Tempted and Tried

“Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.” So states the Proverb. We see that Proverb writ large in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones races through a middle eastern village, but then a sword master confronts him. What’s Indiana going to do? How could he possibly defeat this sword wielding foe? Indiana pulls out his gone and shoots. Fight over.

Just like you shouldn’t bring a knife to a gun fight, you shouldn’t face temptation without a promise. In Luke 4:1-13, we find Jesus, the Son of God, being tempted by Satan. Satan is wise and cunning. For instance, Jesus is hungry, so Satan tempts Jesus with bread.

One Christian captured well how cunning Satan and his minions are. He wrote, “If a temptation feels like it has been designed just for you, that’s because it was.” Satan knows where to find the weak links in your spiritual armor.

How does Jesus respond to Satan’s onslaught? With scripture. Time and time again Jesus answers, “It is written…”. When you cut Jesus, he bled scripture. At Jesus’s darkest moment, hanging as a bloody pulp on a Roman cross, what does Jesus do? He quotes scripture (Psalm 22)!

What do you bleed? Do you bleed scripture? If you don’t, could that be one reason why you so often succumb to temptation? God has provided many blood-bought promises for his children. Use them! Wield them in the fight against the enemy (Ephesians 6:17).

So, if Satan tempts you to worry and fear, then fight back with one of God’s promises. Try Isaiah 41:10, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”