Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. – Matthew 4:1
All of us battle temptation on a daily basis. The enemy is relentless in his attacks, which is why you and I must always be vigilant in staying connected to the Lord every day. But no matter how committed we are to our relationship with God, we will still come under fire.
The key to our victory is in our response. When you feel overwhelmed by temptation, how do you respond? Thankfully, God has provided us the perfect example for overcoming temptation by allowing His own Son to be tempted.
Christ’s temptation is recorded in the fourth chapters of both Matthew and Luke. The key to focus on is Jesus’ response when tempted by Satan. In both Gospels, Jesus responds to temptation by quoting Scripture. In fact, Jesus is tempted three times and each time He quotes from Deuteronomy!
Now Jesus probably had more Scripture memorized than you or I do, and at our age it may not be so easy to add a whole lot more. But notice that Jesus responds with verses that apply to the specific temptation. We all know our sin patterns and we know what temptations we struggle with. That’s why it’s so important to commit one or two verses to memory that address your individual weaknesses.
For instance, if you struggle with a lot of negative emotions, it might be beneficial to memorize Galatians 5:22-23, which lists the fruit of the Spirit. Or if you battle an unhealthy relationship with money, remember 1 Timothy 6:10. It will remind you of the consequences when putting wealth ahead of the Lord.
If you just can’t seem to commit a verse to memory, write it down and tuck it somewhere that will be helpful when you are tempted. Keep it in your Bible, your wallet, in your car, or taped to your bathroom mirror.
Nothing rebuffs Satan like the Word of God. Remember it is our sword-the only form of attack we have against the enemy. (Senior Living)
