Adapted from a Jeffery Anselmi sermon series https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/1-jesus-used-the-word-to-fight-off-temptation-jeffery-anselmi-sermon-on-bible-231529?ref=SermonSeriesDetails

2. When we are in a relationship with Jesus, one of
the things we are told is to read the Bible, study
the Bible, meditate on the things in the Bible.
We are told in sermon after sermon to spend
time in the Word because it will benefit us.

3. Then we decided to spend a couple of minutes
reading the Bible (Probably the book of Numbers),
and the clouds of Heaven did not seem to open
nor did a halo from heaven drop down upon us,
so we kind of gave up.
After we woke up, we concluded that we really
did not need to read the Word because “the
preacher will tell me what I need to know!” ?

4. We are starting a “sub” series in our
“ ,”
“ ,” we are
going to see just how important the Word of
God is to us and how reading it and even, dare I
say, memorizing some of it is vital to our growth
as well as our spiritual survival.

5. In this series we are going to examine how
Jesus used the Word in various situations as
well as how HIS words that we have recorded in
the Bible can be used in everyday practical
terms.
The Bible is a powerful weapon in our arsenal
and constant time in the Word will benefit us
greatly. There is a reason for passages such
.

6. NIV For the word of God is alive
and active. Sharper than any double-edged
sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts
and attitudes of the heart.
Today we are going to examine how Jesus dealt
with an issue we all face on a daily basis, the
issue of temptation.
We need to understand that Jesus had to face
temptation. We also need to realize that
temptation in itself is not a sin.

7. NIV but each person is tempted
when they are dragged away by their own evil
desire and enticed. Then, after desire has
conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it
is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Hebrews tells us that Jesus can sympathize
with us because He was tempted in all manners,
yet He made it through those temptations
without sin.

8. NIV For this reason he had to be
made like them, fully human in every way, in
order that he might become a merciful and
faithful high priest in service to God, and that he
might make atonement for the sins of the
people. Because he himself suffered when he
was tempted, he is able to help those who are
being tempted.

9. The passage tells us that He can help those who
are being tempted.
So today we are going to see how Jesus used
the Word to have victory over temptation.
We can have the same victory if we will follow
His example!
Let’s begin with . This passage
along with the parallel passages ( ,
) are where we find the event of Jesus
being tempted in the wilderness.

10. NIV Then Jesus was led by the
Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights,
he was hungry. The tempter came to him and
said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these
stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It
is written:

11. So, let us begin with our first observation
concerning temptation and why it is important
to learn how to fight it off.
This event, Jesus being led into the wilderness
to be tempted happens right after the baptism of
Jesus where the Father exclaims that this is my
Son in whom I am well-pleased.

12. One thing we need to be aware of in life is that
many times after great spiritual victories, comes
great times of temptation.
Verse one tells us that Jesus was led into the
wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
The word TEMP means TO TEST, to be put to the
test in order to ascertain the nature of someone,
including imperfections, faults or other
qualities.

13. Jesus was tested so He could sympathize with
our struggle.
It was also meant to show Satan who was in
control.
Satan knew who Jesus was, but he wanted to
see if Jesus in His food deprived, weakened,
state could withstand a temptation attack.

14. Now Jesus showed His full humanity by the fact
that after 40 days with no food, Mathew tells us
in verse that Jesus was HUNGRY!
HUNGRY?
I would be a STARVED LUNATIC laying in a fetal
position whimpering! I am almost to that point
when I miss my weekly Chinese buffet!
We have other examples of folks going that long
without food.

15. Moses; NIV Moses was there with
the LORD forty days and forty nights without
eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on
the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten
Commandments.
Elijah; NIV So he got up and ate
and drank. Strengthened by that food, he
traveled forty days and forty nights until he
reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

16. In verse , Satan comes to Jesus and said IF
YOU are the Son of God…
Satan begins with an attempt for Jesus to doubt
God.
You have to remember up to this point,
Jesus had yet to perform any miracles.
Jesus was fully human.

17. Satan used the same tactic with Eve in the
beginning.
He tried to get her to doubt God, His love and
His provision. With Eve he tried to get her not to
trust that God had her best interests in mind.
So here you have Satan, and you have Jesus
who was coming off a 40-day fast!

18. Jesus, you are hungry, if you are the Son of
God, turn these stones into bread, have some
nice bread.
Look at this stone, it kind of looks like a small
loaf of bread!
Think about how hungry Jesus is.
I know after a few hours I would be really
hungry.

19. What is the harm in turning a rock into bread?
This is the subtle way temptation works, what’s
the harm?
What’s the problem with this small area of
compromise of your faith?
Who will know, who will be hurt?
So, what is the problem with this request by
Satan?

20. Satan was trying to tempt Jesus into doubting
God.
The baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of
His public ministry.
This is when the crowds would begin to gather,
and the miracles would begin to flow.
Satan is saying, don’t you wonder if you can do
it?
He is also trying to get Jesus to use His power
selfishly. Hey Jesus, use your power that you
might have on Yourself!

21. Also, behind this temptation is the question,
what kind of Messiah would Jesus be?
Would He be selfish or selfless?
Ironically, in later miracles Jesus did supply
baskets full of bread, but he supplied them for a
hungry crowd, not to satisfy himself. And he did
the miracles in God’s timing for God’s purposes
as part of His mission. (see ; )

22. So how did Jesus fend off this temptation?
He used scripture! He quotes
NIV He humbled you, causing
you to hunger and then feeding you with manna,
which neither you nor your ancestors had
known, to teach you that man does not live on
bread alone but on every word that comes from
the mouth of the Lord.

23. The context of this verse is a perfect fit for the
situation. Moses was reminding Israel of the
way they had doubted God by wanting to go
back to Egypt.
Jesus was not going to make that same
mistake.
When tempted to doubt God, we can go to the
Word. It worked for Jesus. Jesus did not turn
Satan into a frog or He did not use philosophical
arguments, He simply quoted the truth of
.

24. Jesus answered,
Jesus did not ask Satan to wait for Him to look
up the passage on His Phone app,
He simply quoted it from memory.
Let’s look at verses .

25. NIV Then the devil took him to the
holy city and had him stand on the highest point
of the temple. "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.'"
Jesus answered him,

26. Well, Jesus hit a homerun off of Satan in His
first at bat, so now Satan winds up for his
second attempt.
He takes Jesus to Jerusalem and had Him stand
on the pinnacle of the temple.
Satan is smart, never forget that.
He sees that Jesus is using Scripture to fight
him off.
So, Satan takes a stab at it.

27. "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.’”
Satan tells Jesus to throw Himself off the temple
and He will not be hurt because of the passage
he quotes to Jesus!

28. The quote is from .
So Satan knows the Word also!
Oops, there is a problem.
Satan has left out an important part of the verse.
Look at verse of
NIV For he will command his angels
concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands, so that
you will not strike your foot against a stone.

29. The passage says that God will protect your in
all your ways.
WE have to realize that the Scriptures can be
twisted or taken out of context.
Satan is a master of this technique.
So, what is the problem with this temptation?

30. First, Jesus would be putting His life in danger
for no good reason.
Second, this is a temptation for Jesus to avoid
doing God’s will and doing it a different way.
This is a way to avoid the cross.
If Jesus had done this, many would have viewed
it and accepted Him as the Messiah.
He would have been able to avoid all the
persecution and suffering He was going to
experience.

31. Then He could have set up the Kingdom that the
Jews of the day thought the Messiah would set
up, an earthly Kingdom with Israel on the top of
the heap instead of the eternal Kingdom God
was wanting.
How did Jesus deal with this? PROPER use of
Scripture. Jesus uses NIV Do
not put the Lord your God to the test as you did
at Massah.
Jesus answered him,

32. We are tempted to avoid God’s will in our life
when His will takes us down a path we do not
want to travel, or a path that is going to be
difficult, or possibly a path that will cost us
something we do not want to lose.
We fight that with proper use of the Bible.

33. NIV Again, the devil took him to a
very high mountain and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All
this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow
down and worship me." Jesus said to him,
Then the devil left him, and angels
came and attended him.

34. Jesus hits it out of the park again.
Satan is going to try one more thing.
He takes Jesus to a high mountain and shows
Him the all the kingdoms of the world and their
splendor.
Jesus, bow down to me and these are all yours!

35. This temptation involved getting Jesus to doubt
God, as well as trying to get Him to evade God’s
will.
Bow down to me and I will make it easy for you.
We tend to worship the easy don’t we.
Satan was not asking to be worshipped as God,
but rather that Jesus would be acknowledging
that Satan is the overlord of the world,
submitting Himself to Satan as such.

36. What we have here also is the temptation to
follow empty promises.
Does Satan own the world to where he could
give control over to Jesus?
More NO than YES.
tells us that our battle is against
the powers of darkness.

37. NIV For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of
this dark world and against the spiritual forces
of evil in the heavenly realms.
says the god of this age (Satan)
has blinded folks.

38. NIV The god of this age has
blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they
cannot see the light of the gospel that displays
the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Everything belongs to God; however, the only
power Satan has over anything is what we give
him. indicates this.

39. NIV As for you, you were dead in
your transgressions and sins, in which you
used to live when you followed the ways of this
world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,
the spirit who is now at work in those who are
disobedient.

40. We have to avoid being tempted by empty
promises.
Politicians are masters of the empty promise.
Vote for me and I will give you xyz. You vote,
and XYZ never comes.
How did Jesus fight this off?
Jesus said to him,
Then the devil left him,
and angels came and attended him.

41. A quote from !
NIV Fear the LORD your God,
serve him only and take your oaths in his name.
He first told him to get away, then Jesus
reminded him who we are called to worship!

42. Each time Jesus was tempted by Satan,
Jesus simply used and applied Scripture.
Think of all the ways He could have chosen to
handle the temptations.
He chose scripture.
IF it is good enough for Jesus,
then it should be good enough for me.
Jesus also employed a tactic along with
scripture that is found in the New Testament.

43. NIV Submit yourselves, then, to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Don’t give in, don’t give up.
When Satan puts a situation before us God’s
Word leads us in the best direction.
The Word is powerful, read it, memorize it,
absorb it, USE IT!