Facing Temptation

Facing Temptation Like Jesus
Luke 4:1–15

Introduction
In Luke 4, we find the Lord Jesus led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. It is important to remember that while Jesus is fully God, He also became fully man. In this passage, He faces the devil not in the power of His deity, but in His humanity — the same ground on which we face temptation.

Satan is real. He is called “the god of this world” and “the prince of the power of the air.” He is powerful, though not all-powerful, and he is our adversary. His methods are ancient, but he repackages them for every generation. He works to hinder, distract, and discredit the work of God — often even among God’s people.

Until the day he is cast into the lake of fire forever, we are in a spiritual battle. We must be equipped to stand in victory through Christ, remembering:

“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

The Setting of the Temptation
Luke 4 tells us that Jesus, “being full of the Holy Ghost,” was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. For forty days He fasted, and at the end of that time, He was hungry. At that moment of physical weakness, Satan came with three temptations — each one striking at the heart of human struggle.

Temptation #1 — Putting the Physical Before the Spiritual
“If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.” (Luke 4:3)
Jesus could have turned stones into bread, but He refused to put physical needs ahead of spiritual priorities. He answered:
“It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)
This is a common temptation — to focus on what we eat, wear, or possess, while neglecting our spiritual health. Jesus taught in Matthew 6:33:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Job understood this priority:
“I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12)

We must guard against letting the urgent needs of the body crowd out the eternal needs of the soul.

Temptation #2 — Replacing Worship of God with Worship of Something Else
“All this power will I give thee… if thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.” (Luke 4:6–7) Satan desires worship. He tempted Jesus to trade worship of God for the kingdoms of the world. Jesus replied:
“Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Luke 4:8)

Worship is about worth — recognizing God’s supreme value. Yet many today replace worship with the pursuit of pleasure, possessions, or personal ambition. Paul warned in 2 Timothy 3:4 that in the last days people would be “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”
True worship is not confined to Sunday services; it is a daily posture of the heart, honoring God in spirit and in truth.

Temptation #3 — Living as if We Are in Charge Instead of God
“If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence…” (Luke 4:9)
Here Satan even quoted Scripture, twisting it to suggest that Jesus should force God’s hand. Jesus answered:
“It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Luke 4:12)

This temptation is about presumption — living as though we control our own destiny, ignoring God’s will. James 4:15 reminds us:
“For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”

We must resist the urge to push our own plans ahead of God’s, and instead live in humble submission to His direction.

Conclusion
These three temptations — prioritizing the physical over the spiritual, replacing worship with worldly pursuits, and living as if we are in control — are still alive today.
Victory comes when we:

• Feed daily on God’s Word.
• Keep worship central in our lives.
• Submit our plans to God’s will.

​Real joy and lasting pleasure are found not in sin’s fleeting promises, but in walking with Jesus.

“In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
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Let us follow Christ’s example, resist the devil with the Word of God, and live in the victory He has already won.

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