Consider The Source
In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus is lead into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit; there He had an encounter with the devil. Hungry, and possibly very weak after fasting for 40 days, the messiah was tempted by the father of deception. The devil approached Jesus with an attempt to entice him in his moment of weakness. He said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." That statement was one of 3 attempts while in the wilderness to test the authority of Jesus. On the 3rd attempt, Jesus responded with, "Away from me, Satan!" The devil left him, and angels came and attended him. This story is an excellent illustration of how cunning the devil can be, but if we resist him, he will back off, and heaven will respond.
One day one of my co-workers showed me a video that was quite disturbing and would have, at one point, put me in a bad headspace. A few hours after watching the video, God reminded me of how the enemy works to influence emotions of fear and uncertainty, causing us to forget the powerful work of Jesus's death and resurrection. The Bible identifies the devil as the father of lies and deception, but clearly gives us strategies to overcome his tactics.
While in the wilderness, although the devil used the Word of God to try and tempt Jesus, I would be bold to say that Jesus considered His source and responded accordingly. Although weak and hungry, Jesus did not follow the voice of the stranger because he knew the voice of his Heavenly Father, he knew his own identity, and he knew the scriptures. After three attempts by the devil, Jesus resisted him and ended the conversation.
What voice(s) are you listening to? Who or what still has your ear? The devil still roams back and forth throughout the earth, roaring like a lion looking for those he can destroy [1 Peter 5:8]. He is the tempter and ultimate deceiver and works hard to get us off track.
The enemy of our souls knows the Word of God and will twist it in such a deceptive way that would cause you to either question, test, or deny the power of God. Therefore, it is crucial that we meditate on the word day and night and never let it depart from our mouth [ Joshua 1:8]. It is our weapon against the lies of the enemy of our soul.
So the next time your peace is tested, or you are faced with temptation, think back to the story of Jesus in the wilderness, consider the source, and respond accordingly.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, minister to my heart through your Word and give me the strength to resist the enemy of my soul. I choose to bind my mind to the mind of Christ, and I surrender my emotions to the control of the Holy Spirit. Give me a heart of discernment and the confidence to stand on your Word that I may overcome all temptation. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen
