Scripture to Read: Luke 4:9–12
The devil continued to tempt Jesus, for we read in Luke 4:9–12, “9 And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; 10 for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ 11 and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Satan knew he was in a battle, for our Lord Jesus had used the Word of God to overcome two of the temptations that he had laid out so far. So, this temptation was “the boastful pride of life,” and Satan decided to try to use God’s Word as he tempted Jesus. Satan quoted Psalm 91:11–12, knowing it was a Messianic prophecy. But Satan made sure not to quote Psalm 91:13, which says, “You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.” Satan knew the prophecies and that Jesus had come to trample him down. Satan just did not know that Jesus would do it through His death on the cross, His burial, and then His resurrection. Of course, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16, reminding Satan that you never test God. We must remember that Satan knows the entire Word of God, so when we battle we had better be prepared (Ephesians 6:10–18).
Challenge & Application
Since Satan knows the Word of God, what must we do to be prepared for the temptations we face?
How do we prepare for the battlefield every day?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!