Two-minute read.
“And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
Matthew 4:3
Fleshly desires.
When Jesus began His ministry, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness to spend 40 days fasting and praying before fulfilling His mission. The Devil came, tempting Jesus. The first temptation concerned the lust of the flesh. To satisfy His hunger, Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread and satisfy His fleshly desires.
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’“ Matthew 4:1-4
Jesus, fully human and divine, had to endure the temptations to help us understand how to face the Devil’s ploys. Spending 40 days without food meant Christ must learn absolute trust and dependence on His heavenly Father. By tempting Jesus to meet His fleshly desire, the enemy wanted Him to doubt God. Satan likes to get a foothold in our lives, where we doubt our Maker and His provision. Niggling thoughts like, “God won’t meet your needs” or “The Lord doesn’t care about your bills” causes doubt. The Devil wants nothing more than to put cracks in our faith that tear us from God.
On a recent camping weekend at OBX, Ron and I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner. As we approached the line, we watched a young girl, smiling broadly, emptying the grocery cart and placing items on the revolving black belt. When Mom came up a few moments later, she had no smile. Looking at the total, I realized why.
“You saved $93. Your total is $725.43,” said the cashier.
Ron and I looked at each other, amazed. As a family of two, our grocery bill doesn’t come near that amount. Immediately, I began to pray for the family and the burden of buying groceries in today’s economy. With inflation but not rising salaries, families must bear the burden of paying higher prices. At times like these, the Devil can easily make people doubt God’s provision. However, the Lord will provide in ways we often can’t imagine.
Faith means believing in what we can’t see. Where we can’t see a solution, God can. But we must trust Him for the answer, which typically means waiting for His timing. In Jesus’s case, He had 40 days of not eating; God might ask something different from us. But when we place our faith in the Lord and trust Him to meet the desires of our flesh, He will provide. God cares about every aspect of our lives. We can find victory over Satan’s ploys in Him.
Journal Questions:
- How can I apply today’s devotion to my life?
- How have fleshly desires tempted you?
- What lies does the Devil whisper in your ear?
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for showing us how to overcome the lies of the tempter. Protect us from Satan getting a foothold in our lives and causing us to doubt You. Strengthen our faith for the battle, help us overcome our doubts, and, like Jesus, have absolute trust in You. Give us victory over the enemy’s ploys. IJNIP. Amen
