“Then the Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil…” 

Matthew 4:1

I’m not going to sugarcoat it.  

I’m not going to try and explain it.  

I just need to come right out and say it:  I gave into temptation the other day.

To be clear, I’m not proud that I messed up. I’ve since repented and “confessed my sin to the Lord, knowing He is faithful and just to forgive my sin and purify me from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). 

While I may not know you, I bet you know how it feels to lose a battle with temptation. After all, none of us are exempt from the fight against sin. We may not wrestle with the same temptations, but every Jesus-follower knows what it’s like to experience defeat, succumbing to a particular area of weakness.  

When we find ourselves on the losing side of a battle, may we remember what Jesus has done on our behalf, not only through the cross and empty grave but also in the desert.

Having been baptized by John and anointed by the Spirit, Jesus was ready to begin His public ministry (Matthew 3:16-17). Yet, instead of leading Him to a nearby town, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness. 

In other words, Jesus didn’t get lost and accidentally stumble into the wilderness. No, He intentionally followed the guidance of the Spirit. The testing of Jesus was all part of His Father’s plan.

Pastor and author Tony Evans explains, “The temptation of the Son was God’s idea. This tells us that God was not on the defensive in the matter. He was on the offensive, demonstrating the superiority of His Son over Satan.”

Basically, Jesus walked into the wilderness to pick a fight. 

At the end of a 40-day period, Satan unleashed a barrage of attacks (Matthew 4:2). Every temptation was a means of getting Jesus to bypass God’s plan and take the easy way out (Matthew 4:3-10). Though He was isolated, famished, and completely exhausted, Jesus never gave in. Not even for a second. He went toe-to-toe with Satan’s fierce assault and stood His ground.

How?

Round after round, day after day, Jesus relied on an unending supply of His Father’s strength. Each time Satan threw a punch, Jesus counter-punched with the Word of God. (A great strategy for us to imitate)

When the final bell rang and the fight was over, it was Jesus, not Satan, who emerged victorious. Jesus walked into the desert as the sinless Son of God, and He walked out of the desert as the sinless Son of God.

And He would keep walking, never once tarnished by sin, all the way to Calvary. While Jesus had won a victory in the wilderness, He would win the ultimate victory on the cross, dealing the enemy a fatal blow.  

So, what’s the big deal?

Why does it even matter that over two-thousand years ago, Jesus duked it out with the devil in the desert?

Paul Tripp shares a key insight, “Jesus defeated temptation so that when you and I are defeated by temptation, we would be judged by His record and not ours.” 

Praise God!

As the writer of Hebrews tells us, “…for we do not have a High Priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet He did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). 

So, the next time temptation gets the best of you, don’t run away from Jesus; run toward Him. Receive His grace, claim His victory, and rise to fight sin once again.   

“Yes, you are a great sinner, but Jesus is a greater Savior.” 

Charles Spurgeon

Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director, RFTH