So when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time.
Luke 4:13 NET
After Jesus’ baptism, he “was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he endured temptations from the devil” (Luke 4:1-2). Matthew and Luke recorded three of these temptations, but there were undoubtedly many more. Each of which he overcame.
At the end of this testing period in the wilderness, the devil left him for a time. But the devil was always there, lurking in the background, looking for an opportunity to tempt Jesus again. Times when he was tired and the crowds pressed in. When he came under attack by the Pharisees and temple authorities. And when his teaching was misunderstood, especially by his disciples. There would have been countless times in Jesus’ life when he faced the temptation to respond negatively to a situation. But he overcame each one (Heb. 4:15).
Responding to Temptation
When we come to faith in Christ, we will face many temptations to conform to our culture and to satisfy our human desires. Temptations that, if given in to, will hinder our walk with Christ and our effectiveness in the kingdom of God. Jesus’ response to temptation sets an example for us when we face temptation. He followed the Spirit’s leading (Luke 4:1) and effectively used the Scripture to counter each temptation. When we trust in the Spirit to lead us and have hidden God’s word in our hearts (Ps. 119:11), then we can overcome any temptation that comes our way.
But we should always be careful not to become overconfident in our ability to deal with temptation. If the devil continued to look for an opportune time to tempt Jesus, we should expect that to be true for us as well. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to “be sober and alert” because our “enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.” He will pounce when we least expect it. So, always be alert and ready to counter his attack.
