Like Jesus...

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit…was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil…The devil said to him, ‘If you...’ The devil led him up…showed him…and said to him ‘So if you…’ The devil led him…and had him stand…and said to him… ‘If you…’ When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:1-13

It looks like the devil uses the same tricks on us that he used on the Savior of the world during His walk on earth. As soon as Jesus was baptized He was led by the Holy Spirit to enter the desert for a season. There has been much written regarding the intent of this intense temptation. Jesus was going to be presented to the world as the Incarnate Son of God and Savior of the world. He would be put to the test daily and the desert provided a backdrop of intense temptation which provided Him the opportunity to stand firm in God’s will and steadfast in His mind. It is no doubt that this was a foreshadowing of our walk on this earth.

His baptism was immediately followed with the season of intense temptation and desert dwelling. This supports what 1 Peter 2:20-21 states, ‘But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.’

Like Jesus, we will enter the desert in seasons of life and will be tempted to the greatest intensity. Satan is well aware of our appetites in sin and will use the very lures that have worked in the past. We will enter the desert so we better be prepared. We had better use the example of Christ and determine certain truths before we enter into the dark times. Christ focused through fasting from the first day He was in the desert. He used the words of God instead of His own when facing his adversary. He stood firm in His faith in God’s promises. He was clear on what God says about every subject for which Satan hurled. Christ passed with flying colors so we should use the same standard for which we live our lives. When we face the darkness, and we will, we will use the Sword of the Word and allow God to lead our paths through the desert. Satan will take us on detours that lead to waterless holes, rocky terrain and false promises.

Satan does some of his best work when we are in the desert but so does God. I choose God!