Insidious Deceiver

Author: Joseph

Date: November 24, 2019

One last trial remained for Yeshua to go through before beginning His ministry: to experience and overcome temptation from Satan. Yeshua was tempted before this point of His life, but it was this time in His life that He was about to set things in motion for His purpose as the Messiah. He knew His time was near and so did His enemies.

The Spirit of God led Yeshua into the wilderness after His baptism in order to be tempted by Satan (the serpent from garden in Eden, the deceiver of nations, the father of lies, and the false god of this world). God knew that Satan would try to hinder His plans and so directly faced him to show Satan that he had no authority over Him and that He could resist Satan’s temptation, even in the form of man.

"...Satan attempted to deceive Him in a friendly manner"

Satan knew that God was limiting Himself in the form of man as Yeshua and eagerly sought the opportunity to divert God’s plans and claim a victory for himself. Instead of trying to directly oppose Yeshua, for which he knew he would be unsuccessful, Satan attempted to deceive Him in a friendly manner.

Satan watched as Yeshua walked through the wilderness and waited until He was hungry and weary from it. He then approached Yeshua and said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (Matthew 4:3). The first temptation: to get Yeshua to prove His power through a cheap miracle and simultaneously break His commitment to fasting as He was instructed by the Spirit of God. Yeshua responds, ““It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD” (Matthew 4:4). Yeshua refuted Satan’s temptation to break His commitment, stating the importance of living by the spirit, that is, by God’s words. He also denies Satan’s authority in making the request, stating that only the words that proceed from God’s mouth will cause Him to make decisions. He would live and survive His wilderness journey based on what God told Him to do.

Yeshua defeated Satan’s first attempt to tempt Him and so Satan changes his strategy. Yeshua allows Satan to lead Him to Jerusalem where He is surrounded by people. The environment has changed, now Yeshua is no longer alone during Satan’s attempts to tempt Him.

Satan uses this new environment, saying, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE’” (Matthew 4:6). The second temptation: to be proud in the eyes of mankind and at the same time carelessly abusing God’s mercy by testing Him (and thereby disrespecting Him). Yeshua responds, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST’” (Matthew 4:7). Yeshua refuses to disrespect God and gain amusement before the people in Jerusalem. Not only would following Satan’s temptation be a careless show of pride, but it would actually dishonor God. The intention could never have justified since performing the act was testing God.

The second attempt of Satan falls flat and so Satan begins to conjure another twisted attempt to claim a victory over Yeshua. Perhaps, in the mind of Satan, a small crowd in Jerusalem was not enough to attract Yeshua’s interest.

Satan brought Yeshua to a high mountain and “showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (Matthew 4:8). Somehow Satan was able to showcase far beyond Israel and allow Yeshua to get a glimpse of all the things that seem glorious in the eyes of man regarding the kingdoms of the earth. Satan, forgetting or simply ignoring that Yeshua was not just a man, appealed to the things that mankind found impressive and awe-inspiring. Satan then lied, saying, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). This statement made by Satan was an outright lie. The kingdoms that Satan showcased were not under Satan’s authority, even if he had been allowed to influence them. All the earth is under God’s authority. The third temptation: for Yeshua to believe a lie and consequentially diminish God’s authority, denying Him as the Ruler over all creation. Yeshua became angry with Satan, saying, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY” (Matthew 4:10). Yeshua stated correctly that God alone is to be worshipped. He also denied Satan’s temptation while simultaneously showing His own authority (as God in the flesh) over Satan by commanding Satan to leave. Satan fled like a humiliated animal, obeying his Master even against his own desire.

Yeshua resists the temptations of Satan and rests for a while as God sends angels to minister to Him. Victorious over Satan, Yeshua rests for a short time, ready to begin His ministry among the people of Israel.

Our enemy, Satan, is an insidious deceiver who has attempted to even make God bow before him. Our enemy finds followers of God as much easier targets, so it should come as no surprise that we encounter similar testing. We have confidence, however, in the example of Yeshua that if we resist Satan, he will flee. Yeshua is our King and we bow down to no other, no matter how deceiving the temptation may be.

Are you able to discern an attempt from our enemy to deceive you? Satan and those that follow after him often conceal their attempts to subvert God’s authority in your life and wrap their evil intentions in fleshly appeals. Work on being shrewd in your discernment so that you are no unaware when temptation is placed before you.

Yeshua was fasting and weary in the wilderness, yet even when His body was weak, He resisted. Would you be able to do the same when you are under painful circumstances? Prepare for when you are the weakest by relying on the strength that comes from clinging to God and His words of Truth.

Matthew 4:1-11

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB). www.lockman.org