Jesus God’s Son fights
Trust that Jesus is the Son of God who fights for and on your behalf.
MATTHEW 4:1-11
And Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones; command these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”
Let us pray:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Son Jesus Christ …Amen!
When a bully gets into your life; they try so hard to dominate and control you … they do with words that you cannot get off your head till you start to think that what they have said is really what is actually true and that is what and who you are.
- The bully twists reality and they make you feel like your vulnerabilities because they cause you to somehow see your flaws.
- They try to make you believe that just because you’re different, you are a worthless being.
- They try to lift themselves up by pushing you down. Bullies try to shake you up by casting doubt, creating fear; just getting under your skin until it overwhelms you.
That is what is happening in our text.
- That bully who caused Adam and Eve to fall in the Garden of Eden; come to do his ultimate work by coming after Jesus.
- Satan the devil does not just come for mere people like you and me, no Satan even came for Jesus.
- Satan try to prevent Jesus from carrying on His mission. The old serpent knew that if he succeeds in bullying Jesus into submission, then he would be able to have everyone else, including you and me.
The real bully
In fact, when you look at the text in Matthew Chapter 4:… The devil’s true bullying characters are revealed. The Test has it that Jesus being hungry after the fast was tempted by Satan saying, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread. Satan in his crafty elements was:
Cunningly telling Jesus that, God has abandoned Him.
- God is not concerned about You.
- Satan clearly said, Jesus You’re not Who You think You are.
- Just come over to my side. You’re weak. You’re forgotten.”
- When I read the text, I started thinking and realized that satan often times does that to us too, doesn’t he?
- Satan whispers those kinds of things in our ears.
- Satan tries to bully us all the time. He does bully every human… here he is attempting to bully Jesus too.
Do note that satan comes when we’re most vulnerable.
- He comes when we’re down. He comes when we doubt…
- Your challenge maybe battling with chronic disease, or otherwise.
- You maybe struggling with temptation,
- Maybe it is an addiction or feeling unworthy.
- Where there is a weakness, Satan subtly tries to bring us down.
- Satan is critical, cruel, draining and deceptive…
That is the message for today.
If are facing any kind of challenge right now, be assured that satan will come after you…. satan comes to steal; to kill and destroy.
Akwasi and my cherished listeners:
Are you terrified by the message; of course you should be, when the destroying did not spare any but is roaring like a lion to devour all who are vulnerable… in our state we are vulnerable due to sin, we are exposed to the enemy.
In our state, God the gracious Father does not want us to perish under satan: so according to His divine will in John 3: 16; He sent into the world, the Ultimate Defender and Redeemer to be the propitiation for us.
God sent a defender who will stop at nothing till the last soul is saved.
Listen to what the Bible says in 1 John 3,
- “The reason the very Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus came to Defender to Protector and to Savior.
- Thanks be to God… for that is who Jesus is and He has done all that for you and for me and for all who believes in Him.
- As Jesus said “It is finished” whilst hanging on the cross: He literally drained and drowned out Satan’s voice which is whispering in our ear.
Please anytime satan comes to you saying, “You’re worthless. You’re hopeless,” please just tell him to “Talk to Jesus.”
- As Jesus Christ rose from the dead, the devil’s power to drag us into doubt, despair, into uncertainty and fear was defeated.
And when Satan tries whispering in our ears….,
- Jesus comes in as the Risen One saying, “No, their sins are forgiven.
- I have paid every perswa: They’re with me.”
- When Satan pounces at us whilst we are weakest what do you do?
- Please, trust that there is One Who is there standing with us.
My dear listeners, I am not trying to scare you; but sometimes this overwhelms me; trust me, pastors are equally nervous about these things too. That is the reality of life.
- In fact, today what we have is a bit of a spiritual warfare guide that can help us as we face satan’s bullying temptation. Ephesians, chapter 6, Paul says this, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might; put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil for we don’t wrestle with flesh and blood, but against the rulers; against the authorities; against the cosmic powers of this present age; against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
- There is a spiritual battle always going on in life and what there is someone Who does not only fights for us; but He is there throughout life with those who love. That person’s His Name is Jesus Christ.
- The devil has quite a few strategies he uses and its worth knowing some of them..
Strategy #1
The devil’s first strategy is to try to attach and destroy us most especially when are at our weakest point. That’s what happened with Jesus in the text… After 40 days and after 40 nights, Jesus was hungry and Satan swooped in to stick Him.
My dear ones: carefully examining this satanic strategy;
- It could be that your relationship is going heading to the rocks and you can’t think around it.
- It could be a temptation which is eating you up and you can’t find a solution.
Satan loves to play on our vulnerabilities. He loves to swoop in when we’re at our weakest.
- In such situation what do we do?
- Do we run away or do we fight or what?
Akwasi, Adjo and my dear listeners
Our text teaches that, Jesus quoted the Scriptures.
- In such situations we should learn to
- “Put the Word of God to work in your life.”
- Put the sword of the Spirit to work in your life.
- we need God’s voice in our life.
- We need God’s Word, His promises in our life because that is the power for all who believe.
- God’s word is the sword of the Spirit; and that is exactly what Jesus did.
- Jesus put the Word of God to work in His battle against satan the devil. Jesus the Son of God fights for you.
Satan’s Strategy #2
The devil’s strategy is to confuse you.
- Satan actually starts to quote the Scripture but twist it.
- Satan makes you doubt what God has spoken to and about you.
Jesus came right back at him and said, “It is written. You shall not put the Lord your God to test.” Jesus reminds Satan and strengthens us that we don’t face our temptations alone, but the heavenly Father is here with us. Jesus at that moment needed help and He had it from the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit to put Satan off!
Akwasi: Each time you’re facing temptation, satan is going to say, “You can’t.”
In such situation remember to say by faith that? “God can! Jesus the Son of God is fighting for you.
By grace God the Father in the Name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit is standing with His beloved children.” Only God can fight Satan successfully, so we have Jesus Who has come to fight for us.
For all who are going through real difficult times right now, here is what the Bible is saying to you. In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are not alone. Jesus is with you.
In your challenges Know that God is with you; so keep calm and Pray on, believing that the Father is with you in the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus the Son of God fights for you.
Strategy #3
The devil’s third strategy is to try and dominate you.
- He is going to try and weaken and confuse you. Satan is going to try and run your life. Do you Remember the last temptation that Satan had for Jesus? He took Him to the pinnacle and said, “Look at all the nations of the world. You just bow down and I’ll give it all to You;…. Satan actually said that to Jesus ” as if he own the world. Well it sometimes look like satan owns the world, isn’t it?
- I don’t know if anyone have got that kind of temptation going on right now. I don’t know if Satan is coaxing or saying to you, “Just bow down before me.”Friends may be satan is not coming at you straight like he did to Jesus; but he it might be using something a little different; but he is just sure and trying to dominate your life;……. Please in the name of Jesus just try to control your life.
- Maybe satan has subtly got you so busy moving fast– to and fro that you don’t have time to think about spiritual things; to think of things of God.. Remember that satan is using those things and means to bow you on your knees to him.
- “Resist Satan. Resist him; standing firm in the faith because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” Jesus the Son of God fights for you.
Friends to fight satan: it is only God who can fight satan successfully… So!
- Put God’s Word to work.
- Exercise prayer knowing that you’re not alone.
- Gather with God’s people. Be encouraged that as you come together and celebrate; Jesus will not let you down. It is Jesus, Who actually gathers His children and gives us encouragement and strength.
- A Gathering in Jesus’ Name is a great strength for God’s people. Jesus the Son of God fights for you.
For it is written, “Where two or three are gathered in His Name, He is there with them. Jesus gives us His Name as a weapon. He pours His Name over us in baptism.
Akwasi… Put Jesus Word to work. Put prayer to work. Exercise the ability to come together as God’s people and then know that the Great Deceiver, Satan himself, does not stand a chance. Put your faith in the One Who does not only fights for you…but wants you to live a life with Him by faith through grace in Jesus now and forever, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.