Sermon of the Week
"Satan Is Defeated By The WORD"
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Message Introduction
Satan, waited until he saw JESUS hungry before he begin to pick at HIM! And satan does the same thing to us. He waits until we are hungry . . . for fame . . . for respect . . . for love! Satan is watching and waiting for us to become hungry in the flesh. We as humans . . . as Christians will become hungry in the flesh from time to time, but we can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens us! Satan made the mistake of looking at JESUS as just another fleshly man and missed the understanding that HE is The WORD!
Although I have covered the first three verses in the introduction of this sermon, let's break each verse down like a bible study!
JESUS Knows What We Go Through (vs. 1)
If satan tempted JESUS . . . we should not be surprised when he comes to tempt us. In fact, as Christians, we should expect him to tempt us. JESUS allowed satan to tempt HIM so that we would have a template (how-to guide) for dealing with the temptations of satan. Hebrews 4:15-16 says 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. JESUS, who is our High Priest, is able to sympathize with us when we are tempted. Satan tempts us based on our fleshly hunger. He doesn't come at you with something that is tempting to me and not to you! Satan is watching and waiting to see what your flesh is craving. Satan had to tempt JESUS in every way because he didn't know what was tempting to the man who was The WORD. JESUS was without sin.
JESUS Was Hungry But HE Was Not Weak! (vs. 2)
Satan wanted to see JESUS as a hungry man and was hoping HE was weak in the flesh like Esau was with Jacob in Genesis 25:29-34. Esau came in from hunting and was famished. His younger brother, Jacob, was cooking some stew. Now we all know that when we are hungry, just about everything smells good! I'm sure Esau had smelled and eaten his brother's stew before, so the desire for the stew was not new, but based on what the flesh was use to having. Esau asked his brother for some of the stew and Jacob used this as an opportunity to get what he wanted from his brother. Jacob told Esau that he could have some stew if Esau would swear to give up his birthright.
Either that was some really good stew or Esau was really hungry! But I can't imagine giving up all birthrights as the next in line as ruler . . . for a bowl of soup! Before you judge Esau, ask yourself what have you given up your Christian birthrights for? I'm sure it was for less . . . and even if it was for fame, fortune, respect, etc., was it worth more than your Christian birthright? But know this . . . just like JESUS, we can be strong in the LORD even if we are weak in the flesh.
Satan Will Twist The Truth (vs. 3)
In Genesis 3:1 (the fall of man), it says 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Satan has a way with words. He will state the truth in a doubtful way. He asked Eve, “Did GOD really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” From that question satan was tempting Eve. Notice, satan didn't debate with her . . . he put doubt in her! He does the same thing to us. Satan is not trying to debate our salvation . . . he just want us to doubt our salvation! As Satan was tempting JESUS, he knew he was talking to the Son of GOD, but he was hoping to cause doubt in the mind of a hungry man.
JESUS Is Strengthen By The WORD of GOD – JESUS 1st use of scripture (vs.4)
JESUS begins to resist satan by using GOD’s WORD. Listen, GOD’s WORD will strengthen you. However, if you don’t know HIS WORD, it is impossible to feed off of HIS WORD. JESUS strength is in the feeding of HIS FATHER’s WORD. We should eat as JESUS eats when HE said, 34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work (John 4:34). If we take the time to sit down and have a meal on the Word of GOD, we can stay strong in doing what GOD has for us and finish well. We must believe that ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. HIS Word is full of the vitamains we need to grow strong!
Be Careful; Satan Knows The Scripture(s) (vs. 5-6)
Satan knows that Psalm 91:11-12 says 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Listen, although satan knows what the scripture(s) say, he does not know what the Living Word can do! Again, satan knows what the scriptures say better than you and me, but he does not know the power of the Living WORD! If satan actually used scripture to tempt JESUS . . . he will use it to tempt us too. Satan isn't debating the scripture . . . he just wants us to doubt the promises of GOD's Word.
JESUS Warns Satan – JESUS 2nd use of scripture (vs. 7)
I love JESUS response in this verse. Notice JESUS does not say “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord our God to the test. But JESUS said, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test. GOD is LORD of all creations . . . although satan fell from heaven; he was still created by GOD! I always say this . . . GOD did not become your creator the day you started believing . . . HE is the reason you now believe, because you realize that HE was always the creator! JESUS reminded satan that GOD created him and warned satan not to put his GOD to the test. GOD will protect you, but HE doesn't tell us to go play in traffic to prove HE can do it. JESUS knew that GOD was true to HIS Word, but HE didn't have to throw HIMSELF off the side of a mountain to prove it! Listen, you don't have to prove GOD's Word . . . you have to show yourself approved! Don't prove it . . . but show proof that HE is real in your life!
You Cannot Give (Offer/Sell) What You Don’t Have (vs. 8-9)
Satan cannot offer JESUS what already belongs to GOD! Satan cannot give us anything that already belongs to GOD. That is why he tries to deceive us into giving up or letting go of what GOD has already given us!
GOD promise us that no one or nothing can take us from HIM and always remember . . . what GOD has for you is for you! Satan cannot create anything new, nor can he make claim to us! We have to give up and give in, but he cannot take! Satan wants to be worshiped by The CREATOR and he tried tempting JESUS by offering HIM HIS own creations. Could anyone walk up to you and re-sell you your car? You have paid the car off and have the title, but someone is standing in your driveway trying to sell you a car you already own! That's what satan was trying to do! He was trying to get JESUS to buy-off on something that already belonged to HIM!
GOD promise us that no one or nothing can take us from HIM and always remember . . . what GOD has for you is for you! Satan cannot create anything new, nor can he make claim to us! We have to give up and give in, but he cannot take! Satan wants to be worshiped by The CREATOR and he tried tempting JESUS by offering HIM HIS own creations. Could anyone walk up to you and re-sell you your car? You have paid the car off and have the title, but someone is standing in your driveway trying to sell you a car you already own! That's what satan was trying to do! He was trying to get JESUS to buy-off on something that already belonged to HIM!
Satan Defeated By “The WORD” - JESUS 3rd use of scripture (vs. 10)
JESUS rebukes satan and reminds him of the 2nd and 3rd commandments in Exodus 20:3-5. Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’The WORD will always defeat satan and the enemies. Every time JESUS told a demon to come out or shut up, they obeyed! When JESUS told the wind to be still, it stopped moving! HE can speak a word and mountains move! So please tell me . . . why is it that GOD asked us to worship HIM in the Spirit and in truth . . . but we can't seem to do it! Why do some of us choose not to do what GOD has asked us to do?
After The Battle Is Won (vs. 11)
This is where alot of us mess up! We pray for GOD to get us through! We pray for JESUS to save us! We pray for Holy Spirit to guide us! And when it's all done . . . we have a celebration for what we did! Instead of JESUS jumping and shouting “Victory”, HE was ministered (attended) to by the angles. I was part of a ministry that came in almost two hours before the Sunday worship service. The pastor would have us do scripture memory, we would sing praises to the LORD, someone would pray for the pastor and the service, then we would worship HIM in song. And after the worship service the ministry continued. The pastor would stay up front (not leave out the back) and not only did he answer questions . . . he had the opportunity to be ministered too! It was awesome! What was really awesome is, the pastor's wife would be praying the entire service! She never sat in the same spot, so you would have to find her (sorry Mother Draper) . . . but you could be sure that she was praying for her man (and the worship service)! What I learned from that is what I call a "victory prayer process" Before I deliver any sermon from GOD's Word, I will ask for someone to share a verse with me, sing with me, and pray over me! Once the sermon is done and the service is over, I will ask someone to share a victory prayer with me! We should be in prayer before, during, and after.
Conclusion
Again, this passage is titled "The Temptation of JESUS", but we can focus on the victory! Please be aware of the temptations that come from satan and the enemies, but rejoice in the victory of GOD's Word! Satan Is Defeated By GOD's WORD! Satan cannot stand against GOD's WORD! When JESUS told satan to leave . . . satan had to leave! When we pray in the name of JESUS for satan to leave . . . when we submit ourselves to GOD . . . satan will have to flee! JESUS is the Living Word, yet satan tempted him, so we can all expect satan to tempt us too! It doesn't matter how holy your walk is or how sanctified your talk is . . . satan is going to tempt you . . . but always remember that satan is defeated by The WORD!
Prayer
JESUS! We thank YOU for a how-to-guide of life! Thank YOU for an example of victory! Thank YOU for going into battle against temptation. Thank YOU for defeating all temptations. Please continue to strengthen us! Lead us and guide us when we are hungry in the flesh! YOU said that YOU would give bread that man will hunger no more and water that man will thirst no more! Fill us with the Holy Spirit! Bless those who receive YOUR message of victory! Deliver those who are struggling with the desires of the flesh! Reveal YOURSELF to those who do not know that satan is defeated by YOUR WORD! It is in the holy name that covers our sins. Amen!
As always, find a church home! Study HIS Word! Grow in faith! Share the gospel! It is so important that we fellowship with other believers. Although the purpose for this site, In HIS Hand Ministry, is to deliver GOD's message of repentance, reconciliation and eternal love to all who will listen, we will always encourage you to seek a healthy church family to grow with! If you have any questions or comments pertaining to this sermon, please contact your local pastor or email me at nhishand@comcast.net
Please continue to pray for our men and women in uniform, the sick and shut-in, and that the lost may be found!
1 comment:
Thanks! I enjoyed it in bible study and it is really good as a sermon. I hope many are blessed by what you are doing on this site. Keep lifting the name of Jesus.
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