“Resisting The Devil!”

“Resisting The Devil!”(Mt.4:1-11).
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted.” For forty days and forty nights, all went well as he fasted. But after these days were over he became hungry and that is when the tempter came. All through the fasting he felt no hunger because he was focused and concentrated. But when desire set in, the door of temptation was opened wide!
The three desert temptations were intended to see how he would (ab)use his divine power. The test of desire which Adam failed plunged humanity into sin. Jesus overcame the test; that is why he becomes the route through which all humanity is saved.
Having experienced the strength of will that is required to resist temptation, Jesus the Christ knows and sympathises with our weaknesses. So he makes intercession for us because as Son of God he overcame temptation the hard way. How much more difficult it is for us!
We are told that when the desert temptation was over, “… the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”
God sometimes lead us through difficult terrains so as to humble us and test us in order to know what is in our heart, whether or not we would keep his commands. He humbles us by starving us of the things we crave for, just so that we should know “that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD(Dt.8:2-3).
Yes, times of testing may be divinely sanctioned, temptation takes over when by our own evil desires we are dragged away and enticed. Desire leads to sin which leads to death (Jm.1:13-15).
Dear friend, the tempter is always around, like a roaring lion looking for whom to devour. But when we prayerfully feed on the word of God, we would be able to resist the devil. He will leave us and our guardian angels will come and attend us.
Sunday prayer: Holy Spirit help me daily to resist the wiles of the devil. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.