Matthew 4:1-3 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Temptation of Jesus

¹ Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

When I left you yesterday I asked, does knowing what God might ask of you hinder growth?

In some ways it is not fair to compare our lives with Jesus. He was sinless at the time of His baptism. We cannot say the same but there is one good comparison and that is Satan’s method.

Jesus was hungry. This is a common human phenomenon. We all get hungry but for what? Fleshly appetites are not restricted to just food. Because we have sinned before accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, we have tasted of sin and found pleasure. Satan will come at us when we are at our weakest. No one attacks a strong fortress.

The second sign of Satan’s attack is the challenge of identity. “So you think you are a child of God.” The accusation is enough to make us think about this moment of weakness and cast doubt. Satan will tell you that being tempted is a sin. It is not.

2 Corinthians 10:5 English Standard Version (ESV) We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

These are the actions of a mature Christian and babes in Christ are not there yet. Until we mature to this point Satan will continue to attack us with the accusations of failure. Babes in Christ cannot fail Christ. He has not asked anything of them but to feed and grow.

Grow we do and then comes the asking.

John 10:10a English Standard Version (ESV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

This is only the first half of John 10:10 and with the hope of continuing on the same thoughts from yesterday’s devotional, let us compare this with 1 Kings 18.

Obadiah feared the Lord but served Ahab. This comes down to the issue of serving two masters.

Matthew 6:24 English Standard Version (ESV) “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

In Obadiah’s case it was God and Ahab. He was doing things behind Ahab’s back which would have cost him his life had Ahab found out. Many of us had an observer’s knowledge of God and acted in ways that we hoped would please God but not draw Satan’s attention. When Obadiah changed allegiances in his heart his fear was that Ahab would find out. For us there has to come a time when we commend to God in believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and telling Satan we have changed sides.

Here is the comparison to John 10:10a and 1 Kings 18. God had not revealed His power on Mount Carmel when Obadiah switched allegiances. We come to Christ and have not seen the power of God in our lives, yet. Because of that, as babes in Christ, we fear everything until God reveals Himself in power.

John 10:10b English Standard Version (ESV) I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

This abundant life promise comes with growth in Christ. Babes in Christ only feel the love and nourishment in relationship. They don’t see the protection because they haven’t seen the danger.

We might never see a Mount Carmel moment. We might be asked to act like Elijah for God.

God does not send babies to do a man’s job. Knowing this, does it hinder our growth?