Insightful Articles About Faith and Religion

Matthew 4:1-17

People, all people want Love but if they can’t have it, they go for power. Why? Because it is a distraction for those lonely times when we feel unloved. At its core, power is evil. Let me demonstrate by using the above scripture about the time when the newly baptized Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit of God into the dessert.

After Jesus fasted 40 days, He was hungry. It is at this moment; the tempter comes to Him. Notice: the devil always picks on us when we are at our lowest point. Jesus is weak with hunger so the devil seizes the opportunity to offer him a way out by saying, “command these stones to become bread.” In other words, “Exercise your power!”

(Remember, the snake in the garden Eden? There, too, the devil toyed with Eve when she was naïve. The devil caused her to sin by tempting her to doubt God’s word.)

Jesus, having been taught that the devil is the great deceiver, recognizes the devil’s words for what they really are— “If you do as I say, you can stop listening to God!”

 But Jesus responds with these words from Deut. 8:3, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” When His Father in Heaven tells Him to, Jesus will, not because a devil told him. [Isn’t it interesting, the devil tempted both Eve and Jesus with food?]

            Again, the devil tested Jesus to prove Jesus’ new status by tempting Jesus to throw himself off thepinnacle of the temple. Jesus learned a lot in His years as a young boy in the temple, from His earthly parents, and now, from the Holy Spirit of God who took him into the dessert to be alone with the Spirit of truth, love, dignity, and deity. Jesus answered this demon with God’s written word, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ Psalm 91:11, 12.

            On the last recorded desert temptation, the devil took Jesus up on a high mountain and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world. “All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.” Look close at what is being said. POWER to control kingdoms comes from Satan!

If you are after power to gain power, be it political, financial, military, philosophical, or any other way, look at your reason for doing so— what is your motivation? More importantly, whom do you serve? Don’t trade the possibility for great love in your life for evil; it is a bad business decision!

Once you decide to accept Love over Power, you can say to any demon tempter, “Away with you Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ “

            So, what do you want? Godly things or Earthly things? Good or Evil? Deuteronomy 6:1, 2 if you choose Godly things, “angels with come and minister to You.” God has given us words to live by, just as He gave His only Son, words to survive every attack by the devil? Is it time for you to renounce the devil and commit to God’s will in your life?

Encounter God today. Go to our website www.EncounterswithGod.info.

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