Matthew 4
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit…
- – The spirit should be in us to lead us after baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire .
- – Am I being led by the Spirit?
- – Can I hear / correctly discern the voice of God?
- – If not, have I truly received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire?
…Jesus led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil…
– To be tempted by the devil is to be tested for God?
– Can God trust me enough not to abandon Him for the enemy camp when things get difficult?
– Faith without works (of faith) is dead. Can I show my (steadfast) faith in the Lord with the way I act / stand for the Lord and therefore resist the enemy in all situations?
– We claim through repentance / baptism that I am abandoning the enemy camp for the Lord’s camp. The enemy does not take it lying down and comes back to claim us. Who we worship ( submit to / listen to and obey) is who we have given power and authority to have dominion over our lives. They come to claim what is theirs – the battle of good vs evil, the battle for our souls.
Jesus fasted for forty days and nights??
– Why 40? ( one day for each century since Adam?)
– Fasting – separating ourselves from the things of the world/flesh to focus on the things of the spirit alone – the things that please God (James 4:4). It may be a time for our spirit to connect to God’s spirit so that we can align ourselves to His will, purposes and plans for our life. One can then have clarity of their mission / calling in the Body of Christ. Even Paul went to the wilderness after His conversion and baptism to ensure that this time round he was doing what God wanted him to do and not what he thought God wanted him to do. The things we do in the name of the Lord without ever having heard from the Lord!
– Do I know my calling in the Body of Christ?
– Has the Lord confirmed to me somehow as to what He is calling me to do or did I just decide and start doing things in the name of the Lord without the consent of the Lord?
– Am I putting myself in the scenario of the 7 sons of Sceva — Jesus I know, Paul I know but who are you?(Acts 19:15-16). We need to be anointed / empowered by the Lord for what He has called us to do, for us to do His business successfully.
The devil strategy to reclaim you!
– Looking for a weakness… Roaring like a lion ( using fear and intimidation — like a lion not as a lion because it is counterfeit, can’t harm us unless we submit to his tactics ) … Seeking whom to devour.
If you are the Son of God?
1. – Attacking our identity in Christ.
– Do I know and understand the Word of God to know who and what I am in Christ?
– Will I use those new found privileges ( gifts/ powers) as an adopted member of the family of God to satisfy my own needs and not for kingdom business?
– Jesus stresses to us to listen to every Word that comes from the mouth of God. This will help us not to be confused by the Word being taken out of context as the devil was doing and does. Also suggests that the Word of God can be confirmed by two or more witnesses of the same Word (John 8:17). God can speak to us through dreams & visions, The Word, a teaching or preaching and even a donkey ( Balaam) . A prophetic Word can be a confirmation of a dream one had.
If that doesn’t work, you seem to know the Word, the devil ups his game taking it to the next level, that of the temple summit.
– The body/flesh/carnal strategy (bread to take care of the flesh) has failed ( because one recognizes spiritual nourishment over body nourishment?) so he moves over…
2.- to attack/play with ones soul ( our mind, will and emotions).
- – Jump, the angels will protect you and you will not hurt yourself.
- – Selfishness ? – it’s all about you and what God can do for you.
- – The attempt is to corrupt our thinking, why we do things and how we react to things so as to misaligne it with the truth of the Word of God. To focus the Word on yourself and not on God.
- – Jesus stresses that God is not our servant but that we are His servants. The Word of God is to enable us to align our self to His will, not He aligning Himself to our will.
The devil ups his game to the mountain top for one that knows and understands the Word and is able to correctly apply it to accomplish the will, purposes and plans of God.
– He offers the kingdom of the world and their glory.
– You can be like a god – do what you want, when you want, how you want. Be ontop of the world having authority to rule and reign and receiving glory. Wow… Some would say, where a number of great men of God have fallen … He is tapping into ones…
3. – Pride? – If you kneel down and worship me he says – The devil cuts to the chase, you drive a hard bargain. He promises you the world ( you are not just a bread/ soup person – Esau!, or a thinking, feeling emotional kind of guy! ) if you just give him what he wants – to be recognised as a god (submitted to) and given worship.
– The devil like a used car salesman – you are hurting me but it’s OK, I will give it to you. Or a casino / lottery owner – you can win a million ( small print – but it will cost you 10 million first!) But the devil never bargains to loose. He knows that there is a greater thing we are giving up ( above the mountain in heavenly places) and therefore his seeming comprise is in fact still a victory for him.
– Jesus stresses to us >> focus above the mountain top in the heavenly places ( where we are seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father, with all the rights and privileges of a son of the Kingdom! The earth will also be your footstool? – Ephesians 2:6). Focus on God and God alone – submit and worship Him alone – with no compromise / room for any other.
Operating above the snake-line!… In heavenly places seated with Christ Jesus. – The devil can only reach the mountain top in his attacks against us but if we mount up with wings like an eagle and soar into the heavens ( out of his territory of the world / flesh into spiritual territory of the Lord – Isaiah 40:31 ) the devil will always be under our feet. He will have to wait for us to come back down. There is a line on a mountain above which snakes do not / cannot operate above! Fighting from victory ( already won and made available to us through the finished work of the Cross of Calvary) not for victory!
Resist the devil ( with God’s Word / strategy) and He shall flee.
Angels come to minister – knowing that one is ready for the next level of service for the kingdom. The angels assist one in doing greater works for the kingdom. A general requires more resources to strategise against the enemy and requires more protection as they are a more optimal target for the enemy. More resources of the kingdom are put under a good and faithful servant of the kingdom.
Those in darkness see a great light. The light shines in the land where death casts it’s shadow? ( The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus negating the law of sin and death? – Romans 8:2)
Jesus starts His ministry.
Repentance is key / fundamental.
Starts recruiting with fishermen to turn them into fishers of men. Giving up your day job to make Him your main job, giving up your business to make Him your business.
Jesus
- – Taught in the synagogues
- – Announced the Good News about the kingdom
- – Healed the sick spiritually ( deliverance? vs 24!) and physically.
The large crowds followed the miracles, signs and wonders.
Do I only follow Jesus for the miracles, signs and wonders?
Do I follow Jesus for the power and prestige that comes from carrying Jesus (like the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem)?
Do I follow Jesus because I understand what He has done for me and want to reciprocate His love and Amazing Grace to do His will in all things?
# Thank You Lord Jesus for the gift of salvation. I believe and receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire by Grace through Faith. I repent of any aspect of my life where I have compromised with the flesh / world / devil.
May Your Spirit guide me in all my ways so that all that I am, all that I do and all that I have is synchronized to Your will, purposes and plans. Indeed it is all about You and pointing people to You and it is all for Your Honor & Glory. I thank You for the privilege and honor of being Your humble servant. As an ambassador of Christ, I pray for the full manifestation of the fruits and gifts of the Spirit in my life so that I understand my identity in Christ and the Word and will not compromise with the world or the flesh, that everything I do is all about Jesus and nothing to do with me and that indeed if I seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all other things shall be added. May the Holy Spirit put on me the full Armour of the Lord and teach me to operate in them effectively to not only resist the devil so that He may flee but also to effectively utilize the spiritual weapons against the enemy so as claim the world for the kingdom of God. AMEN!
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Added 13/06/19
Temptations of Jesus seem to follow…
- Lust of the flesh
- Lust of the eyes
- Pride of life
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Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
THE LIVING WORD 4 LIFE 