Pastor Rich Terherst
Lighthouse Regional Church
Luke 4:9-11 Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 For the Scriptures say, ‘He orders his angels to protect and guard you. 11 And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.'”
Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,’ and, ‘
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
In the Luke account, the third temptation that the devil set before Jesus was “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.” Prove it! I dare you!
Then the devil begins to quote scripture from Palms 91:11-12, promising angelic oversight and divine protection. You mean the devil knows the bible? Yes, but he twists the scriptures with deception for his own purposes.
In all three of these temptations, Jesus responded from the word of God in Deuteronomy. He was saying to the enemy:
- I don’t eat when you say ‘eat’ (Lust of the flesh).
- I don’t worship whom you say to worship. (Lust of the eyes).
- And I certainly don’t jump when you say jump (Pride of life, 1 John 2:16).
Jesus responded, that I only worship the Lord God and Him alone will I serve. I only move at His commands, not yours. I do nothing at your word, I only respond in obedience to the word of God.
May we follow the Lord’s example to refuse to yield to the devil or to our own pride. We move in obedience to one voice, the word of God.
Prayer: Father we thank you for your promise in 1 John 2:14, “you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.” In Jesus’ name, amen.
Seems the Devil never gets tired like I do. But our ever loving, faithful, and all powerful Lord is quick to push him aside when we need and ask Him to. “Thank you Father”.
Amen!Betty-God is always on time to rescue when we seriously know when to give it all to Jesus.
The word and constant fellowship with believers is a hard place for the enemy to weaken you.
Thanks for the clarity – lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life – I see this passage more clearly now.
I too appreciated the three clear discriptions of the temptations. Helps in that process of following “the Lord’s example to refuse to yield to the devil or to our own pride.” Thanks Rich!
Thank you
Thank you for His word to carry in my heart. To respond as Jesus, Love the Lord our God, the Lord alone! This brings such strength, comfort and relief in denying the devil access into my life…..
Thank you & God bless you! The devil is a liar & it is comforting to know that he used the same schemes on Jesus as he does on me. Thank you Jesus for showing me how to respond & thank you for your strength and your power and your beautiful gift of salvation. With out you, I would have jumped, my pride and anger gets the best of me and I tend to hear the negative instead of the positive tender voice of Jesus. Not because I am evil but, becasue I am weak and full of pride and all the things of the human condition. I thank you for coming through and never letting me go. All power is yours Lord and I thank God for you. I am so unworthy and yet, you love me! THank you, thank you, thank you!!!