How Jesus Said No To Temptation

It is not a sin to be tempted to sin. Would you agree? If it were a sin simply to be tempted by the devil, then we would all be lost. Why? Because Jesus was thoroughly tempted to sin by Satan himself. If being tempted is in itself a sin, then Jesus sinned, and his sacrifice on the cross has no power to save. I hope it’s obvious that I’m not suggesting that’s the case. Jesus presented himself as a perfect offering for our sin. Jesus resisted temptation by relying on Holy Scripture. It’s no sin to be tempted. It’s what you do with temptation that counts.
Unfortunately, that usually means we fail and fall and it becomes a sin. The comic strip “Cathy” totally nails our sorry approach to handling temptation. The one I’m thinking of went like this: Cathy goes for a drive to get her mind off of the temptation of eating candy. She thinks, “I’ll go for a drive, but I won’t go past the grocery store.” Next frame, “I’ll drive past, but I won’t stop.” Next frame: “I’ll stop, but I won’t go inside.” Then, “I’ll go inside, but I won’t go down the candy aisle.” “I’ll go down the candy aisle, but I’ll just look. I won’t pick up any candy.” “I’ll pick up the candy, but I won’t buy it.” “I’ll buy it, but I won’t open it.” “I’ll open it, but I won’t smell it.” “I’ll smell it, but not taste it.” “I’ll taste it, but not eat it.” Then, “EAT EAT EAT.”
There is humor in that description because we recognize how true it is and how it mirrors our own struggles with temptation. But make no mistake: choosing to sin is no laughing matter. It may not be a sin to be tempted, but when we believe the lies of the devil and choose to sin, we are choosing evil. We are choosing death. I’m guessing you wouldn’t think that drinking a bottle of poison is a good idea, yet when you indulge yourself in sinful behavior, that’s exactly what you’re doing to your heart and soul. Worse yet, as a Christian, when you give in to temptation and deliberately choose to sin, the net effect is that you’re saying the death of Jesus on the cross was no big deal. Ever thought of it that way? Serious business, this temptation stuff. Is there any realistic way for us to deal with and overcome temptation? I believe there is, and that we see it in Jesus in Luke’s gospel here.
What we need to know, first of all, what we really need to consciously realize is that every temptation that the devil serves up is a lie. Jesus called Satan “the father of lies,” because deception is his specialty. You see that in the temptations he dangles before Jesus. He tries to cause Jesus to doubt his own identity as the Son of God. Satan acts as if he has authority over creation and the kingdoms of the world. He tries to distort and manipulate God’s Word, which was the way he caused Eve to stumble back in the Garden, asking the question, “Did God really say…”? The devil’s temptations are all lies! He did it to Jesus and he does it to you. I could spend the next ten minutes giving you example after example of how the devil’s temptations—every single one of them—are lies. Instead of doing that, here’s a little story to remind you how most temptation works. In Southern Mexico lies the Cave of the Lighted House. As you make your way to the cave you walk through a lush rain forest. The cave is fed by 20 underground springs, beautiful watercourses which teem with tiny fish. The cave itself is home to spectacular rock formations and beautiful ponds. The environment is inviting. Yet accept the invitation and you’ll soon be dead, because the Cave of the Lighted House is filled with sulfur--poisonous gas. That’s temptation. Satan presents something to you as inviting, exciting, attractive, and life-giving. But it is a lie. In reality, it’s poisonous and toxic. Once you walk into the cave, it’s too late. You’re not just “getting away with something.” You’re not just “being naughty.” You’re choosing death of body and spirit. We all need to be conscious of the fact that when you are being tempted, you are being lied to, and no one is going to laugh at you harder than Satan when he gets you to walk into the cave of sin. If he gets you to go in there, he has played you for a fool. You bought it, and now you’ve got to pay for it—with your life. Isn’t sin and temptation hilarious?
Thanks be to God that you have Someone who loves you and values you so much that He would come alongside you and say to you: “I know that you bought the devil’s lies and you’ve got to pay for it with your life. But let me. Let me pay for it with my life. My life for yours. I want you to stay with me” That’s what Jesus has done for you, for me, and for everyone. That’s why he allowed himself to be flayed open and nailed to a cross—to make the payment that would erase your sins. And that’s why we see him resisting temptation perfectly—his sacrifice on the cross had to be perfect, and it was. He had to respond to temptation perfectly, because you and I could never do that. He did, and the majesty of the gospel is that it counts for you. Your account has been credited as “paid in full” in Jesus name. In order to enjoy the benefits of this gift, all you need do is trust that Jesus has, in fact, made this payment on your behalf. Then forgiveness and new life is yours.
Part of that new life in Jesus is a new perspective on temptation and sin. The Holy Spirit will work to change the way you think and feel about walking into that Cave. In Paul’s letter to Titus, he writes, “…the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…” (2: 11—12) A self-controlled, upright and godly life is something that a Christian will want to pursue if he or she truly understands the gift of grace they have received in Jesus. The Christian will look to Jesus first for forgiveness and restoration and then for direction and guidance. And Jesus has a great lesson for you about resisting temptation when you examine the way he did it. In each case in today’s gospel—when the devil tempts Jesus, Jesus responds with words from Holy Scripture. He is able to draw on his knowledge of Holy Scripture to combat the lies of the devil and stand for what is true. Forgive me for stating the obvious, but this is one critical reason all of us need to get into God’s Word and study God’s Word and know what it says— for the purpose of discerning the devil’s tempting lies and saying no to them! The stronger we are in the knowledge of God’s Word, the more conscious we will be of sin’s high price. The stronger we are in the knowledge of God’s Word, the more apt we will be to live in the pattern of repentance and faith. And the stronger we are in the knowledge of God’s Word, the more plugged in we will be to the power of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to make godly choices in the heat of the moment.
There is a space between the moment something happens and how we respond. Those who are growing in spiritual maturity work to make that space larger so that they can choose their responses. Trusting in Jesus and animated by His Spirit, we can choose to not continue in a conversation that is engaged in gossip; we can choose to not pull the trigger on our temper; we can choose to not stab someone in the back; we can choose to not lie or fudge to truth. We really can say no to the devil’s lies. Holy Scripture says so.
Today’s gospel lesson ends on kind of an ominous note. It says, “And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from [Jesus] until an opportune time.” The devil would be back with more attempts to derail Jesus’ mission. He was willing to wait until the time was just right: maybe when Jesus was tired out or emotionally spent or when he was opposed by his own religious teachers or abandoned by his own followers, then the devil would try to sell one more lie. If that was true for Jesus, then you can bet it is true for you. The devil will wait for just the opportune time to tempt you; he’s patient enough to wait until you’re stressed out or vulnerable or angry—or maybe the opportune time is when everything’s going great. The point is, Satan will not give up. He knows when you’re weak and he will wait to take his shot. But never forget this fact: the devil did not succeed. He failed. His lies did not prevent Jesus from being the spotless Lamb of God. His lies could not keep the Son of God in His tomb. His lies will not stop Jesus from returning to the world He saved. And his lies cannot separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus will always share His victory and His truth with you.