The other day while I was reading to my son we began the book of Matthew. And again to keep things "spicy" I have been reading to him from the Message version. Well we made our way to Matthew Chapter 4. where Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit to begin His ministry. Where Jesus begins to walk out the creation of the New Covenant. Up until this point Jesus had done no acts as King and Savior of the world. Yes he as a young boy ministered to people. For He knew the scriptures from birth. But He had not yet begun walking in the fullness of His calling.
As I began the chapter it hit me. Just what the devil was trying to do.... Before I go on let’s take a look together at verse one.
Mat 4:1 MSG Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it.
Before Jesus could begin to carry out the creation of the New Covenant He had to pass the "Test." It was imperative that He pass this “Test” from the beginning. That is why the Holy Spirit sent Him! When I read this I was reminded of the last time God was in His creative mood. I was reminded of Adam and Eve. So let’s talk about them for a minute.
By all means take the time to go back and read the full story of God and how He made the world and man. But for now we will focus on what Adam and Eve had with God.
Gen 2:8-9 NKJV The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. (9) And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Gen 3:8a NKJV And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day...
WOW!!! They were given the best of the best! They were the created image of the Godhead. And in that had unhindered access to God. For we see that God would walk and talk with them throughout the day. We also see that God often spoke with Adam. And in Gen 3:8a we see how it was a common thing to have God "walk" in the garden with them.... WOW!!!
Now in the garden they also had the "Tree of life." Though when the devil came to tempt them he used the "Tree of Knowledge" to trip them up. It is often said that if they would have eaten of that tree life they would have lived forever.
In this beginning the devil was also ready to "Test" what God had created. He was ready to bring a deception that would last into this age. The seeds of temptations are ever present from day to day. Each of our "forbidden fruit" may look different from each other, but the temptation nevertheless is still the same. We all know what temptation looks like. Though when I was in bondage to sexual sins I begin to say that I was "addicted" to porn. That’s about the same as saying "I am addicted to eating snow." Both are completely ridiculous. The truth of the matter is that when the devil came with his temptations I willingly bowed to them. why? because what Jeremiah said is true:
Jer 17:9 NKJV "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
The depravity of my heart, my flesh was feasting in its own filth!!! There is no "addiction" in "temptation"!!!
So where does this leave us? How in the world are we to turn from temptations?... Yes, the answer is as simple as Jesus.
When the devil came to Jesus ready to give the "Test" again he came with a boldness as never before. For he had won in the beginning of the world, and with ever man since the first. He came with a fighting record of "mankind 100% knockouts with 0 losses." That is why Jesus had to begin His ministry there. That is why Jesus had to begin the creation of the New Covenant there. Jesus had to be the one to defeat the devil and his temptations!!!
Mat 4:11 MSG The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs.
This is the first hope, and the first promise in Jesus! That in Him we can stand pure and holy and leave temptations when they come!!! Now notice how verse 11 says " the Test was over. The devil left." It is for this reason James says this:
Jas 4:7 NKJV Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
We are told to "submit" to God for a reason. Because victory is found in Him! That victory is found in Jesus! For He from the beginning (of the New Covenant) defeated the devil! Turning to Jesus in the midst of temptation is how we "resist" the devil! This is same kind of "turning" that we learn at the beginning of our walk with Christ. For we must "repent" of our sins. That is a turning from them and turning to Jesus. So when we apply this "turning" from temptations of the devil will not only leave you he will "flee" from you!!! Why? Because when you turn away from him and his temptations and turn to Jesus the devil sees Jesus too and the victory He secured from the beginning!!!
It is why in Hebrews we are told this:
Heb 2:16-18 NKJV For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. (17) Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (18) For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Jesus is able to "aid" us because He truly knows what it is like to be tempted! But more than that He truly knows how to defeat temptations! Though He comes to "aid" us, and not deliver us from temptations. We must do our part in the mix. We cannot sit back on the couch watching a scandalous show and say "God I am tempted right now, please take this temptation away." No, we have many biblical examples that teach us otherwise. We have looked at one already. In that we must turn from temptation and turn to Jesus. We also have another example from Genesis 39. When Joseph was tempted by the Pharos wife. He finally turned tail and ran! Again the biblical example to "turn" from temptations and run to Jesus! There are many biblical examples that show us our need to be active in the fight. But our core victory is Jesus!!!
Praise God that Jesus didn’t just stop with defeating temptations! No, He went on to the cross and set us free from sin and death! Where in Him we find new life! See just as Adam and Eve where thrown out of Eden for their sins, we are treated right the opposite! Jesus is the door in which we must pass to Eden! When we pass through His blood we are cleansed from our sins and made eligible to walk in a new life in Him. Where we are given the fruit of the “tree of life.” We through Jesus are given everlasting life!!!! WOW! What redemption we have in Him!
Just as I said it is as simple as saying that Jesus is the answer. For in the beginning of the world the devil did come and through temptations did win a victory that has lasted to the beginning of the new creation. Jesus came to give us life, to set us free, and give us freedom. And He did it from the beginning! We are a new creation in Christ, and therefore the old man has passed away and the new man is alive in Christ!!!
Your Brother in Christ
Grace and Peace be with you
Nate Cook, Setting Captives Free Team Member
www.SettingCaptivesFree.com
And Jesus said to me:
Eze 3:10b-11a "...Receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears, and go, get to the captives..."
As I began the chapter it hit me. Just what the devil was trying to do.... Before I go on let’s take a look together at verse one.
Mat 4:1 MSG Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it.
Before Jesus could begin to carry out the creation of the New Covenant He had to pass the "Test." It was imperative that He pass this “Test” from the beginning. That is why the Holy Spirit sent Him! When I read this I was reminded of the last time God was in His creative mood. I was reminded of Adam and Eve. So let’s talk about them for a minute.
By all means take the time to go back and read the full story of God and how He made the world and man. But for now we will focus on what Adam and Eve had with God.
Gen 2:8-9 NKJV The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. (9) And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Gen 3:8a NKJV And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day...
WOW!!! They were given the best of the best! They were the created image of the Godhead. And in that had unhindered access to God. For we see that God would walk and talk with them throughout the day. We also see that God often spoke with Adam. And in Gen 3:8a we see how it was a common thing to have God "walk" in the garden with them.... WOW!!!
Now in the garden they also had the "Tree of life." Though when the devil came to tempt them he used the "Tree of Knowledge" to trip them up. It is often said that if they would have eaten of that tree life they would have lived forever.
In this beginning the devil was also ready to "Test" what God had created. He was ready to bring a deception that would last into this age. The seeds of temptations are ever present from day to day. Each of our "forbidden fruit" may look different from each other, but the temptation nevertheless is still the same. We all know what temptation looks like. Though when I was in bondage to sexual sins I begin to say that I was "addicted" to porn. That’s about the same as saying "I am addicted to eating snow." Both are completely ridiculous. The truth of the matter is that when the devil came with his temptations I willingly bowed to them. why? because what Jeremiah said is true:
Jer 17:9 NKJV "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
The depravity of my heart, my flesh was feasting in its own filth!!! There is no "addiction" in "temptation"!!!
So where does this leave us? How in the world are we to turn from temptations?... Yes, the answer is as simple as Jesus.
When the devil came to Jesus ready to give the "Test" again he came with a boldness as never before. For he had won in the beginning of the world, and with ever man since the first. He came with a fighting record of "mankind 100% knockouts with 0 losses." That is why Jesus had to begin His ministry there. That is why Jesus had to begin the creation of the New Covenant there. Jesus had to be the one to defeat the devil and his temptations!!!
Mat 4:11 MSG The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs.
This is the first hope, and the first promise in Jesus! That in Him we can stand pure and holy and leave temptations when they come!!! Now notice how verse 11 says " the Test was over. The devil left." It is for this reason James says this:
Jas 4:7 NKJV Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
We are told to "submit" to God for a reason. Because victory is found in Him! That victory is found in Jesus! For He from the beginning (of the New Covenant) defeated the devil! Turning to Jesus in the midst of temptation is how we "resist" the devil! This is same kind of "turning" that we learn at the beginning of our walk with Christ. For we must "repent" of our sins. That is a turning from them and turning to Jesus. So when we apply this "turning" from temptations of the devil will not only leave you he will "flee" from you!!! Why? Because when you turn away from him and his temptations and turn to Jesus the devil sees Jesus too and the victory He secured from the beginning!!!
It is why in Hebrews we are told this:
Heb 2:16-18 NKJV For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. (17) Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (18) For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Jesus is able to "aid" us because He truly knows what it is like to be tempted! But more than that He truly knows how to defeat temptations! Though He comes to "aid" us, and not deliver us from temptations. We must do our part in the mix. We cannot sit back on the couch watching a scandalous show and say "God I am tempted right now, please take this temptation away." No, we have many biblical examples that teach us otherwise. We have looked at one already. In that we must turn from temptation and turn to Jesus. We also have another example from Genesis 39. When Joseph was tempted by the Pharos wife. He finally turned tail and ran! Again the biblical example to "turn" from temptations and run to Jesus! There are many biblical examples that show us our need to be active in the fight. But our core victory is Jesus!!!
Praise God that Jesus didn’t just stop with defeating temptations! No, He went on to the cross and set us free from sin and death! Where in Him we find new life! See just as Adam and Eve where thrown out of Eden for their sins, we are treated right the opposite! Jesus is the door in which we must pass to Eden! When we pass through His blood we are cleansed from our sins and made eligible to walk in a new life in Him. Where we are given the fruit of the “tree of life.” We through Jesus are given everlasting life!!!! WOW! What redemption we have in Him!
Just as I said it is as simple as saying that Jesus is the answer. For in the beginning of the world the devil did come and through temptations did win a victory that has lasted to the beginning of the new creation. Jesus came to give us life, to set us free, and give us freedom. And He did it from the beginning! We are a new creation in Christ, and therefore the old man has passed away and the new man is alive in Christ!!!
Your Brother in Christ
Grace and Peace be with you
Nate Cook, Setting Captives Free Team Member
www.SettingCaptivesFree.com
And Jesus said to me:
Eze 3:10b-11a "...Receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears, and go, get to the captives..."
