Dear Christian friends:

You know that when there is a competition, a race, a fight or a war the winner gets the prize. Sometimes in the old movies two men would fight for a lady, and the winner got the lady. In history two armies would fight for some land, and the winner would get the land. Today two politicians compete for a state office and the winner gets the office and the power joined with that office.

In our text we see a competition or fight between two persons. It is the great fight between Satan and Jesus. Jesus defeated Satan and so Jesus got the prize, the power and the kingdom and the glory.

You and I are involved in Jesus' great victory. We need to hear about this victory so that we can share in it. Often we do not realize that we have this victory and continue living under Satan's rule.


Jesus is the Victor over Satan. Without Jesus we are not victors, but remain under Satan's control.

I think you know what happens when we get tempted. What happens? We easily sin and do wrong. When we are tempted we think it will be exciting and pleasurable and fun. It seems so good and pleasant and so we fool around and play around.

We think that we can play with fire and not get burned, but we do get burned. We are curious to join in the excitement although we know it is wrong and our conscience blames us, like when we are tempted to adultery with someone else's wife or husband or when we are tempted to see a dirty movie or read a porno book. We should say, "No!" to sin immediately.

After awhile our conscience is blaming us and we are trapped and doing the bad things we really don't want to do. St. Paul had this experience also. He writes, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: I want to do what is right; but I cannot do it. The good that I want to do I do not: but the evil which I do not want to do, that I do." (Romans 7:18-19)

Satan wants us to do more than sin and break a few laws. He wants us to quit believing in God! He wants us to despair of God's love and mercy. Hiding behind every temptation to sin is another worse temptation, the temptation to unbelief. Satan wants us to feel so bad and so guilty that we doubt God's grace and mercy in Jesus. Then we are his and under his terrible control.

Therefore we must be aware that we are helpless sinners. We must know that by ourselves alone we cannot get the victory over Satan. We are not the victors. Jesus is the Victor and to Jesus we must look for our victory.

In Jesus God challenged Satan and defeated him. We read in our text, "Immediately after His baptism the Spirit led Jesus into the desert. And He was in the desert 40 days while the devil tempted Him."(verse 13)

Jesus did not fool around and play with sin. He was not a sinner like we are. Yes, sin attracted Him too. Satan offered many beautiful and pleasant things to Jesus also. But quickly He said "No!" to those temptations. Satan and most of the Jewish people and even the twelve disciples tempted Jesus to be an earthly king like King David one thousand years before had been. That's the kind of Messiah they waited for and expected. Almost everyone misunderstood about the Messiah. When Jesus told the disciples that He must suffer and die and on the third day arise from death Peter said to Him, "Lord, this can't happen to You." Jesus said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan." (Mark 8:32) In the garden of Gethsemane, the night before He was crucified, Jesus was tempted to escape and avoid the Cross. Three times Jesus prayed, "Father, You can do all things, if possible, take this cup from Me." (Mark 14:32-42) But an angel came and strengthened Jesus. He did not listen to Satan. He listened to God and obeyed God. He accepted the Cross as His Father wanted. He prayed, "Not my will; but Thine be done."

After His victory in the desert, Jesus immediately took up His rule. He let Satan know that He was the Victor and Ruler. Later on He will complete the victory on the Cross. But now Jesus begins to gather His prize. Remember, the Victor gets the prize. What is the prize? The prize is the believers, the Christians, His Church or Kingdom. We are the prize!

How did Jesus claim His prize? We read in our text, "After John the Baptizer had been put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee and preached the Gospel of God's Kingdom." (verse 14) Jesus preached the Gospel!

That is how He claims or gathers His prize, the Church. When a poor a poor sinner hears the Gospel and believes in Jesus for His Savior, he becomes a member of God's Kingdom and leaves the devil's kingdom. The Gospel says that we have forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name. Because Jesus accepted our sin and punishment. He suffered that on the cross. And if we have forgiveness of sins, we have the victory over Satan. Now, although Satan blames us and daily accuses us with our sins and wrongs, we do not despair and do not give up faith in God. We can say to Satan, "Yes, I know that I am a lousy sinner. I know that! You do not need to remind me. Shut up! Jesus died on the Cross for my sins. God forgives me because of Jesus!" In that way you defeat Satan every day and are a victor like Jesus. We are Jesus' prize, if we do not despair, but believe in His love and mercy.

We are Jesus' prize. He has fought Satan and won, and redeemed us from his terrible rule. Now we are under God's good and gracious rule. And, although we daily sin much, we must not despair, not give up faith and hope in God. Jesus preached, "The time has come, God's kingdom (rule) is here. Continually repent and continually believe the Gospel." (verse 15) This means that we should daily, continually repent and daily, continually look to Jesus and His victory on the Cross. Remember that you have been baptized! Come often to church to hear the Gospel preaching! Come regularly to the Lord's Supper to receive the body and blood of the Lord, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Then you will not doubt or despair in times when you feel lousy and afraid or in times of trouble, sickness or death. You will say with St. Paul, "In all these troubles we have complete victory through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)

Amen.