Battle Ready: The Battlefield (Part 1)

Matthew 4:1-11

At some point before Genesis 1, God created the angels. One angel, called “Lucifer” in the King James Version of the Bible, was powerful, beautiful beyond description, and adorned with many precious jewels. However, this leader of the angels took too many selfies. He didn’t want to serve God; he desired to be God. Pride took over, and Satan, along with one-third of the angels who followed him in rebellion, was cast out of heaven (Eze. 28:12b-17). Now our “adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). 

Since Genesis 3, when the devil overcame Adam and Eve in the garden, humanity has been engaged in a spiritual battle fought on three fronts: Satan is intent on deceiving us; the world system he operates seeks to normalize and rationalize sin through its many institutions, such as education, politics, and the media[1]; and our flesh naturally gravitates toward sinful choices, “yields to temptation, or utilizes the cultural philosophy in order to justify…sinful action.”[2] 

Now, to be clear, God remains sovereign over all (Prov. 21:1). Jesus defeated the enemy at the cross (1 John 3:8) and, at a future time, will finally and forever destroy Satan (Rev. 20:7-10). We understand that all believers share in Christ’s victory over Satan (Col. 1:13-14). Still, for now… our enemy is not yet fully obliterated. Just as God admonished Cain, “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it,” we must heed that warning and always be on guard against the enemy (Gen. 4:7 NIV). 

So, how do we rule over sin? Today, let’s consider a showdown in the desert between Satan and Jesus and examine how Jesus responded to the great deceiver. 

Sometimes Satan tempts us behind the scenes, promoting the philosophies of the world system. At other times, he shows up and attacks us head-on. In Genesis 3, we saw how he tempted Adam and Eve to believe that God was a liar and therefore not to be trusted. In today’s passage, we’ll see him use the same tactic against Jesus. 

After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and began his earthly ministry, the Spirit led him into a desert outside Jerusalem to be confronted by Satan (Matt. 4:1). Think of it as a spiritual boot camp on steroids. The training began with forty days of fasting. Remember, Jesus was fully God and fully man. As a human, he was weak and famished; still, as God in the flesh, he could speak food into existence. We will never know what that would be like, but Satan used Jesus’ weakened state to urge him to act independently of the Father. 

Temptation #1: Act independently from God (Matt. 4:1-4).
The “tempter” came to Jesus at a vulnerable moment and said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread” (Matt. 4:3). Jesus responded with God’s Word from Deuteronomy 8, which recounts the Israelites’ complaints about their lack of food. God tested them “to know what was in [their hearts], whether [they] would keep his commandments or not” (Deut. 8:2). He provided manna one day at a time so they would trust him for their daily food, because “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3). 

Jesus depended on and waited for God the Father in a time of vulnerability, when basic needs were pressing. And so must we. When our physical desires—whatever they may be—cry out to be met apart from God, we must trust him fully and obey his Word. 

Temptation #2: Take advantage of God’s grace (Matt. 4:5-8).
After Jesus refused to turn stones into bread, Satan came after him again. He took Jesus (most probably in a vision) to the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem (the possible location is still visible). Satan said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone’” (Matt. 4:6). 

Satan’s first quote is from Psalm 91:11, which assures us that God will protect his children. The second quote is from Psalm 91:12. These verses are correctly quoted, yet taken completely out of context. They do not apply to jumping off a very high point and counting on angels to come to the rescue!

Jesus responds with Deuteronomy 6:16, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” God is a gracious protector, but we should never presume on his grace. We should never demand that God prove himself, manipulate his goodness for our gain, or knowingly go against his plan while relying on his protection.  

Temptation #3: Fulfill your purpose apart from God’s plan (Matt. 4:9-11).
In his final attempt to make Jesus fall, Satan offered him the kingdoms of the world. Jesus would only have to bow in worship before him (Matt. 4:8-9). Because God is sovereign over all, the offer was empty. Satan always overpromises and underdelivers. In response to the devil’s empty proposal, Jesus said, “Be gone, Satan!” and quoted Deuteronomy 6:13: “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” 

In his account of the story, Luke says, “When the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). Satan doesn’t stop working. He would return to tempt Jesus repeatedly.  

We will all be tempted as Jesus was—to act apart from God, presume on his goodness, and ignore God’s plan. But will we respond as Jesus did? Will we acknowledge the truth of God's Word with confidence and certainty? Jesus teaches us that this is the key to resisting Satan’s attacks, even in our most vulnerable moments. That’s why we need our hearts and minds saturated with the living, active Word of God. Knowing the truth of Scripture will ensure we are battle-ready!

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD 
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Matthew 4:1-11.

Talking to God: Where are you most tempted to meet your needs apart from trusting and obeying God?

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SAVE THE DATE: Bible Immersion trip to Israel: November 4-14, 2026.