Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
Matthew 4:3 NKJV
There is a need to expand on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. A deeper study gives us enough wisdom for when we are challenged by the devil. The thing is, the devil will always come to tempt us because he wants us all to stray away from the path. After forty days of fasting in the wilderness, the tempter came and tested Jesus based on His present state in line with the will of God. Jesus was hungry and weak. The tempter came and suggested that Jesus should take care of that need. The devil is telling Jesus that His physical needs and comfort are more important than the will of God.
The devil was trying to get Jesus to use His divine powers for selfish reasons. He was using a basic need like hunger and food to get Jesus to abandon God’s plan. The devil is trying the same thing on you and me. He is trying to get us to believe that our happiness is more important than God’s plan. That our comfort is more important than God’s will. That our needs trump whatever God is doing.
Furthermore, the devil will use whatever he can to distract you from the will of God. He will use some basic things like relationships, money, things, or comfort. The devil is saying, “I know what you want and you can have it and you don’t have to get it God’s way. Do it my way and it will be easier and quicker.” This is a battle over the will of God. However, are you going to do it God’s way or your way? Are you going to succumb to the subtle nudging to do what makes you happy? So, what was Jesus’ response to this?
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
Matthew 4:4 NKJV
What God wants is more important than what I want. His plan trumps my plan. I’m going to live by His Word, not my wants. Jesus chose God’s plans over His, and God’s instead of satisfying the flesh. When the tempter comes to you, how would you respond? Let us learn from Jesus, and observe the craftiness of the tempter, lest we are caught unaware.
