making your #1 priority?
– Are you doing destructive things in your life or have friends with influence that are destructive? Will you throw yourself off the tower of stress, addiction, and bad choices in order to avoid discipline or achieve success?
The devil is a crafty, sneaky, and subtle liar! He uses my ego and pride against me like a well-sharpened knife! Look at Luke’s words: he departed from him – until another time.
The devil will keep coming back and will turn away only when I order him to go with the power of Jesus and choose to stay as close to Jesus as I can get! Satan hates it when I worship Jesus!
Temptation and this world are synonymous. For now and until Jesus comes back, Satan owns this world – but he doesn’t own me! My feet are planted on the Rock, Jesus Christ, and I choose to stand there!
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.†No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.    Romans 8:35-39 (WEB)
