Overcoming temptation
The word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one (1 John 2:14).
There was once a wealthy lady who had a great estate and many servants. Unfortunately the driver of her coach died and she advertised for a replacement driver. Three men were interviewed for the job. During the interviews, she presented the applicants with a problem: “On the approach to my estate the road is very narrow with a steep incline at each side. How near could you drive to the edge of that part of the road without endangering my safety?” The first applicant answered, “I could drive your coach to within one foot of the edge of the road and you would be safe.” The second coach driver was even more confident: “I could safely drive to within six inches of the edge of the road.” When the last coach driver was presented with the problem, he looked steadfastly at the lady and said, “Madam, I would stay as far from the edge as possible.” He got the job!
When we are faced with temptation, what kind of coach driver are we like? Do we go as near to ‘the edge’ as we can or do we make sure we stay as far away from it as possible? Genesis 3 records the very first temptation. Satan questioned the authority of God: “Has God said?” Then He contradicted the word of God: “You will not surely die.“ Finally, he promised a lie: “You will be like God.” Eve was taken over ‘the edge’. Temptation affects our body (food), soul (pleasant) and spirit (wisdom). If we are defeated by temptation, it robs us of the blessings of God, and the pain it causes is never confined to those who commit it.
Jesus was confronted by Satan at the beginning of His public ministry; not in a beautiful garden but as a lowly, hungry and isolated man in a desolate wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan tried to take Jesus to the edge by challenging His Person: “If you are the Son of God…” He pressed Jesus to command stones to become bread to prove who He was. Jesus demonstrated that He is the Son of God by His obedience to “every word of God” (Luke 4:4), not the fulfilment of His immediate physical needs. Satan then tries to take Jesus to the edge, on a pinnacle of the temple, challenging Him to prove He was the Son of God, again using Scripture to support his case. Jesus proves He is the Son of God by His understanding of the true application of God’s word: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Finally, the devil tries to take Jesus to the edge on the mountain. Satan abandons Scripture and offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world in return for His worship. Jesus proves He is the Son of God by His total faithfulness to God’s word and dismisses Satan with the words, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Jesus conquered the power of Satan at the beginning of His ministry, and in doing so looked on to His complete victory through His death, resurrection and glorious reception into heaven.
We are all subject to temptation, but the Lord teaches us how to have victory over the power of sin and Satan:
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:10-11).
