Friday, March 21

As followers of Jesus many Christians tend to underestimate the craftiness of the devil, but not Jesus.
When Jesus entered the ring in the wilderness, He came prepared. He arrived full of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was not about to underestimate his opponent and his craftiness.

The devil is way craftier then most Christians give him credit for. His end game is to get us to sin, but he’ll string us along until he gets us there. Let me give you an example of what I mean. I think we can all agree that adultery is a sin, but before you can commit the sin of adultery there are many steps that you must take to get there. First you have to meet the other person, nothing wrong with that. Then you have to start some kind of relationship with that other person, nothing wrong with that. Then maybe you continue by going out with that other person for a cup of coffee, nothing wrong with that. I think you get the picture by now, that before committing the actual sin there are steps to lead you there. That’s where our enemy the devil is a genius, he strings us along until we finally fall prey to his craftiness.

The temptations Jesus battled with in the wilderness were meant to string him along step by step to the bottom line of sin…distrust in God. It was the devil tempting a hungry Jesus to take the step of turning rocks into bread, what’s wrong with that? It was the devil tempting Jesus the “King of Kings” to take the step of removing the kingdoms of this world from him, what’s wrong with that? It was the devil tempting Jesus the “Son of God” to test God, to see if He would really protect him, what’s wrong with that? All the devil needs is for you to take the fist step. In the Garden of Eden it did not begin with eating the forbidden fruit. It began by contemplating it, then it continued by entering into a conversation with the devil about what you can and can’t do. Finally, they both ate. They both sinned.

The devil is way craftier then you and I will ever be, but there is a proven way to defeat him. It’s not by simply watching every step we take. It’s by being filled with the Holy Spirit. Most people I know fast to become filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus entered His fasting filled with the Holy Spirit. Oh, the devil is so crafty! It was during and after Jesus’ fast that the devil tempted him, because he will also attack where you lease expect it. It’s a good thing that Jesus entered the wilderness already filled of the Holy Spirit.

In the battle in the wilderness the scorecard reads: three to zero, for the winner, Jesus. But Jesus never laid down His guard. He knew that the devil would be back.
And He also understood that if he was going to win every battle the devil bought on, which he did, He would need to remain full of the Holy Spirit. He understood that the Holy Spirit was His power.

Bible Reading
Luke 4: 1-2, 13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 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.

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Heavenly Father, from the moment I decided to give my heart to Jesus the devil became my enemy, so I cannot underestimate him, I need to be filled with your Holy Spirit to be ready when he tries to lead me step by step to sin. Help me to face the battles with temptations full of your Holy Spirit, so that when my scorecard is read I will also be declared a winner.