October 18th
HARNESSING THE POWER OF TEMPTATION (Continued)
Scripture Reading: Luke 4: 3-4
And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Here we are able to gain insight to the dialog between our Lord and the devil. The preceding verses informed us that Jesus was hungry. Immediately, there is a challenge relating to His vulnerability to the flesh. The use of the word "bread" when one is hungry is a crafty tactic. The devil knew Jesus had Power because he had tempted Him forty days. Now, at the end of those days He was hungry and the devil saw an opening to move in on Him.
The devil is only able to operate on the side of carnality. Spiritually, he is helpless. When it comes to spiritual matters he has to be given place. "Neither give place to the devil._Ephesians 4:27." Naturally speaking, Jesus was vulnerable. Spiritually speaking, He was most powerful. With flesh denied, the spirit of the Word moved unhindered by spiritual death and darkness. The Word of God is Sustenance for those who walk in the Spirit. The Apostle Paul would later declare, "[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh_Galatians 5:16." Paul’s advice and Jesus’ response together encapsulate the next step toward harnessing the power of temptation. Those who walk or live in the Spirit speak the written Word of God and live thereby.
Continued
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