The Temptation of Inadequacies: 4 Practical Lessons from the 1st Temptation of Jesus

Hi Guys, 

So I started a 3-part series on understanding the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness and the Holy Spirit has taught me quite some amazing stuff which I have decided to share here. I think what is most striking about these teachings for me is that they are practical and useful for daily living.

The first part in the series discusses the first temptation in the wilderness and I have termed it 'the temptation of inadequacies', which is the title for this post. I will upload subsequent parts in the series soon. 

Feel free to provide your feedback and let me know if this blessed you.

Happy reading!

The Temptation of Inadequacies....

So, John the Baptist had baptized Jesus (Matt. 3:16) and there was a public declaration of the sonship of Jesus by the Father. Following the release of the word of God, satan would seek to question in the hearer’s heart that which had been said. This was not the first time he was doing this; he had done this to Eve in the garden of Eden.

After the baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Friend, please ensure you are led by God, don’t lead yourself into temptation.) If God allowed it, He would provide a means of escape and preserve you through it.

So, Jesus had fasted forty days and the bible records that He was hungry (Matt. 4:2), this brings me to the first lesson:

• You will be tempted in your area(s) of perceived ‘inadequacies’

Jesus was hungry and the first temptation was to turn stones into bread. A no-brainer, isn’t it? Note your areas of perceived or frank inadequacies as these are low hanging fruits for the enemy. For example, you declare a fast, and then you receive notifications of amazing chefs on YouTube. Remember, the bible records that Jesus was hungry. Are you hungry for anything? If yes, please be watchful and guard the gates of your heart, for your desire like a magnet will attract all things (good and evil) in your direction. Be wise. 

•  Understand the actual target of the temptation

It seemed like this temptation was targeted at Jesus’ stomach (the j-shaped anatomical structure) but a deeper dive tells a different story. X-raying Jesus’ answer reveals the real target of the temptation. See Matt. 4:4, “but He answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” This temptation was targeted at the core of God’s ability to sustain His Son. satan wanted Jesus to doubt God’s preserving power. So, even though it looked like this was a tale of pastries and hunger it wasn’t! it was aimed at questioning God’s divine ability of provision. There just maybe more to that temptation you are facing. Be sensitive.

•  Be armed with an effective response: stay prepared

Jesus had ready answers for the enemy, the bible enjoins us in Eph. 6: 13-17 to put on our whole armour of which the sword of the Spirit (the word of God) is part of. We need to store up the word of God in our hearts (this is not a case of ‘I am not jim jim, whatever that means) in order to defeat the enemy. We cannot begin storing the word on the battlefield, as it would be too late then. Your ability to wield your sword correctly in the day of battle is dependent on your storage capacity and regular practice of the word (Ps. 119:11).

• Understand the concept of the ‘every word’ 

Man shall not live by bread alone but by EVERY WORD that PROCEEDS/PROCEEDETH out of the mouth of God. The term ‘every’ is an all-inclusive term, it also refers to the frequency of an event. This means our study of the word of God must be holistic and frequent so that we understand how to wield our sword per time. Also, the word - proceeds/proceedeth is a continuous present term which underscores the importance of frequency in the study of the word of God.

So, remember perceived inadequacies, actual targets, preparedness, and, the concept of the ‘every word’. I hope you found this useful.

This is the 1^st of a three-part abridged series on the temptations of Jesus.

See you in the next post...