Victory Over Temptation - Matthew 4

We all face temptation from time to time. Even Christians are not free from it. Even Christ Himself was not free from it. The Bible tells us that He was tempted in every way, that is, in every possible way, yet without sin. How did Jesus resist temptation and gain the victory? Matthew 4 tells that story.

1. Jesus Memorized God's Word
Having God's Word in our hearts is the first step to gaining victory over temptation. Psalm 119:11 says, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." God's Word in our heart guards us from sin. If we do not read our Bibles regularly or do not take it seriously, we will fall into sin when temptations come.

2. Jesus Submitted to God's Word
Knowing God's Word is not enough if we do not obey it. God's blessings are always promised to those that not only know God's Word, but to those who do it. In the same way, we are told in James 4:7, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." When faced with temptation, we need to know God's will as revealed in His Word, and then we need to choose God's will by submitting to Him.

3. Jesus Resisted the Devil
Finally, as James wrote, we need to resist the devil. When faced with temptation, we must know God's Word and submit to God, and recognize the source of temptation and resist it. No temptation comes from God. Temptation is only from Satan in order to draw us away from God, even though God allows us to be tempted in order to test us. Temptation is not to be toyed with. When tempted, the Christian must follow the Lord's example to resist it and the tempter immediately.

One last thing to note is that resisting temptation is not just a one-time event in the Christian's life. The Bible tells us that after Jesus' temptation, the Devil left Him 'until an opportune time', which means he did come back and try to stumble Jesus again. That's why we need to be constantly feeding on God's Word, submitting to Him, and resisting the Devil when he comes.