We have all dealt with temptation. Maybe we gave in, maybe not...but I doubt any of us were tempted quite so viciously as Jesus was by Satan. I love how the Matthew 4:2 says "After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." Um, yeah - I'd imagine!! I can't even go one day without eating... But seeing how Jesus was tempted shows us that he was fully human - yet never gave in to temptation and remained without sin.
Satan is one of those things that people don't really talk about, in my experience anyways. Maybe people think of him as "the one who must not be named" - but the truth is he is very real, not symbolic...and he continues to tempt us each and every day. (Important note - the devil's temptations are quite different from when the Lord is testing us.)
In this chapter we're shown the importance and effectiveness of knowing and applying Scripture to resist temptation. This is definitely something I struggle with. Memorizing verses is hard for me. But reading this today was a good reminder of how important it is in our lives. So, out of curiosity, if you have a favorite verse that you have memorized - or one you refer to when you need strength - would you be willing to share it?
I'll admit - I had to look it up, because I can never remember the address of verses I know. One of mine is Matthew 6:27 "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
When Eric was taken into emergency surgery, leading to his time on life support(when things were at their worst), I vividly remember, while I waited in the middle of the night in he ICU waiting room, not the verse specifically but the story of Jesus calming the storm and soon after I fell asleep for the first time in days... a deep sleep. When I woke up I felt a strange calming even though things were pretty bad. I just kept reliving that story on how I needed to rely on my faith during this storm. So here it is, I also had to look it up:
ReplyDeleteMatthew 8:23-27
Jesus Calms the Storm
23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The past couple of weeks before my job was done I would wake up feeling the floods of depression as I traveled to work in the morning. I truley struggles going to the office. One morning in the middle of my pity party I started to recognize that depression was not from God but an out right attack from Satan. I said outloud get behind me and go away Satan I will be in peace with Jesus today. and you are not invited. I didn't think about it anymore and did not continue my party. At the end of the day I thought WOW I felt good all day and Satan(depression) was not with me. I was at peace with God all day. This chapter is a reminder that Satan does attack us when we are vulnerable (Jesus was hungry) Also this reminds me of an Acronym from AA HALT.... Hungry angry Lonely and tired (all triggers to relapse) ... Imagine Satan thinking he could tempt God.....the nerve.....Satan knew how powerful God was he never won going up against him yet he continues to try......REbuking does work
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