Matt. 4:1-11, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. {2} And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. {3} And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. {4} But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. {5} Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, {6} And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in <their> hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. {7} Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. {8} Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; {9} And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. {10} Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. {11} Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."

A. Immediately after the baptism of Jesus --- Mark 1:12, "And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness."

1. After the approval of Heaven comes the assault of Hell.

2. After the Dove --- the Devil ...

B. Our Lord was Tempted For A Purpose.

I. Our Lord Entered This Conflict Under The Constraint And Leading of The Holy Spirit.

A. Matt. 4:1, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

B. It was Not at the instigation of the Devil that our Lord was led into the wilderness to be tempted.

1. It was on His Own Initiative.

2. The Disciples --- Ship --- Storm .....

3. Satan was not challenging Christ --- Christ Was Challenging Satan.

C. Our Lord was dragging the Devil out into the open in order to Expose Him and Defeat Him.

Matt. 12:29, "Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house."

D. In the wilderness, our Lord began to fulfill the Genesis 3:15 prophecy which will one day receive complete fulfillment.

Gen. 3:15, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

Rev. 20:10, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet <are>, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

II. The Time of Our Lord's Temptation Is Significant.

A. This, of course, was Not The First Nor The Last time that Christ was tempted.

1. During the 30 Silent Years He had triumphed over all the temptations incidental to private life.

2. Now, He was to triumph over the temptations relative to His Public Ministry.

B. Notice that the temptations came at the end of forty days of testing --- also notice that His temptations were:

1. Immediately After His Baptism --- Our greatest temptations come after our greatest times of blessings.

2. When He Was Alone --- It is frequently the same with us.

3. When He Was Hungry --- Physically Weakened --- Satan takes advantage of our weak moments --- tiredness --- sickness ..... etc.

III. His Temptations Were A Conflict With A Real & Powerful Enemy.

A. The Devil! --- Yes, a real, highly intelligent and powerful personality!

B. To Deny The Personality of Satan is to Deny The Bible.

1. As originally created by God, the Devil was an Angelic being of great power and intelligence -- (Ezek. 28:12-19, Isa. 14:12-14)

2. But, through pride he fell and he became God's Greatest Enemy.

Luke 10:18, "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."

2 Peter 2:4, "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast <them> down to hell, and delivered <them> into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;"

Jude 1:6, "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."

C. To deny the personality of Satan is to imply that all the wickedness, vileness, & corruption during the past 6,000 years is the results of Man By Himself.

D. To say that Jesus did not meet a personal devil in the wilderness is to Imply That He Was Tempted By His Own Evil Thoughts --- by the wickedness of His own heart.

E. John 14:30, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me."

IV. The Devil Chose Three Lines of Attack:

A. There are Only Three Ways in which anyone can be tempted.

1 John 2:16, "For all that <is> in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

1. Lust of the Flesh --- The Freedom From Responsibility --- a haven for those who have No Heart For Responsibility (B. F. Skinner).

2. Lust of the Eyes --- The Desire for Pleasure --- a Play-Ground of Pleasure --- (Alfred Adler)

3. Pride of Life --- The Desire for Power --- a place where Power Rules or people compete --- (Sigmund Freud).

B. These have been the same three temptations down through the ages:

Garden of Eden --- David --- Jesus --- N. T. Personifications --- Modern Psychology

V. The Weapon With Which Our Lord Silenced & Overcame The Devil Was The Word of God.

A. Luke 4:4, "And Jesus answered him, saying, It Is Written, ..." --- V. 8, "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for It Is Written, ..." --- V. 12, "And Jesus answering said unto him, It Is Said, ..."

B. Do you know the Secret of Victory in temptation?

Eph. 6:10-17, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. {11} Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. {12} For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high <places>. {13} Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. {14} Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; {15} And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; {16} Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. {17} And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"

C. There is no other way of victory over the Devil!

VI. The Purpose of The Temptation Was Not To See If Our Lord Would Sin, But To Prove That He Was The Sinless One.

A. By resisting temptation at every point, Jesus Openly Demonstrated That He Was Sinless.

B. After the temptation, Jesus was victorious.

Luke 4:13-14, "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. {14} And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about."

VII. What Is The Value of Our Lord's Temptation For Ourselves?

A. Through Him --- our victorious Lord --- we are "more than conquerors".

Rom. 8:37, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

B. 1 Cor. 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God <is> faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear <it>."

C. Heb. 2:18, "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (assist) them that are tempted."

D. Heb. 4:14-16, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast <our> profession. {15} For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as <we are>, <yet> without sin. {16} Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

A. It is Difficult for some Christians To Accept the fact that we are More Than Mere Servants Of God --- We Are Sons --- God Loves Us As He Loves Jesus.

1. 1 John 3:2, "Beloved, Now Are We The Sons Of God, ..."

2. Galatians 4:7, "Wherefore Thou Art No More A Servant, But A Son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

3. Rom. 8:15-17, "For ye have Not received the Spirit of Bondage again to Fear; but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. {16} The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the Children of God: {17} And if children, then heirs; Heirs of God, and Joint-Heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with <him>, that we may be also Glorified Together."

B. Do you Not Realize that God Loves You As Much As He Loves Jesus.

Rom. 8:31-32, "What shall we then say to these things? If God <be> for us, who <can be> against us? {32} He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

C. Now, If God Delivered Jesus Victoriously Over Temptations --- Don't You Think He Will Deliver You?

If You Take The Way of Escape!