Preparing for Temptation
We all know what facing temptation is like. It creeps in, plays on your selfishness, begs you to give in to what you know is bad for you. It’s…well…tempting. Temptation is not for the faint of heart, and it can break into our lives at a moment’s notice.
Temptation is a present reality because we face an adversary who seeks our destruction. The tempter, as Matthew calls him in Matthew 4:3, wishes to devour us, prowling around “like a roaring lion” (1 Pet. 5:8, ESV). Therefore, we must be both sober-minded and watchful (1 Pet. 5:8). How do we prepare ourselves for the temptations of the tempter? How do we resist temptation?
In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus shows us how we can prepare for the temptations of this adversary. After fasting for forty days and nights in the wilderness, Jesus was approached by the tempter (Matt. 4:1-3). The tempter first tempts Jesus in his hunger from fasting. Jesus answers this temptation with Deuteronomy 8:3: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Then, the tempter tempts Jesus to test God. Responding with Deuteronomy 6:16, Jesus answers, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matt. 4:7). Finally, the tempter tempts Jesus with the world in exchange for worship. Again, Jesus turns to the Scriptures, citing Deuteronomy 6:13: “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve” (Matt. 4:10).
In the face of each temptation, Jesus turned to the Word of God. He knew God’s Word, and therefore He knew how to combat the tempter. He knew God’s law, He knew God’s expectations, and He knew the truth of God’s Word. Even when the tempter tried to use God’s Word against Him, Jesus understood that the tempter was twisting it, so that He would fall into sin (Matt. 4:6-7). Through an intimate knowledge of God’s Word, Jesus had a ready answer in the face of temptation.
In the same way, we can resist temptation by studying what God has already told us, expects of us, and promises us in the Scriptures. When the tempter comes to devour us through lies and temptation, we can stand firm on the truth of God’s Word, but we have to prepare before the temptation to be ready to face it in the moment. To resist the tempter, study God’s Word. Know it intimately. Know it so well that you can see through those who twist Scripture for evil. Through intimacy with the Word of God, we will be ready when temptation comes.