The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is a well-known story. The time came for Jesus to enter his public ministry, beginning by connecting to the ministry of his cousin John. Coming out of the water a voice was heard from heaven, "This is my Son, my beloved, with him I am well-pleased." And then the Holy Spirit, who had come in the form of a dove, led him into the Judean wilderness to be tempted by the devil after forty days of fasting.
What follows is a fairly typical pattern of temptation. The issue was whether or not Jesus really believed what the Father had just declared from heaven, and if so, what he thought that meant.
The devil was not particularly clever with the temptations (Matthew 4:1-11). If you are the Son of God,
- Tell these stones to become bread. After all, Jesus had just been fasting for an extended period, and "he was hungry."
- Throw yourself down from the highest point of the temple. The devil thought Jesus would want to make a public show of his divine sonship, and even quoted Psalm 91, the "spiritual warfare Psalm"!, suggesting that God would send angels to rescue him.
- If you will bow down and worship me, I will give you all the kingdoms of the world.
These temptations followed the original pattern in the Garden, when Eve was tempted to eat the one thing the Creator had commanded Adam to not eat, noticing that it was:
- Good for food
- Pleasing to the eye
- Desirable for gaining wisdom
...with the promise that "you will be like God."
In fact, it might be observed that the pattern of temptation and sin in the world follows the same pattern (1 John 2:15) of:
- The desires of the flesh
- The desires of the eyes
- The pride of life
While seeing a repeatable pattern of temptation and sin is instructive, I have become fascinated by the specific ways Jesus responded. Jesus quoted three passages from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy that served as "the swords of the Spirit" he used to conquer in that situation. Looking at these words from Scripture may also prove to be powerful in our own thoughts and words.
Sword #1: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Jesus quoted ("It is written") Deuteronomy 8:3. In the text, Moses had urged the people to be careful to follow the commands he had given them from the Lord. If they did, they would be able to possess the promised land and live with the Lord's blessings. He then reminded them that their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness had been a test to see what was really in their hearts, to test their ability to obey the Lord. He had humbled them by putting them in a position where they were completely dependent on the Lord, relying on his faithful provision of daily manna. The goal was "to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." Moses then reminded them that not only did they not go hungry in the wilderness, the Lord had also kept their clothes from wearing out and their feet from swelling.
Their choice, and our choice, was simple. If they obeyed the Lord, if they kept the Lord's word, they would be cared for by the Lord. In essence, they would live by eating every word that came from the Lord. In the words used by Jesus, their human flourishing, their true and abundant life, would come as a response to the proceeding word (Greek rhema) that would flow as a veritable river of life from the heart and mind of God. Just being able to turn a rock into a loaf of bread could never be a fit substitute.
Sword #2: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
The passage in Deuteronomy 6:16 referred back to the way the Israelites had "tested" the Lord at Massah (Exodus 17:1-7). When the Israelites began traveling about in the wilderness they came to a place that had no water. They immediately reacted by grumbling against Moses, complaining that he had just led them into the desert to die of thirst. They also grumbled against the Lord. "Is this Lord among us or not?" "If the Lord is God and if the Lord is the one who has led us into the desert and is actually with us, let the Lord do something! Let the Lord give us some water to keep us from dying?" It was almost as though they said, "Pay attention, Lord, and do what you said you would do!" This attitude is the meaning of "testing the Lord." They weren't responding in faith. They weren't waiting for the Lord with joyful confidence that certainly he would take care of them as promised, even though they had crossed the Red Sea on dry land and the pillar of fire was right there with them. They were attempting to manipulate the Lord into doing what they wanted him to do for them. Their relationship with the Lord was therefore conditional, conditioned on how well he performed on their behalf. And so, Moses named the place "Massah" (Testing) and "Meribah" (Quarreling). They had an attitude of rebellion, disrespect, and disobedience toward the Lord.
The devil tempted Jesus to throw himself down from the highest point of the temple to see whether or not God would rescue him, even quoting Pslam 91:11-12 about God commanding the angels to prevent him from even stubbing his toe on a rock. It would have been a classic case of someone testing, not trusting the Lord. A true, personal relationship with God will always result in a heart response of hope and confidence in the goodness of God, and will not stand apart at a distance from God, daring him to keep his word, insisting that he provide the miracle we feel we need. As a beloved Son, Jesus would never consider such a rebellious, pagan response to his Father. The same is true for our own relationship with the Lord. As we grow in our knowledge of God, as we draw closer to the heart of the Father, we will be able to confidently rest on an understanding that God is good and always does what is good.
Sword #3: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.
The final weapon used to defeat the devil's strategy was taken from Deuteronomy 16:13. The emphasis is on the need to worship, to "fear" and serve the Lord only. Moses was clear to instruct the people, "Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you." The world is filled with false gods demanding allegiance. Fearing them empowers them. Serving those gods establishes their own wicked kingdoms. A covenant people will always be on the alert for the ever-present temptations to idolatry. We are tempted to assign more worth (to worship) any number of things, ideas, institutions, personalities, almost anything other than the one true Creator God. Every one of these false gods promises benefits and advantages that cannot be found in any other way. In the end, all idolatrous worship ends up being self-worship.
The devil thought he could tempt Jesus by offering him the possession of all the (false) kingdoms of the world. Wealth and power would be his. Somehow, the devil did not think that Jesus understood that the Almighty Creator of all things would have greater authority over the kingdoms of the world. In fact, in the end, Jesus understood that the "kingdoms of the world" would, as a result of his completing the work the Father sent him to do, become "the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ." In fact, the nature of God's righteous rule is diametrically opposite and opposed to the kinds of kingdoms being offered in the world. Every form of influence and benefit present in the world is temporary and will inevitably pass away. It is only those who do the will of God that will live forever and will know true, abundant life along the way.
Wielding swords of the Spirit involves more than the ability to quote passages of Scripture. The heart of the issue is our core values and our true motivations. What do we really believe about God, and how does that belief guide our thoughts and actions. Do we find our lives flowing out of the word and wisdom of God? Do we trust the Lord in every situation and resist the temptation to put God to the test? Do we have a heart of love, worship, and gratitude? Are we on guard against "idols" calling for our attention and loyalty? If so, the devil will not be able to take advantage of us and establish a foothold in our lives.
