Attacks

I recently watched a game where one team’s best player could not participate. His injuries kept him out of the action. The cameras showed him pacing up and down, cheering from the sidelines, but unable to go out on the field. His skills were missed, and his team ended up losing the game. The enemy knows he can’t take us off God’s team, but he can sideline us. He can’t separate us from God’s love, but he can render us ineffective. Satan is always working to put us on the injured reserve list.

We have learned much about Satan in the desert temptation encounter with Jesus. He attacks when we are vulnerable, alone, and exhausted. He is always offering a shortcut way to live independently from God. He is out to destroy us and make the wrong path look to be the most inviting path. But in the desert temptations, we learn more about Jesus. Here are three important takeaways.

Satan attacks us at our weakest moments. He finds us when we are drained, exhausted, and alone. His temptations often come in the form of a remedy to satisfy our immediate needs. That’s where Satan began his temptations with Jesus in the desert.

Satan attacks us in our times of strength and in our times of weakness. He came aggressively after Adam and Eve in the garden during a period of perfect communion with God. He did the same with Jesus in the desert when he was physically vulnerable. Today, let’s compare the garden and desert temptations. I will borrow from the excellent work of William Cook and Chuck Lawless to make these comparisons.

The family is under attack. From the classroom to the courtroom to the cinema, the “traditional” family is being hit from all sides. But while parents can’t control Hollywood, we can control little Henry. We may not be able to sway judges, but little Jimmy lives under our roof. We can’t control everything the teacher says, but we can control what little Susie hears and watches at home. Therefore, parents must be committed to teaching their children diligently.

Sometimes sleep won’t come. Sometimes the pain seems unbearable. Sometimes anxiety attacks the soul.