Luke Chapter 4

There are so many things going on into today’s chapter!

But I want to just focus on one verse:

“Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.”

~ Luke 4:13 ~

These ominous words were recorded just after the 3 temptations of Jesus.

Jesus had won this encounter. Every bag of tricks that Satan had to cause Jesus to fall did not succeed. The usual array of temptations using the desires of the flesh, eyes and pride of life that had long conquered many believers of old did not move Jesus a single bit.

So now the terrible deceiver had to go way and choose his next methods and time carefully.

And so we will read in the rest of the Gospels, Satan occasionally pops up to ‘test’ Jesus. Can you think of some instances? (e.g. when Jesus was telling His disciples about Him being killed and raised on 3rd day; at Garden of Gethsemane; on the cross…)

We all know that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus – would overcome all these temptations.

No devil. No evil. No power… can withstand against Him.

But if you had thought of a few instances where Satan tried to obstruct the work of Jesus, you will find that as Jesus was prospering the Gospel, Satan used those closest to Jesus to try and derail the plans of the kingdom.

With Judas, Satan used his greed to tempt him to betray Jesus.

With Peter, Satan used his bravado show of faith to crush him into denying Jesus!

With the rest of the disciples, when the crunch came, all the disciples fled and left Jesus alone in His loneliest time on the road to Calvary.

While it seemed that Satan was defeated after the 3 temptations, he was just seeking an opportune time to strike back ferociously.

Indeed, he is an “adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Pet 5:8)

So never doubt that the devil is always on the lookout to lead us astray.

We may have overcome temptations through prayers and faith.

But this is not the end of it all.

“I will be back!” – the words of the Terminator is also the words of the devil.

The devil, will always return, at an opportune time, to devour us.

So the way to prepare and guard ourself is this:

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the ^[b]wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of ^[c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— ¹⁹ and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

~ Eph 6: 10-19 ~

May our Lord and Saviour Jesus, who has been an example of us, continue to be our Guide and Shield as we press onwards this year.

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