We all have them, temptations. We all struggle with them. We sometimes give in to them. The enemy is perpetually out to get us to stumble and sin. His reasons for doing this are apparent:
- He tried to take over heaven, he failed, and was cast down to earth (Isa. 14:12-17)
- He tried to take over earth by tempting Adam and Eve; he succeeded (Genesis 3 / 2 Cor. 4:4)
- Jesus came and took back over, and gave the keys of authority in the spirit-earth-realm back to us (Matthew 16:19 / John 14:13-14)
- Now, Satan tries to take back over the earth-spirit realm by tempting us to submit to his authority
How did Jesus overcome temptations? There was one, primary way that He overcame – THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD (Matthew 4:1-11). Every time Satan threw a temptation at Jesus, Jesus fired back with Scriptures. Jesus was not acting as God here; Jesus was acting as a man, fully tempted and fully able to succumb to the temptation. And since He was able to overcome, He now lives His life through us (Gal. 2:20). So, it is vital for us to get His Word into our hearts through study and meditation, daily, in the Word.
Remember this powerful passage – “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 NLT). The Word contains within it the seed-power to transform our hearts into victorious hearts.
I encourage you today, as you are reading through the New Testament, don’t just passively read it. Take time to meditate on it. Take time to look at it, think about it, and visualize it. Listen to the Holy Spirit as you read and allow Him to speak to you through the life of Jesus and the revelation of God He is to the world and to you personally.
Developing Your Faith 