Dear Christian friends:

Today I want to preach about everyone's problem, temptation. This is a very difficult problem for us Christians. We live in a country and city that loves comfort and pleasure. People today refuse to suffer and resist temptation. We deceive ourselves and think we can avoid all suffering. Many people think that the goal of life is pleasure. So we give-in to temptation and enjoy forbidden pleasures.

In our text we see how Jesus met temptation, how He suffered Satan's temptation and resisted it and conquered. In doing that Jesus is both our Savior and our example.

Jesus conquered Satan for us, so that He could be our Savior. If Jesus had failed, He could not be our Savior. Jesus is the second Adam resisting and conquering the Foe who defeated the first Adam. The Bible says that in one man, Adam, all people have sinned and become under Satan's rule, and that by one other man, Christ Jesus, all can become free from Satan's rule. One man, Adam, made all people become sinners and one Man, Jesus Christ, made forgiveness of sins ready for all. (Romans 5:12-19)

Therefore Jesus must meet Satan and fight with him. In our text we read that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert so that Satan could tempt Him. God wanted Satan to tempt Jesus, so Jesus could resist him and defeat him. (verses 1-2)

Satan tempted Jesus 40 days and nights in the desert. Although he tried very hard to make Jesus fall, he failed. Jesus resisted every temptation that Satan offered to Him. Later on during the three years of Jesus' ministry Satan tried to tempt Jesus, especially in the Garden of Gethsemane. Satan did not want Jesus to obey God's will and suffer death on the cross. But Jesus refused to listen to Satan. Jesus remembered God's plan for saving the world. Although God's plan meant terrible suffering and death upon the cross. Jesus listened to God's Word and He refused to listen to Satan's lies. Jesus quoted God's Word to Satan and in that way Jesus defeated him. Jesus obeyed God, not Satan, although that meant suffering and death for Him. Jesus did not fail. He succeeded. He is our wonderful Savior.

Because Jesus obeyed God's will and did not listen to Satan, we now have forgiveness of all sins. Satan has no right to blame us and accuse us with our sins because God has forgiven us in Jesus Christ. We can be free from Satan's rule and power. Jesus conquered Satan for us. Jesus' victory is now our victory if we believe in Jesus and accept Him for our Savior. Paul writes, "Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 15:56)

However, Satan still tries to tempt us. Those people who do not know Jesus or who do not believe in Jesus are still under his terrible rule. We who believe in Jesus are free from Satan's rule and power. Nevertheless, Satan still tries to tempt us to doubt Jesus and come again under his control. So we must daily resist Satan's many temptations. Peter warns the Christians, "Be sober, and be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) And Paul urges us, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Ephesians 6:12)

Satan tempts us in the same way he tried to tempt Jesus. Jesus is our example in resisting Satan.

In our text we see how Satan tried to make Jesus doubt that He was God's Son. He said to Jesus, "If you are God's Son." He meant, "Maybe you are not God's Son. And if you are not God's Son you need not obey God's will and suffer." (verse 3,9)

So Satan tries to make us doubt that we are God's children. He says, "If", to us also. He perhaps tempts you to think,"If God loves me, why must I suffer sickness, pain and death?" Satan tempts us to think and doubt like that when we are in the hospital or other bad times. His trick!

When Satan tempts us to doubt that God loves us we must remember Jesus' promise in Matthew 28:20; "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Also remember what Paul says about suffering and troubles: "What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will give us later." (Romans 8:18)

Satan also quotes the Bible to you and lies with God's Word, as he did to Adam and Eve and to Jesus here in our text. (verse 9-12) Satan uses God's Word in wrong ways. He does that through false teachers and preachers. Watch out for false teachers and false preachers and false books. Study your Bible every day! Come to Bible Class and discuss God's Word with your Pastor and with your fellow Christians. Then you will know and remember the true teachings and Satan and his false preachers will not be able to mislead you.

Another way in which Satan tempts us is by offering to us sinful pleasures, riches and worldly pride. He tempts us to love money, pleasures and all earthly things more than God. Satan tempted Jesus in this way. (verses 5-7) But Jesus said to him, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan. For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." (verse 8) When Satan tempts you to love money instead of God, remember what God's Word says about that, as Jesus did. The Bible says, "Don't love money, be satisfied with what you have; because God has said, I will never fail you or forsake you. (1 John 2:15-17)

Jesus conquered temptation for us. Let us accept Him for our Savior and our example. Then His victory is our victory!

Amen.