Matthew 4:1-11

1.         The Tempter (4:1)

            The Spirit led Jesus to the place of temptation, but the Spirit did not cause the temptation.  The “devil” was the agent of temptation.  Devil in Greek means “accuser.”  This verse warns against two common errors.  The first is blaming God for temptation.  In Scripture, God is always dissociated with evil.  The second common error addressed is crediting the devil with power to act independently of God.  The devil is always bound by what God permits.

2.         The Temptations (4:2-10)

            Satan’s temptations of Jesus represent the temptations that are common to all human experience.  John wrote, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16, KJV).

            The Lust of the Flesh (4:2-4) – Satan always suggests that a legitimate craving be satisfied in an illegitimate way.

            The Pride of Life (4:5-7) – Pride is rebellion against God because it attributes to self the honor and glory due to God alone.

            The Lust of the Eyes (4:8-10) – Through “the lust of the eyes,” sinful desire is aroused by what we see.  Satan tries to entice us with success, power, materialism, and pleasure.

3.         The Triumph (4:11)

            Satan departed from Jesus following the Son of God’s authoritative command, “Away from me, Satan!” (4:10).  Though Satan left a defeated foe, he did not cease to tempt Jesus.  One victory never guarantees victory from further temptations.  The very help Jesus had rejected when it would have put God to the test now makes itself available as angels arrive to serve him.