The
story of the temptations of our Lord Jesus Christ in the desert after his Baptism
is narrated in the three synoptic gospels, but in detail, in the gospels of
Matthew and Luke (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)
These
three temptations our Lord suffered, cover the three aspects of the human nature
as composed of body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12) and
all the ways temptation may seem to justify itself to us. In the desert, Lord Jesus was tempted in every
aspect of his humanity, thus wining a victory over every type of temptation
every human being can ever suffer, and the tools that can be used to seduce
humans. The temptations Satan put forward appealed to his bodily needs, his
beliefs and his personal pride, which affected directly the three aspects of
his humanity. All other forms of temptations a human can suffer are only variations
of these three same types of enticements and the manner they come to us.
BODY – Mt 4:1-4
– Lk 4:1-4
Jesus
was hungry after long 40 days of fasting. His bodily need was real and
legitimate. Satan appeared to propose Lord Jesus to make an untimely display of
his power by turning stones into food. Jesus refused, overcoming his real and
present organic need, because the time was not due, neither would He do it on
Satan’s request, gaining thus victory over all temptations that appeal to the
physical senses, like lust, sickness, hunger, tiredness, etc.
SOUL – Mt 4:5-7
– Lk 4:9-12
Lord
Jesus was invited by Satan to make another display of his power. He proposed Jesus
should prove his Messianic claim by jumping from the pinnacle of the Temple to
be handled by angels on his way down. This alone would demonstrate that God was
with Jesus to the eyes of all the spectators, or at least before Satan and his
angels alone. In order to do this, Satan
appealed as he did before with the hunger, to Messianic Holy Scripture verses
to justify his case. Lord Jesus refused,
by quoting in both cases other parts of Scripture that set aright the out of
context quotations of the devil. Thus Jesus won victory over all doctrinal
errors and false ideas that distort the human mind and soul in its relationship
with God and his Truth.
SPIRIT – Mt 4:8-10
– Lk 4:5-8
Finally,
Satan appealed directly to Jesus spirit, to his pride. Straightforward and
without bothering quoting anymore Scriptures, Satan asked Jesus to surrender to
his evil authority in exchange for worldly glory. Jesus refused roundly by asserting that only
God is worthy of worship, and nobody else. Thus, wining victory over all sins
that appeal to the human spirit, like pride, selfishness, vanity, envy, etc.
WAYS OF
ATTACK
USE OF
SCRIPTURE: Satan tried to justify his case by using the Word of God out of
context to provoke a wrong action. This covers all forms of wrong use of the
Scripture and Revelation that leads to heresy and sin.
DIRECT
APPEAL: When
his use of Scripture did not attained the deception intended, the devil openly
appealed to human pride, and openly offered to be associated with him in an
evil alliance, in full consciousness, in exchange for personal worldly gain.
WAYS OF
REFUSAL
In
all cases, Lord Jesus refused through KNOWLEDGE
of the Scripture and WILL.
In
every case, Lord Jesus quoted the Holy Scripture as his guide of Truth, thus
uncovering with the Word of God correctly understood, the deception the devil
tried to play on Him. And over this correct Scriptural knowledge; Lord Jesus
applied will power, thus refusing voluntarily the evil proposals of Satan.
Omar
Flores.
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