The BLB Blog

The official blog of Blue Letter Bible

Spiritual Warfare and the Power of Scripture

Posted on Posted by

20130419_warfareprayer

In Matthew 4, Jesus is confronted by Satan in the desert. In this story, we learn how Jesus used Scripture in spiritual warfare against Satan. Today, I want us to look at Matthew 4:1-11. This temptation is an attempt by Satan to subvert God’s plan for human redemption by causing Jesus to fall into sin and disobedience and thus disqualify Him as the sinless Savior.

Matthew 4:1 says that “Jesus was led up by the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit guided Jesus in His earthly life, providing a pattern for His followers to be empowered and led by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16-18). The Greek word for tempted (perirazo) can also mean test. While God never tempts anyone to do evil (James :13); He does use circumstances of all types to test a person’s character (Hebrews 11:17). Diablos (Greek, meaning slander, or accuser) is here preceded by the definite article to indicate the one who tempts. Although the devil intended to thwart God’s plan and purposes; the Father uses this evil intention for the good purpose of strengthening Jesus in His messianic role.

Jesus fasted “forty days and forty nights” according to Matthew 4:2. Jesus’ experience of 40 days of fasting in the wilderness corresponds to Israel’s experience of 40 years of testing in the wilderness (Deut 8:2-3). Jesus endured His testing victoriously and obediently. Moses also fasted and prayed for 40 days and nights on two occasions (Ex. 24:18, 24:28). Fasting was a means of focusing intently on prayer. Forty days is also about the longest a human can fast without permanent bodily harm.

Verse 3 in Matthew 4 says, “If you are the Son of God.” Jesus was and is the Son of God, but He refused to be tricked by the devil into using His divine prerogatives to make the trial any easier for Himself. Jesus obeyed as a man; as the representative for all who believe so as to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15) on behalf of His people. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said “It is written.” Jesus responds to each temptation by quoting from Deuteronomy; linking His experience to Israel’s in the desert. In Deut. 8:2, Moses remains the Israelites of God’s testing through hunger and his miraculous provision of manna.

The holy city is Jerusalem and the pinnacle of the temple is the southeast corner of the temple area, the top of, which was some 300 feet above the floor of the Kidron Valley (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 15.411-412). The devil’s use of Matthew 4:6-7, a quotation from Psalm 91 is a blatant misuse of Scripture, and is used by Satan in an effort to manipulate Jesus. Such a spectacular display as jumping from this great height unharmed would have gained Him an enthusiastic following but it wouldn’t have followed the Father’s messianic and redemptive plan of suffering and proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven.

Satan tells Jesus in Matthew 4:9 to “fall down and worship me.” The devil offers a shortcut to Jesus’ future reign in God’s kingdom— a shortcut that would side-steps Jesus’ redemptive work on the Cross and come at the cost of exchanging the love of the Father for the worship of Satan.  Satan’s words, “All these I will give you” is a lie.

Matthew 4:11 records that the “devil left him.” Jesus resisted the devil by standing firm on God’s word setting an example for His followers. Angels cane and were ministering to Him and their ministering included much needed physical sustenance. All of heaven knew the significance of Jesus’ initial victory in this cosmic battle.

What we can learn from Matthew 4:1-11

The main lesson we learn from this passage is Jesus use of Scripture in battling Satan. As noted above, Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy in order to fight against Satan. The believer must study to show him or herself approved as a workman not ashamed, but able to handle and interpret the Word of God with precision and great care. Jesus quotes Scripture and says “It is written” four times. How do you fight against sin and temptation? Do you quote Scripture related to your specific temptation and struggle against sin? Or do you rely on yourself? Jesus gives His disciples an example of One who fought against sin and Satan by quoting Scripture.

After quoting Scripture four times, Matthew 4:11 says that “the devil left him.”  James 4:7 and 1stPeter 5:8 are instructive for believers because they teach the importance of humility and submission to God.  The believer who rests in the finished work of Christ will be able to fight against sin and temptation, and make much of Him in and through their lives. The only way that the believer in Christ can ward off Satan’s accusations and attacks is to go back to who they already are in Him. This means that as the believer grow in Christ they increasingly grow in the knowledge of who they already are in Him—adopted, redeemed, sanctified (not yet glorified), which grants them the ability to stand (not perfectly) in the grace of God.

Knowing a lot of the Bible, and being able to recite from memory Scripture verses is a very good tool in the believers’ battle against sin, Satan and the world. These tools; however, are often treated as ultimate in spiritual warfare; when in fact they are not. The message that contains the power of God to save and sanctify is the Gospel, which means only the Gospel and not a tool is ultimate. The Gospel calls believers away from self and to Christ; in order to put off the flesh and to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

This teaching has huge implications on our daily lives as believers, because it highlights the various ways in which we often fail to appropriate the truth of who we are in Him (adopted, justified, positionally sanctified) by exposing the fact that we are prone to embrace our sinful habits instead of putting our sin to death, and putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. The believer’s identity in Christ ought to motivate them to not only put sin to death, but also to appropriate His life into all of life. The identification of the believer with Christ in His death and resurrection frees them from hypocrisy to be who they really are in Christ. The failure then to appropriate who we are in Christ exposes our attitude towards sin, which in turn demonstrates our apathy towards our sin. Jesus was tempted in every way and yet never sinned, which means that as His followers we ought to look to, mediate upon and run to the Cross of Christ daily in our fleeing from sin in order to appropriate our identification with Him into every area of our lives.

Jesus’ use of Scripture in spiritual warfare demonstrates that Satan is no match against the Word of God. The Word of God testifies to the truth about who Jesus is and what He has done in His death, burial and resurrection. Christians ought to take what they know about Scripture, and appropriate that knowledge daily into their lives; as they fight against Satan, sin and the world. Believers ought to do battle every day, and every moment against sin, the flesh and the world, which means they need to daily preach the Truth about who Jesus is and what He has done to themselves. The believer needs to do this (preach the Gospel to themselves) so they will be able to resist sin when tempted and stand in the grace of God.

Conclusion

Jesus engagement with Satan in the wilderness and His use of Scripture is instructive to believers on many fronts. First, Jesus teaches believers that they can only overcome by appropriating the truth of who they already are in Him. Second, Jesus teaches the supremacy and sufficiency of His Word by speaking that Truth of His Word in confronting Satan. Thirdly, Jesus’ use of Scripture calls believers to use the Word of God in order to expose the  inconsistencies and errors of Satan and his followers  by pointing them to Jesus.  Fourthly, Jesus use of Scripture is instructive to His people, because He alone grants His people; the gift of His righteousness in order that the Holy Spirit may illuminate His Word to them individually as they read and study it, and corporately in the context of the local Church as believers gather to hear the Word of God preached. Finally, Jesus demonstrates in the desert that only the Word of God provides the fount from, which the believer can draw from in order to put sin to death and put on the Lord Jesus in all of life.

Comments

  2. Ok–A real question is: who’s doing the testing and who’s doing the delivering?

    Devil does the testing and tempting —
    God does the delivering–

    It’s clear to see and understand, once you figure that out!

    People–there’s temptation all around us, isn’t there?
    –Evil all around us lately with all the bombings and killings; to fear for our lives in some way, shape or form.

    So run in fear……
    Or run in Love……

    God’s way is to Love and have confidence and obey Him
    Devil’s way is to run in fear and have the lack of confidence and disobey what the Word teaches us.

    God doesn’t tempt anyone, no man—-That’s what is written–for it is written.

    But it’s clear that the Devil tempts people–being tempted in some thing–fear, porn, safety, whatever is not fun.

    Ok–here ya go– I have a 5 year old son, me being the father(Just like God),

    I wake up and plan out a temptation for my son–I get the idea; “I’m going to offer my five year old a joint (pot)”–I go through it and offer him, and lie and say–do it son it’s ok—Then right before he commits to it–I pull it away, and say no son that’s not good for ya.

    Then turn around and start acting all loving– like I saved him from that temptation. This is what your saying MY FATHER(God) does— I’m sorry, not my God.

    Like I said above:
    SATAN Tempts—God saves us and makes a way out of the temptation every time–every time—That’s what kind of God He is–He’ll never, never leave us, and therefore He faithful.

    I think people get so rapped up into the deliverance and meshes it all together and assumes God does it all–crazy.

    Jesus being tempted is showing us it’s the Devil and God delivering Jesus with the Word, that’s why Jesus said–“It is written”.

    What can we learn from this–the Word of God is Powerful because the Word is–IS–God’s Will. Jesus Christ always did the Father’s Will–therefore Doing the Word– Jesus’s response– like us should be– the Word–It is written.

    Put the temptation where it should be and the deliverance where it should be and you’ll understand the Word more. For it is written.

    Jim

    • Just wanted to point our that The Almighty does not tempt us but He does permit Satan to do so. See Job 1:12 for reference. While Our Loving Heavenly Father may not tempt us himself, He does not get in the way of others doing so…including Satan. He also uses such temptations to refine us and bring us closer to Him.

      • Everything was good until you said “He also uses such temptations to refine us and bring us closer to Him.”

        No–do we get closer to God and grow toward God by our temptations–YES WE DO–we get stronger and commit more, Love God more etc…

        But does God tempt us to grow NO–you were right what you said at first. Satan tempts us because of our decisions we make by free will, God has to allow Satan to attack us, again by our wrong teaches and wrong doings.

        That’s what happened to Job.

        Sucks sometimes doesn’t it–it’s because of our free will. If you don’t want to get hit again in the head, well–move your head and then learn from your mistakes. But don’t tell me God made you keep your head there, so latter you’d be a stronger Christian, come on.

        Jim

  3. What a blessing Dave. The purpose of this world is for the glory of God. No thing, not any thing has consequence unless it is for God. There is naught but for the glory of God. We are to understand this and as we do our living becomes a prayer, not for us but for His Glory.

    The temptation of Jesus presents the contest of spirit versus flesh. Certainly the things of God are not of this world.
    Jhn 4:24
    Jesus states that His kingdom is not of this world. Those who enter His kingdom choose to dwell in spirit not in the animal living of the flesh. This concept seems extreme yet why then deny the flesh?
    1Cr 15:32
    Those that deny God are tragic, a pitiful waste of life. Those who follow false gods and heretical teachings are in danger before they come to know the truth of God. Greater still is the offense of those who profess to be Christian for convenience yet live a lie.
    2Ti 3:5
    In all of this the light for our path is the Word of Truth and the Gospel of our salvation.
    1Jo 4:6, Eph 6:17, Jhn 3:33-36, Hbr 4:11-15, Rev 19:10

  4. Great topic !

    I found such comfort in reading and learning Jesus was met immediately by Satan in the wildreness after he was baptised by the Holy Spirit.

    He went to the wildreness and was tempted and so was I…..

    I had a month of pure bliss when I was born again and then immediately my flesh and the Spirit of God went to war !

    The light and the dark simply can not live together I assure you…… I needed deliverence and YHWH did it ! I was full of evil both spirits and my own flesh, I never knew it though, it was all so deep rooted in me, as it (the evil that is) began to separate I was shocked, to say the least.

    It was painful though ! It took years ! I had to submit to it ! I had to press into His word and hold on with all my heart and soul! I had to fight along side of Him! I was determined to hold Him to His word.

    I needed to see if He was as Just as He said, As Loving as He said, As faithful as He said.

    Guess what “He is” and so much more 🙂

    He saved me, cleaned me, purified me, freed me, delivered me, and now I have His peace, His Love, His Rest !!!!

    My Victory though My King, My Christ, My GOD, I will worship and Give Thanks Always and Forever more !!! My Daddy, My Love !

    Your Child,
    Donna

    • That’s a great story Donna,

      This will bless ya, What was Jesus’s first attack?

      Sonship !!! So why wouldn’t Satan attack our sonship as well? He does and doesn’t stop.

      This is why we have to be so strong with Our Sonship and Sonship rights as a believer.

      What’s our Sonship rights as a believer? The Word of God teaches us them, we just have to claim them for what Christ Jesus has accomplished for us.

      Our God given rights as a believer-born from above-

      * Righteousness—YOU are righteousness NOW
      *Justification —You’ve been justified
      *Sanctification—You’ve been sanctified
      *Redemption —You’ve been redeemed
      *The ministry of reconciliation—You have the God given right to reconcile people back to God–no matter what laws are set up by the world–Look at Apostle Paul’s life–that tells us all–

      Well for example claiming these 5 sonship rights–righteousness–How righteous is God? Pretty righteous right? Well–He can only give for what He IS–so if God’s is as righteous as He says He is–Then YOU are as Righteous as Christ aren’t you?

      Rightly-dividing the Word we call this scriptural build up–Well if we have “Christ in Us” and were as he is(Christ), then were as righteous as Christ.

      The Word talks about a lot of things dealing with us and the relationship with Christ doesn’t it?

      *As he is
      *Christ like
      *Christ minded
      *Christ in YOU
      *Joint-heirs
      *and on and on and on about the Power with in us–

      Well what part of that Power? YOUR RIGHTEOUS and the other 4 with it.

      Now walk out into the world knowing that–What gave Jesus the power against Satan? The Word in operation–just not dormant power–which I like to call a stick of dynamite–it has power like a believer but if he or she don’t use it–what good is it? It just sits there.

      When these 5 Sonship rights are being claimed in the name of Jesus Christ–You will have power in your walk with God–After all He gave them to you, why not use the tools God Gave Us.

      Anyway, I could expound more, but it’s other people’s turn to help build each other up.

      Good Day
      jim

      • Daughtership 🙂 and yes the hardest thing for me to first believe was that He was A Loving Daddy that would never let go of ME !!!
        Thanks Jim :)for the word

  5. In addition, while speaking of Satan, Evil and this world. Always, always be mindful of the “footstool”. BLB’s search engine can help explain what I mean, if you care enough to look it up for yourself and let the LORD show you who HE is and who we are in HIM.
    J.

  6. I liked very much the comment on the shortcut “fall down and worship me”: .. come at the cost of exchanging the love of the Father for the worship of Satan. I will keep that with me, thank you.

    But I don’t think “All these I will give you” is a mere lie. Satan would have disqualified himself immediately from the discussion. But regardless, this reign would still have been under Satan, and that line of authorithy cannot be undone once it’s established – which was the situation for Adam and us, until after the cross and resurrection.