Jesus Was Tempted Too

by Bryan Gibson

Early in His ministry, Jesus was put through a series of temptations by Satan. Two passages give full accounts: Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13. A very brief account is given in Mark 1:12-13. Let’s see what we can learn from what happened.

The word of God gives us strength against temptation.

Jesus responded to each temptation the same way. He used the words, “it is written,” and then cited a passage from God’s word. With the word of God as His armor, He was able to “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11; see also 1 John 2:14; Psalms 119:9-11).

The devil looks for an opportune time to tempt us.

Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, when He appeared most vulnerable—after He had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. When Satan left Jesus, it says “he departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). We should expect nothing different when He goes after us.

Resist the devil, and he will flee.

That promise is made in James 4:7, but it is illustrated in the temptations of Jesus. Jesus resisted Satan at every turn, and Satan left him—maybe not for good, but he did leave.

We do not live by bread alone.

This, of course, was how Jesus responded to the temptation to turn stones into bread. There is much more to life than just what sustains us physically. “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25). Jesus then tells us what is really important: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (6:33). So instead of living by bread alone, we need to learn to live “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

We must use what God has given us for the purposes God intends.

Jesus had the power to turn those stones into bread, but using that power strictly for his own benefit would be a misuse of it. In principle, we face this same temptation every day—to use what God has given us for a different purpose than He intends. Consider this one example: God has given us our bodies, but not to do with as we please (“the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord”—1 Corinthians 6:13).

We must never tempt the Lord, or put the Lord on trial.

This is the point Jesus made to the devil, after the devil had tried to get Jesus to thrown Himself down off the pinnacle of the temple. God has forever proved his care for us by sending His Son to die on the cross (Romans 8:31-32). We don’t have to do things to see whether or not He cares for us. We don’t have to ask as the Israelites once did, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7). Let’s keep in mind that we are the ones on trial here, not God.

No offer from Satan is worth losing our soul over.

Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, if Jesus would fall down and worship him. This was a particularly sly approach, because Jesus would ultimately be given dominion over all these kingdoms, just not by the means Satan proposed. He would first have to go the cross. He may offer us power, the praise of men, the pleasures of sin, great riches, etc., but none of these are as valuable as our soul. He may even offer us a legitimate end to get us to use the wrong means. We must not be talked into doing wrong, no matter what Satan may promise us.