Wednesday: If You Worship Me
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 26th of February 2025
Satan’s quest to usurp God’s throne is also revealed in the temptation narratives found in Matthew 4:1-25 and Luke 4:1-44. In the striking encounter between Jesus and the tempter, much is revealed about the nature of the conflict. Here we see the reality of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, but played out in stark and graphic terms.
Read Matthew 4:1-11. How is the reality of the great controversy between Christ and Satan revealed here?
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The Spirit had “led” Jesus into the wilderness for the express purpose that Jesus was “to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1, NKJV). And before facing this encounter, Jesus fasted for forty days. So when the devil came, he tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, playing on Jesus’ extreme hunger. But Jesus countered this temptation with Scripture, and Satan’s ploy failed.
Then, in an attempt to get Jesus to act presumptuously, the devil tempted Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. Satan twisted Scripture to suggest that if Jesus were truly the Son of God, angels would protect Him. But with Scripture read rightly, Jesus again counters the temptation.
The third temptation clearly reveals just what the devil is trying to accomplish. He wants Jesus to worship him. Satan attempts to usurp the worship that is due to God alone.
And to do so, he shows Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” and then claims: “ ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me’ ” (Matthew 4:8-9, NKJV). Indeed, in Luke 4:6, a text that parallels Matthew, the devil claims: “ ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish’ ” (Luke 4:6, NKJV).
Once again, Jesus counters the temptation with Scripture, and again Satan fails.
In all three cases, Jesus used Scripture to defend against the enemy’s attacks.
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Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (NKJV). Though we shouldn’t live in fear, why must we always remember the reality of the struggle going on around us? |
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Each human being is a worshiper by nature, a true worshiper or a false worshiper. Worshiping someone or worshiping something. True Worship is a spiritual matter. To become a true worshiper, one has to eliminate idol worshiping (Wealth, possessions, status, Self, relationships, `technology, ideologies and religion.
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect" - Romans 12: 1-2 (NLT).
Well said. Amen.
While the temptations of Jesus were very real, in many ways they are also symbolic of the temptations we face. There is an escalation of temptation from small and seemingly insignificant to the final outright offer of everything for something that seemed insignificant.
There is one of those quiz game shows on TV just before the news. I have never watched it but I see the climax. It goes like this, I think. People answer questions and as a reward for right answers get to play a game of chance on the machine. The bit I see is where they have won about $5000 and now have a chance to either win $20000 or lose the lot. It is amazing how many participants are greedy and end up with nothing.
Eve did not value what she had and thought she was going for the big one. She lost. It was the same as the TV game show, but with more disastrous consequences. Jesus was offered the big one by Satan too, but was smart enough to know that he had it all already.
The core of all these temptations is the desire to satisfy self. That is built into our sinful DNA.
Jesus stated the principle of winning:
... and that starts with the little temptations.
This conflict going on around us is truly amazing. We may have no idea of what really happens. But the even greater conflict may take place inside of us. Jesus fasted for 40 days to subdue His human nature; how much should we?
The letter ‘i’ is in the centre of ‘pride’ and ‘sin’. It has been repeated often and in many different ways on this platform that self- centredness and self seeking lies at the basis of evil.
Life is full of challenges that go beyond what we can see with our eyes. Many struggles—whether personal, societal, or global—have deeper spiritual roots. Recognizing this helps us stay focused, not just blaming people or circumstances, but understanding the bigger picture. It reminds us to lean on God’s strength, walk in faith, and fight our battles with prayer, wisdom, and righteousness.
The battle is not just physical but deeply spiritual, influencing our thoughts, actions, and the world around us. Recognizing this truth keeps us prayerful, grounded in faith, and equipped with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18) to stand firm against deception and evil.
Awareness of this struggle keeps us vigilant in prayer, strengthens our dependence on God, and reminds us to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18). It also helps us discern deception, resist temptation, and stand firm in faith. While we shouldn’t live in fear, we must be spiritually alert, recognizing that the enemy seeks to weaken our relationship with God. By staying rooted in Christ, we can walk in victory, knowing that "greater is He who is in [us] than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
The devil's use of deception in the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, particularly in the phrase "if thou be the Son of God" (Matthew 4:3, 6), reveals his subtle and cunning tactics to undermine truth and sow doubt. By beginning his temptations with "if," Satan attempted to plant seeds of doubt about Jesus' identity as the Son of God, trying to manipulate Jesus into proving Himself. This mirrors the devil’s original strategy in Eden, where he questioned God's word to Eve by saying, "Did God really say...?" (Genesis 3:1), introducing uncertainty and distorting God's commands.
Furthermore, Satan’s misuse of Scripture during the temptation of Jesus shows how deception can be masked in religious or seemingly legitimate forms. In Matthew 4:6, he quotes Psalm 91:11-12, twisting it out of context to entice Jesus to act presumptuously, implying that God’s protection could be tested. Jesus responds by rightly dividing the Word, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God," demonstrating that the proper understanding of Scripture comes from a reverent submission to God's authority, not manipulating His Word for selfish purposes.
Satan's tactics show that he often uses partial truths or misinterpretations of God’s Word to deceive, making it vital for believers to know Scripture thoroughly and apply it correctly, just as Jesus did.
Thank you, Beverley - I appreciate greatly your concise remarks about the devil's use of deceptions in the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness'.
In addition to knowing Scripture thoroughly, I want to add that internalizing God's Truth beyond doubt - staying focused on loving God explicitly and expressing this love in all we think, plan, or do -, will greatly protect us from the spiritual deceptions our daily life is exposed to.
To ignore the hazard is to fall prey to it. Confidence is one thing, arrogance is another that leads to our fall. Pride comes in many manifestations. The center of pride is "I". Lucifer's biggest issue was pride of opinion. In his mind he knew he was right, even though he was wrong. He was too proud to take counsel to correct his path and attitude. I have encountered people like this, who it seems, just have to have the final word, who are so sure that they are right they won't take any advice or correction. The spirit of debate or argument is not a godly one. This is why Jesus didn't waste much time with Satan. He knew the enemy's tactics and avoided them. We would be wise to follow Christ's example. Even in modern day warfare the first rule is to know your enemy. This is war, our tactics and attitude will reveal whose side we are on. Lord teach us to fight the emotional need to be right.
As a Bibleworker the first rule I learned was not to argue or enter into debate. Simply present a proper exegesis of scripture and let the Holy Spirit wrestle with the individual. If they won't receive your words do what Jesus said to do, "shake the dirt off your feet and move on." Another excellent piece of advice is to not waste too much time with people that don't seem to want to learn but want to be right. There are plenty of others that want and need to know what you have been taught. Always do it in the spirit of Christ, and follow his example. Then we will avoid the schemes and snares of the devil. "Not I, but Christ," is the one we are to lift up.
The question is: “Though we shouldn’t live in fear, why must we always remember the reality of the struggle going on around us?”
The short answer would be: ‘because we are living creatures caught up in this struggle between the two forces – one for good, leading us to eternal life, the other toward our demise in this life and without hope for a life hereafter.
To realize and fully appreciate this dangerous reality is imperative to live one’s life with the utmost care and integrity - showing respect for the gravity and the impact our decisions have on ourselves and our fellow man in this life and in the future.
There is always this one, overarching Truth God offers to all who are concerned about their safety, to which God anchored all things Good – loving our God with all our heart and loving our fellow man by not putting stumbling blocks in his way.
Matt.22:37-40 - This, I believe wholeheartedly, will help us always remember the struggle we are caught up in!
Adam failed his test and procured sin, condemnation, and death for all his seed/progeny without exception (Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:21 ,22). Christ, 2nd Adam, on the other hand, vanquished Satan in his test (Heb 4:15). What then does it mean, if anything, for all of Christ’s seed/progeny (Isa 53:10,11; Rom 5:17-19; 1 Cor 15:21-23).