WHERE TO STRIKE
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” Luke 4:3-4
Satan likes to come at us when we’re compromised emotionally, spiritually, or physically. But not always. The first Adam was tempted in the exquisite Garden of Eden and still failed. The last Adam, Jesus, was tempted in a stark wilderness and succeeded. The overriding point of it all, at least to me, is that Satan is strategic in his temptations. He strikes at points of vulnerability. For Adam and Eve, it was pride even though they had everything at their disposal. For Jesus, it was the temptation of food when he was hungry. While we can be vulnerable in times of plenty, we are always vulnerable in seasons of suffering.
Jesus was in a physically weakened condition. He had been fasting for 40 days. Angels had been ministering to Him. It was at this point that Satan appeared to offer Him a way out of distress. That is Satan’s way. He does not want us to wait on God for answers but to cave early to counterfeit offers of pain relief. This, Satan did with Jesus by encouraging Him to use His power to turn stones to bread. The idea was not evil but the intent and timing was. Later, Jesus would turn water into wine and multiply fish in a boy’s lunch but Satan’s temptation was for Jesus to misuse His power outside of God’s perfect will.
Jesus’ answer was short but it was powerful enough to silence His enemy. Just six words. But one piece of scripture, divinely chosen and delivered at just the right time, did what thousands of hours of arguing with the enemy could never accomplish.
People often wish that a seasoned Bible teacher would take on an unbeliever in an argument. We relish the thought of a debate being won and the unbeliever conceding that the Gospel must be true. It rarely happens this way. Arguments don’t open blind eyes. The Holy Spirit does. What has the power to cut through deception and silence the voice of the enemy? Scripture that is spoken under the power of the Holy Spirit.
I don’t know what your temptation is today. I do know that your enemy was clever enough to customize it to hit you in your most vulnerable place. He intends to target an area where you have the biggest chance of failing. How will you stand? Know that you are loved by God. Pray and ask for help. Prayerfully find a word of scripture that you can read out loud. Bind yourself to Jesus be full of the Spirit.
Mighty is your Word and mighty is Your Spirit in me. Amen
For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org
Originally published Tuesday, 04 January 2022.
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