Daily Wisdom from the Scriptures: Guiding Your Daily Choices

SUNDAY, 29 OCTOBER 2023

TEXT: Luke 4:1-13

1: Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

2: where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

3: The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

4: Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

5: The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.

6: And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.

7: If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

8: Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

9: The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here.

10: For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;

11: they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

12: Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

13: When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

(New International Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: RESISTING THE 'IFS' OF THE DEVIL

All human beings on earth go through temptation. These temptations do not come from God because He cannot tempt us with evil (cf. James 1:13).

The temptations come from the devil whose work is to deceive Christians just as he tempted and deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

To Christians, temptation is not a sin but the inability to resist the 'Ifs' of the devil is sin.

Today's text shows us the 'Ifs' (temptations). The first 'If' was the issue of food (vs. 2-3): the second was the issue of power (vs.6-7): and the third was the issue of pride of life (vs. 8-9).

Note that the devil seeks to deceive our mind, entice our emotions and make us fall into sin. Temptation does not know Pastor, elder or strong Christian but one can overcome the devil by knowing and obeying God's Word which Christ used to counter the devil's attack and his 'Ifs'.

QUESTION: Are you resisting the devil's temptations or have you fallen victim to his 'Ifs'?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me Your Word of life which has the power to make me wise and resist the temptations of the devil. Help me to study your Word daily and apply it in my life, in Jesus name. Amen.