Jesus vs Satan – Round 1
Let’s fast forward from the Garden of Eden about 4,000 years in the future, and meet a young man of 30, from Nazareth, as he walks down the hill in Bethany towards the Jordan River. He sees a large group of people who are being baptized by a scruffy- looking man, John the Baptist.
28These things happened in Bethany across the Jordan River where John was baptizing. 29On the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’ 31I did not recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.” 32Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. 33And I did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining—this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34I have both seen and testified that this man is the Chosen One of God.” John 1:28-34 (NET)
Thus begins the ministry of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that will change the entire world for eternity. Satan had free reign up until now, but his worst nightmare has just arrived, as God foretold back in the Garden of Eden over 4,000 years ago.
After Jesus was baptized and full of the Holy Spirit, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to confront Satan. Satan had to realize that this was his best shot at getting Jesus to sin and break the chain of events (God revealed throughout the Bible) predicting his final doom. So I’m sure Satan was ready to pull out all the stops and give it that good, old college try. Pride can make us do stupid things sometimes.
For forty days, Jesus endured temptations from the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, he was famished. Remember Jesus is true God and true man. So the human side of Him had to be tired, hungry, and even weak — just where Satan wanted Him. When our ability to resist is at its lowest point, Satan will always present us with a temptation that plays on our emotions — a promise of instant gratification and escape from the trouble we are experiencing.
Three times Satan tries to get Jesus to sin (body, soul and spirit) against God, and three times he fails.
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs. Matthew 4:11 (NET)
However, Satan knows that if Jesus succeeds in God’s plan, his reign as the god of this world is over. Why did God send His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth?
16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
Simply put, Jesus came to destroy the power of sin that separates us from our Father and to restore our fellowship with Him. So Satan slinks away, and will bide his time, looking to strike again later.
13So when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time. Luke 4:13 (NET)
So you see, friends, during His earthly ministry, Jesus was constantly tempted by Satan. So when you cry out to God that you are going through something that no one else has experienced, you are not correct because Jesus went through the very same thing.
14Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:14-15 (NET)
I’m going to stop here and move on, because how Jesus handles Satan’s temptation is a wonderful series unto itself, and I will write about that in a future study called “Handling Temptations the Jesus Way.”
First Round goes to Jesus!
