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Then JESUS, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness
Look or listen to what that scripture is teaching us. JESUS is filled with the Holy Spirit and HE was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit; do you experience wilderness times? How do you handle those wilderness moments? When you read the entire temptation of JESUS you will see some certain points that you must be made aware of and how to handle your wilderness experience.
1. JESUS was led into his wilderness experience by the Holy Spirit. JESUS was alone and weak in HIS flesh from hunger here. Often we are more likely to be tempted when we are alone and our flesh is weak. JESUS could not rely on the advice and prayers of others because no one was with HIM. What would you do when temptation comes after you and you are alone and weak?
2. Temptations can last for several minutes, hours, days and months. We don’t know how long JESUS was tempted; what we do know is that JESUS was on a 40 day fast from food and drink. JESUS was at his weakest. If HE was going to give into satan, this is where HE would do it. When satan told JESUS to command the stones to become bread; we have to imagine what would have gone through our minds. We are hungry, weak, our senses reminds us about fresh baked bread. There is no other aroma like it; then imagine hot liquid butter running down the sides; how warm and soft, you can just about taste that bread now.
3. Temptations are designed by the devil because he knows our weakness. The devil knows every button to push when it comes to what we are weak for. And he will use each and every one of them from time to time. Do you know what your weaknesses are?
4. The devil does not recognize who you are all the time. If anyone should have recognized JESUS it should have been satan. After all he once lived with HIM in heaven. That devil still does not recognize JESUS all the time within us and I must say that we don’t recognize who we are in CHRIST ourselves. We are not allowing JESUS to lead us in HIS Holy Spirit as we should. Often times we are leading ourselves.
5. We cannot deal with the devil in our own knowledge, power or strength. We must come against the devil with our only weapon and that is the Word of GOD. Much like JESUS we have to depend on Divine Providence and Promise from the FATHER. The Word of GOD is our sword and our faith in the Word of GOD is our shield.
6. The devil will always show you what you desire; but his promises for you to get them and keep them are lies. We must understand that satan is the father of all lies and that he is deceitful. Understand that he will use whatever he can as bait to ensnare us and eventually it will lead to destruction. Reject satan at every cost.
7. As a last resort, the devil will always devise a plan for us to kill ourselves. Through addictions, our emotions. If you have an addiction problem more than likely you got that way thinking that it would never happen to you. Or, you just wanted to fit in with your so called friends. Addictions are sneaky; you feel good for a moment in time, you forget the realities of life and then out of know where you are hooked into addiction. Those who are emotional; you have low self esteem or no self esteem. The enemy loves talking with us folk. You will hear him say to you that no one cares about you, no one loves you, life will be better if you were dead or gone. You begin to fantasy about being dead. But did you know that suicide is murder of self. In some places if you try to commit suicide and fail you go to prison just as if you were trying to commit murder to another person.
8. Once the devil realizes that he has lost the battle this time in trying to tempt you; he will go away but he will also return. Know and have this assurance, JESUS is our victorious redeemer, don’t give into the temptations of the devil, and don’t give him anything to hang his fiery darts on. Resist satan, he will go away.