Luke 4:3 (ESV) — The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

Satan has been around for a while. He has seen a lot of people come and go. He has watched his same tactics and schemes work repeatedly on humanity for thousands of years. Pride, greed, lust, power, fame, and self-rule are just a few of things he tells us will satisfy our hearts. One of the tactics Satan uses is temptation based on our weaknesses. He goes for the low-hanging fruit. He hits where we are often most vulnerable. If we struggle with pride, his traps will be set for those things that strike at our pride. It could be the opportunity to claim recognition for something we’ve done. It may be inciting our anger when someone fails to credit us for something. He knows where we are weak.

Our passage today shows Satan approach Jesus while in the wilderness fasting for 40 days. Not surprisingly, Satan tempts him to turn stone into bread. He tempts him at his weakest and most vulnerable point. Jesus is hungry, so he appeals to his hunger.

Satan does not play fair. He doesn’t meet you strength for strength. He goes after the places where you are defenseless or prone to stumble. Jesus overcomes Satan in this temptation, and the other two, by quoting Scripture back to Satan. Jesus resists the temptations with the truth of God’s Word. This is how we can do the same. 

Where are you the most vulnerable today? What kind of vulnerabilities do you have? We need to know these things about ourselves because we can be sure that is where Satan intends to strike. Our defense against temptation, and the schemes he deploys against us is the Word of God. Imitate Jesus in his appeal to God’s Word to battle Satan’s temptations. And cling to Jesus to give you the power to resist him.

Reflection & Journal:
- What makes temptations so appealing to us?
- What role does Satan play in temptations? How does he target us?
- How do Christians find success in resisting temptation on a daily basis?

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