1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (Luke 4:1-11)
This passage tells us that after Jesus was baptized, he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. Fasting means abstaining from food, but does not necessarily mean abstaining from water. Fasting can be complete Fasting or partial Fasting. Complete fasting means not eating any food, but it can also be abstaining from some food, such as only eating vegetables and fruits, or abstaining from sweets or other delicious foods. Long fasting needs to be guided by the Lord. Fasting is often linked to prayer, and it can enhance the effectiveness of prayer. Here, it is said that after Jesus fasted for forty days and nights, he became hungry, and the devil came to tempt him, saying, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread!” This was an attempt to use spiritual power to satisfy personal needs. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” This quotes Deuteronomy 8:3. Then the devil made him stand on the top of the temple in Jerusalem, saying, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully.” Here, the devil also quoted the scripture.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, (Psalm 91:11-12)
These two verses say that God will guard you in all your ways, not that God would protect you even if you jumped off the top of the temple as the devil claims. We see the devil abusing the Bible, wanting Him to tempt God. Therefore, the Lord Jesus answered, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” This is a quote from Deuteronomy 6:16. The devil then took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. He said to him, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.”
19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)
The evil one here is the devil Satan, a fallen angel, and the world is under his control. Therefore, he told the Lord Jesus that all the kingdoms of the world and and their splendor could be given to him if he would bow down and worship him. The Lord Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:13 and Deuteronomy 10:20, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” We see that the Lord Jesus used biblical verses to resist the devil’s temptations. After the Lord Jesus overcame the devil’s temptations, angels came to serve him.
May God bless you and your family!
