Luke 4:13: “And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.”
We have started again with a brand new year – 2019. I wonder what lessons does God know I need to learn and grow from in this year? I have been reflecting on 2018 and reviewing in my mind trials that we endured last year, learned from, and how God graciously brought His will in the outcome to each conclusion, for His glory and in His timing. However, in one scenario we never received closure. It is a visual “no news is good news” is the only way I can explain it and leave it. That was not what I expected. Looking back it was another occasion of feeling tempted to fear a possible unpleasant outcome.
Satan had succeeded in tempting Adam and Eve, in the garden, so he hoped to achieve the same with Jesus in the desert in Luke 4. In Luke’s account, we can see how Satan takes advantage of weaknesses. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where He fasted for forty days. Satan chose this specific occasion to target Jesus when He was hungry. Satan attacked and questioned God’s faithfulness, the Father’s love, and Jesus’s hope – just as he does to us. Satan challenged God’s promise by misquoting Ps. 91:11-12. But Jesus fought back and used Scripture correctly. He quoted Deuteronomy each time to counter Satan’s attacks. The devil then retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.
Temptations targeted at us come in many forms and always provoke guilt, shame, frustration, and feelings of failure. Those are Satan’s weapons, and he knows Scripture too and can connivingly twist it for his purposes in destroying us as he roams around “prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour (Eph. 6:12).”
One’s character is always revealed when under pressure from the unexpected and we are pushed beyond our limits. Will I think to recite a verse I have read or memorized when I next experience a vulnerable spot? Will I make the right choice in how I respond? Maybe not. Will I remember to pause first, and obey God’s Word from the verses that I have read and recognized their truths in the past instead of reacting from my weaknesses?
Satan persisted throughout Jesus’s ministry in trying to attack and tempt Jesus. Hebrews 4:15 states: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Applying God’s Word is the only way to keep our sword sharp as it says in Ephesians 6:17: “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
“Keep a close eye on your areas of greatest strength and your areas of greatest weakness. They are likely the places where you can expect the enemy to target his attacks against you.” Priscilla Shirer.
We need to especially be on guard when physically or psychologically spent. That is when we especially need to guard our heart.
Andrew Bonar has said: “Let us be watchful after the victory as before the battle.” The inevitable pressures of life can drain us of our emotional resources and place us in “an opportune time” to be batted about once again by the enemy. But Col. 4:2 declares: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful with thanksgiving.” Prayer will open doors of opportunity for God’s energy, His will, and His power to produce God’s glory shown in our lives. Prayer is vital to achieving spiritual victory. It holds our armor together. That is the starting point of seeking God’s forthcoming rescue, comfort, hope, and reassurance of God’s love, in anticipation – while being in the wait, for every ending, with a clear head pursuing God’s will.
Listen to King & Country’s “Shoulders”