Our Enemy (Luke 4:2-14)

After Jesus' baptism, the spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness.  While there, he was tempted by the devil who used all of his power expecting him to fall as every person before who had been tempted had fallen.  The power displayed by the devil is only a portion of his potential and reveals to us that our tempter is not on an equal plane with us.

The devil had the power to take Jesus to a high mountain and reveal to him all kingdoms of the Earth.  Regardless of how high a mountain, there was no way that all kingdoms could be viewed naturally.  Satan made this possible with the power that he had given to him at his creation.  He then took him from the wilderness to a high pinnacle of the temple.  Who would allow them access to this holy place and how would they get to the high pinnacle?  The temple was not a multistoried building.  Again, the devil used his power to make this possible.  Other passages reveal that he is a deceiver (1 Timothy 2:14), the father of lies (John 8:44), and can make himself appear as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). 

From Jesus' temptation and this Information, you can formulate a strategy of defense.  To be victorious, you must recognize that your enemy, as he displayed in his tempting of Jesus, has greater power than you and you cannot defeat him in your own strength.  Just as you needed Jesus to deliver you from the penalty and bondage of sin, you need him to deliver you from the temptation to sin. You also must recognize that the enemy will make promises that he cannot or will not keep. Although his promises may appear to be pleasing, sin always robs the believer of the joy they are seeking.  It is also important for the believer to settle the matter in their heart that supernatural happenings should not be immediately credited to God.  The way to be cautious is to make sure that actions believed to be from God do not contradict God's word.  God is not the author of confusion.  Therefore, he will not say one thing in his word and then do another.

God has promised to guide, direct, comfort and empower us.  With these promises of his presence, power, and directing, we cannot fail.