Session 11: The Wilderness

Session Overview

Creedal Statement

Pray then like this:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Key Elements

• Key Passage - Matthew 4:1–11
• Scripture Memory - So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:12–13
• Catechism - Q: What Christian practice helps us to live disciplined lives? A: Fasting.

Introduction

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the Lord your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, kindles the true light of chastity.

Victory in Christ is the only means for true joy and lasting security. Christ’s call to his disciples is an open invitation to renounce the pleasures of the world and receive unparalleled fulfillment in Jesus. In this way, the life of faith is characterized by self-denial, self-restraint, and self-discipline. While the world promotes the self, the Christian surrenders to God in self-abandonment. Complete and wholehearted devotion of this kind is the genesis and fuel of self-control. Self-control is a fundamental virtue of Christian disciples. Believers practice self-control when they resist sinful desires and refrain from fleshly lusts. Rooted in the truth of God’s word, disciples overcome temptation through faith and conviction. Their self-controlled victory over sin is also a disciplined triumph over Satan. This most deplorable enemy of God attacks Christ’s disciples by leading them into evil. While faithful followers of Christ must be watchful of his schemes, they can have confidence in his defeat. Not only has Christ decisively conquered Satan, but believers can also personally experience this victory in their daily lives.

To share in Christ’s victory does not mean life will be without struggle, difficulty, or temptation. The more faithful a follower of Christ, the more intense the enemy’s attacks will be. The life of faith is akin to a spiritual battle. Temptations to sin entice believers into a spiritual minefield of destructive desires. Suffering and hardship can weaken resolve and diminish vigilance. Satan is the archenemy in this spiritual conflict. He opposes God with brazen defiance and aims to destroy God’s people with militant aggression. He uses deception, discouragement, and doubt in his hostile attacks. Sometimes his tactics are subtle. Other times, his assaults are unmistakable. Christians are not left alone in this spiritual battle. Jesus himself has successfully overcome the enemy’s attacks, faithfully endured acute suffering, and completely resisted sin’s enticements. His life is a paradigmatic example of self-discipline and self-control. He is the model for devotion to God and the means of victory in the life of faith. The Bible not only records his victory over evil but also a key spiritual practice that helps believers in this spiritual conflict.

The short record of Matthew 4:1–11 takes place after Jesus’ baptism and before the launch of his earthly ministry. This narrative recounts Jesus’ journey into the wilderness during a forty-day fast. After a lengthy abstinence from food, Satan tempted Jesus to sin on three separate occasions. He appealed to bodily hunger, self-preservation, and worldly ambition in an effort to discredit Jesus. The Son of God did not yield to Satan’s enticements. He resisted each temptation with the power of God’s word. In the end, Jesus was victorious over sin and Satan. He demonstrated faithfulness, resolve, and self-discipline that came from complete devotion to God and his word. At least in part, his committed life of discipline was cultivated and exhibited through the spiritual practice of fasting. This passage teaches us about the importance and impact of this time-tested spiritual discipline.

Look around, and you will find endless opportunities to indulge your appetites, pamper your lusts, gratify your desires, and feed your fancies. The world is replete with trivial pleasures, and humans are creatures of desire. Rather than mastering these desires, people often allow their appetites and longings to control their lives. Tragically, fulfilling sinful desires will never lead to true satisfaction or security. Underlying every sin is a lie. Satan tempts believers with empty promises and false assurances. He ruins lives by enticing people to try to find fulfillment outside of God. We need not yield to his schemes. Believers can gain a secure and jubilant victory over Satan and sin. Fasting is one particular spiritual practice that helps us in this spiritual battle. As we study this narrative of Jesus in the wilderness, we are provided an invaluable text to help us grow in faith toward Christ, practice fasting for spiritual discipline, and secure victory against the enemy’s attacks.

Biblical Interpretation: Hearing the Word

Study the Text: The Bible is God’s inspired word to his people. Christian disciples mature in the faith when they are grounded in God’s word. In this movement, you will study the basic details of the biblical text.

Observation Questions

Read (or listen to) the whole passage of Scripture. Discuss the questions below for each section of the story. Pay attention to the details of the text to recall what the passage is saying. Use the focus verses to guide your conversation.

Storycraft

Retell the story in your own words, recounting the overall flow of the narrative, the main segments of the story, and the major developments that take place.

Narrative Elements

Story Retell

Theological Dialogue: Discussing the Plot

Explore the Text: God’s word is his trustworthy and sufficient revelation to his people. We grow as Christ’s disciples by rooting our lives in God’s unchanging truth. In this movement, you will explore vital teachings of this biblical passage.

Discussion Questions

Summarize the biblical story. As a community, discuss the following questions. Be attentive to the truths taught in this text. Use the commentary on the next pages to uncover core principles this passage teaches about the Christian faith.

Biblical Commentary

Use this commentary to help you understand the meaning of the text. Refer to the infographic on the next page to think through how narratives work.

Passage Introduction

Key Idea

God is calling us to a life of devotion and self-discipline through the practice of fasting.

Passage Overview

As disciples of Christ, we can easily become reliant on our own strength. Our flesh is vulnerable to self-indulgence, our spirit is prone toward self-reliance, and our ego is slanted toward self-promotion. Earthly cares can distract us, diverting our attention from God. Earthly possessions and material provision can erode a sense of utter dependence on God. The daily nourishment of our bodies can crowd out substantive care for the soul. Temptations can come in the form of a sudden ambush or a subtle attack. Weakened faith and atrophied discipline make us vulnerable to sin and suffering. The Christian practice of fasting helps us regain focus, refine our faith, and resist the allurements of the world. Jesus modeled this spiritual practice for us during his wilderness temptations. In this desert encounter, Jesus engaged in spiritual combat with Satan and decisively won the victory. He demonstrated self-denial, self-discipline, and self-restraint that come from a complete faithfulness to God. As disciples of Christ, we look to his experience as our example and his triumph as our victory. As you study this most important biblical text, use the commentary to aid your understanding of the scriptural passage and the importance of living a life of fasting, self-denial, and self-discipline.

Passage Outline

Temptation in the Wilderness

When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Perhaps the greatest hindrance to our work is our own imagined strength; and in fasting we learn what poor, weak creatures we are—dependent on a meal of meat for the little strength which we are so apt to lean upon.

Introduction

The Christian life is a spiritual battle. The conflict is fierce, and the cost is high. Living in a fallen world, believers in Christ endure suffering and hardship. Hunger, sickness, poverty, pain, and tribulation of various kinds are common to human experience. Temptations also abound, alluring people away from God and into the destruction of sin. The deceitfulness of the human heart often bends to immorality, idolatry, and injustice, while the human proclivity to evil further devastates the world. Society itself is antagonistic to the faith. People seek power, wealth, and fame at the expense of their personal integrity and the well-being of others. Satan, the evil foe, also causes difficulty in this life by his menacing attacks. Satan exalts himself, opposes God, targets believers, undermines the truth, fosters division, and seeks to subvert God’s purposes in the world.

Followers of Christ are soldiers in this spiritual combat. As disciples of Jesus, Christians must develop discipline and resolve in the face of hostile attacks from an unfriendly enemy. Believers endure these attacks by a vibrant and growing faith in Christ. Fundamentally, the life of faith is one of self-control, self-restraint, and self-discipline. Those who have placed their faith in Christ have renounced ungodly desires, rejected sinful lifestyles, relinquished personal rights, and resigned themselves to Christ in full surrender. Jesus Christ is both our example and representative in this battle. Jesus’ life and ministry demonstrate how believers can successfully endure the spiritual battle of the faith. Jesus’ suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension are the means by which we can confidently enjoy victory over evil. At stake in this spiritual warfare is both the character of one’s earthly existence and the reality of one’s eternal destiny. In numerous passages, God’s word instructs believers to engage the spiritual battle of the faith by following Jesus’ example and clinging to his work.

In Matthew 4:1–11, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by Satan. This confrontation between Jesus and Satan amounted to spiritual warfare. Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights and faithfully resisted Satan’s underhanded attacks. Satan tempted Jesus by appealing to his bodily hunger, daring him to test God, and enticing him to false worship. Each time Satan launched an attack, Jesus responded to the temptation with the power of God’s word. Jesus overcame Satan, providing an example for believers to follow and securing a decisive victory by which believers can share in his triumph.

The story of Jesus’ battle with the enemy provides warning, comfort, and instruction to believers. This passage alerts disciples to the fact that the life of faith is a spiritual battle against sin, Satan, and selfish desires. Believers must not be surprised when they experience spiritual conflict or when they endure intense suffering. Conflict and turmoil are intrinsic to the life of discipleship. This biblical narrative is also a source of great consolation to disciples of Christ. It emphasizes the fact that Jesus endured intense temptation in a dramatic confrontation with Satan. Jesus’ wilderness temptations enable him to fully empathize with all manner of human temptation and struggle. Throughout his earthly life and ministry, Jesus was tested, tried, and tempted. He committed no sin, yet he experientially knew human weakness, hardship, and temptation. This biblical account is also instructive. Jesus voluntarily endured the enemy’s attacks in order to show believers how they can overcome temptation and tribulation. When he contended against Satan in the wilderness, he secured a decisive victory for all his followers. As we study this brief biblical account, may we attend to its wide-reaching impact on our lives.

Into the Wilderness: Approaching Temptation as Spiritual Combat

Biblical Narrative (Matthew 4:1–2)

This biblical text records Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. The events of this narrative took place after Jesus’ baptism (3:13–17) and before the launch of Jesus’ ministry (4:12–25). At Jesus’ baptism, God the Father publicly authenticated Jesus as his beloved Son (3:17). Jesus was not simply an anointed teacher, a prophetic figure, or a charismatic religious leader. He is God’s Son, sent into the world to “fulfill all righteousness” (4:15) and accomplish his Father’s will. God’s divine plan was a redemptive mission to save sinful humans from eternal condemnation. Obedient to his Father, Jesus came to earth to accomplish this saving work. During his earthly life, preaching the gospel, teaching the truth of God’s word, and healing the sick characterized Jesus’ ministry (4:23). Ultimately, his ministry culminated in suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection. Jesus purchased salvation at the cost of his life. Equal to God the Father in his very essence, Jesus is fully God and fully human in one person. Even though Jesus is fully God, his earthly ministry and redemptive mission were anything but easy and effortless. Had Jesus sought his own comfort or clung to his own rights, creation would be inescapably destined for divine wrath. Thankfully, Jesus put the needs of humanity above his own well-being. Faithful and true, Jesus completed his earthly assignment. Without question, this required endurance, patience, and self-discipline—all vital virtues that would be tested in Jesus’ wilderness temptation.

Jesus’ encounter with Satan in the wilderness was not coincidental. It was a sovereignly arranged event that would prove Jesus as fully devoted to his Father and lovingly determined to save sinful humans. That God’s hand was integral in orchestrating Jesus’ temptation is seen by the manner in which Jesus arrived in the desert: “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness” (4:1). By overcoming Satan’s deceptive attacks, Jesus would demonstrate his righteous character, validate his messianic identity, model Christian discipline, and provide a clear path to resist temptation. The Holy Spirit intentionally guided Jesus to this uninhabitable place in order “to be tempted by the devil” (4:1). The more ferocious the foe and the more severe the environment, the more clearly Jesus would exemplify definitive victory over sin. An exhibition of God’s power over Satan, the temptation was a spiritual contest between righteousness and wickedness, between good and evil, and between patient endurance and sinful indulgence. Jesus was amply fit for this moment of testing since he had been “fasting forty days and forty nights” (4:2). The biblical text states the obvious about Jesus’ physical condition: “He was hungry” (4:2). Although his hunger pangs were great, this lengthy period without food made Jesus spiritually strong, ready to face the tempter’s most fierce assaults.

Biblical Principles

Spiritual Life as Wilderness Pilgrimage. It is important that Jesus’ temptation took place in the wilderness (4:1). The wilderness was an inhospitable terrain that lacked food, people, and comfort. In this untamed and undeveloped habitat, a person in the wilderness was vulnerable to the environment and exposed to many dangers. To be in the wilderness was to lack the resources of developed society and to be isolated from the help and support of one’s community. Certainly, to travel through the barren desert represented a serious risk. To remain in the wilderness for forty days would constitute a greater danger. Fasting during this lengthy period was still an even greater danger. Life and pilgrimage in the wilderness required endurance, discipline, and courage.

Jesus’ forty-day excursion into the desert (4:2) is a likely allusion to Israel’s forty years of wandering in the wilderness (cf. Deuteronomy 29:5; Numbers 14:33; Joshua 5:6). In the Old Testament, God caused the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for a number of reasons. Initially, Israel’s journey through the desert was a test of their faith and a demonstration of God’s faithfulness. It was during the wilderness wanderings that Israel was formed as a community of faith and established leaders to help care for the people. Much of the time in the wilderness was meant to help form God’s people in the faith. The season of wilderness wanderings was also a time of divine discipline. When Israel sinned, God confined his people to the desert as a form of punishment and as a way of rehabilitating their faith. Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness depicts the spiritual life as a pilgrimage through the wilderness, a journey through difficult terrain that requires discipline, faith, and endurance.

Spiritual Combat and Times of Testing. The expressed purpose of Jesus being led into the wilderness was “to be tempted by the devil” (4:1). This reference to temptation speaks about a time of testing or trial: to put someone through a difficult ordeal in order to prove or validate something about that person. Although the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, the devil was the one who tempted Jesus. The word “devil” signifies an adversary or foe. The devil is the enemy of God and God’s people. He is irreverent and blasphemous toward God. He slanders, accuses, tempts, deceives, and afflicts God’s people. He is a slanderous accuser who targets Christ’s followers and aims to disrupt God’s work in the world. The devil is also “the tempter” (4:3), a sinister opponent who enticed Jesus to sin in order to discredit him. It was a wicked work meant to ensnare and disgrace Jesus. From God’s perspective, Jesus was tested in order to authenticate his full humanity, establish his divine vocation, and prove his righteous character. From Jesus’ perspective, his time of testing was a means to demonstrate his faithfulness to God the Father. This wilderness testing also allowed Jesus to empathize with human weakness and exemplify spiritual discipline. The temptation in the wilderness was a trial of faithfulness—a spiritual battle between good and evil, faith and unbelief, and discipline and indulgence. Jesus’ temptation amounted to warfare: he knew well that when he entered the barren wilderness, he was crossing into a zone of spiritual combat.

Life in general is a difficult ordeal. Even more, the Christian life itself is a spiritual battle. When disciples place their faith in Christ, they experience victory over the forces of darkness, triumph over sin, and liberation from bondage to Satan. New life in Christ is a victorious life. Nevertheless, the triumphant life of a Christian is not one of ease and comfort. Even though Jesus secures a believer’s victory, a spiritual battle continues to ensue. Life’s trials test our faith, proving it as genuine, substantive, and mature. Satan launches attacks against God’s people with the aim of ruining their faith. Temptation to sin abounds. Sin allures, entices, and seduces. While they are secure in Christ, believers are attacked on many fronts. As demonstrated by Jesus, the spiritual life involves faith-filled confrontation against the enemy, patient endurance in the midst of suffering, and disciplined resistance to sin.

Fasting as Spiritual Discipline. Jesus’ testing in the wilderness was also a period of lengthy fasting: “after fasting forty days and forty nights” (4:2). Jesus fasted to prepare himself for his spiritual contest in the wilderness. Easily, Jesus could have remained in heaven and enjoyed uninterrupted repose. Or, having come to earth, Jesus could have isolated himself behind the comforts of civilized society or elite privilege. He could have avoided any difficulty, temptation, or suffering, yet Jesus did not choose a life of ease. To show his solidarity with humanity, Jesus entered the wilderness, encountered the enemy, and experienced temptation. Demonstrating his divine purity and power, Jesus overcame sin, Satan, and self-indulgence. Anticipating the conflict that lay ahead, Jesus readied himself through fasting. Jesus’ intentional act of self-denial was a means by which he demonstrated faithfulness to God, discipline in his life, and self-control over desires. When temptation came, Jesus had already chosen the ways of God and rejected the ploys of the enemy.

The open invitation of faith formation is to grow in discipline. Fasting is an important Christian discipline that was modeled by Jesus and has been practiced by believers throughout the history of the church. When we fast, we intentionally refrain from life’s basic necessities for a temporary period of time in order to increase our reliance upon God. Abstinence from eating may lead to the weakening of the body to cause a strengthening of the spirit. This sacred practice exposes our selfish desires, confronts our weaknesses, and identifies areas of unbelief. It is a practice that can prepare us for upcoming tribulation, equip us to endure present hardships, and empower us to resist temptation. Fundamentally, fasting retrains our appetites. It weans us from the things of the world. It increases our desire for and dependence upon God. To practice this discipline with faith and diligence is to help us grow in self-discipline, self-restraint, and self-control.

The Tempter Came: Deepening Our Longing for God and His Word

Biblical Narrative (Matthew 4:3–4)

In the first temptation, Satan appealed to Jesus’ physical hunger. The devil, who is an adversary (cf. 4:1), is now portrayed as “the tempter” (4:3) at this part of the story. He approached Jesus in the wilderness and attempted to lure him into sin. Satan began his temptation by challenging Jesus’ identity: “If You are the Son of God” (4:2; cf. 4:6). His slanderous words were meant to be a provocation of Jesus. Satan was not seeking this proof in order to place his faith in Christ. He aimed to disgrace Jesus. Casting doubt on Christ’s person, character, and vocation lies at the foundation of many of Satan’s schemes. Satan challenged Jesus to perform a miracle that would remedy his hunger and prove his divine sonship. He told Jesus to make “these stones to become bread” (4:3). Importantly, Satan dared Jesus to perform this sign simply by giving a command. Certainly, the Son of God had the power to speak an authoritative word and transform inedible stones into nourishing fare. Although Jesus possessed the capacity to perform such a feat, Satan’s wager was underhanded and evil. He had no concern for Jesus’ well-being and no intent to submit to Jesus’ authority.

Consequently, Jesus did not yield to Satan. He responded to his temptation by quoting a fitting Old Testament text: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (4:4; cf. Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus countered Satan’s duplicity with revealed truth. This passage affirmed that humans do have basic needs for food, water, and shelter. This text is based on the belief that a faithful God meets the needs of his creation. By quoting this Scripture, Jesus affirmed human neediness and divine provision. Humans may need basic provisions, but this is not the main substance of true living. God’s word must be at the foundation of any person who would hope for real and enduring life. While Satan tempted Jesus to relieve his bodily hunger, Jesus found unparalleled sustenance in the truth of God’s word.

Biblical Principles

Temptation of Hunger and Satisfaction. The first temptation that Jesus faced was an enticing appeal to his physical appetite and corporeal weakness. Having fasted for forty days, Jesus was hungry (4:2). To abstain from food for that length of time would put any human in a weakened and exhausted condition. The devil enticed Jesus to sin by attacking him where he was most physically depleted. Certainly, it is no spiritual crime to experience and suffer human weakness. Humans are exposed to the influence of their surroundings, restricted by the bounds of the material world, and subject to their bodily constitution. We cannot escape the basic needs of food, water, shelter, and clothing. Jesus experienced bodily weakness, felt needs, and natural hunger. The passage itself acknowledges the physical limitations and inherent neediness of human beings. Quoting a Scripture passage that affirms “man shall not live on bread alone” was an attestation that humans are finite and feeble creatures, intrinsically limited by the need for physical sustenance. Jesus’ own hunger further proved this. Human finitude is not synonymous with moral depravity. Just as the feeling of hunger is not inherently evil, so the experience of temptation is not itself a sin. In a fallen world, humans should expect to face various temptations. Satan individualizes his attacks to tempt in areas of specific human weakness in order to draw people into sinful disobedience.

When we are depleted, tired, or hungry, we are vulnerable to Satan’s seducing schemes. Bodily weakness diminishes a watchful spirit and accentuates other longings. The non-sinful longings of physical hunger and thirst resemble the desires of sinful cravings. Consequently, to the extent we can train ourselves to endure physical hunger, we can also resist sin and temptation in its various forms. This is an enormous benefit of the spiritual practice of fasting. When we fast, we remind ourselves of our finitude, accustom ourselves to increased longing, exercise self-disciplined living, and retrain our appetites for a greater good. The self-denial involved in abstaining from food enables us to deny wicked cravings when they arise and instead find fullness and satisfaction in God. We grow in temperance and moderation as we refrain from self-gratification and self-indulgence. The self-emptying that occurs in fasting must concurrently involve a filling of oneself with God himself. Fasting from food is a simultaneous feast of faith. Beyond doubt, one can fast without developing Christian character. This is a tragic reality with all spiritual disciplines. We must beware of practicing all spiritual disciplines with mere external performance without the internal reality of faith. This is why Christian fasting should be accompanied by a dutiful and devoted ingestion of God’s word.

Importance of God’s Word. While Jesus acknowledged human need for basic nourishment, he also asserted that human dependence upon God’s word is of more importance. Humans discover real life not by sustaining themselves with physical food, but by feeding “on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (4:4). God’s word is the foundation of the Christian life. In this passage, the centrality and importance of God’s word are highlighted by the repeated phrase “it is written” (4:4; cf. 4:6–7, 10). The devil misused God’s word to tempt Jesus to sin (4:6; cf. Psalm 91:11–12). Jesus quoted Scripture from memory to confront Satan’s temptations (4:4, 7, 10; cf. Deuteronomy 6:13, 16; 8:3). This whole biblical narrative—an account of Jesus’ victory over sin, Satan, and temptation—elevates God’s word as a weapon for the spiritual battle of faith (cf. Ephesians 6:17). To have portions of the Bible memorized is to be ready for spiritual combat whenever attack or temptation may arise. Daily reading of God’s holy word outfits the disciple for the battle of faith. Scripture provides wisdom to navigate life’s complexities and sobriety to resist sin’s deceptions. To accurately understand God’s word enables us to expose Satan’s lies, even when his deception employs a perversion of God’s word. To wean ourselves from earthly provision is to increase dependence on God. Fasting from the world’s fare, we come to enjoy revealed truth (and God himself) as sweet, nourishing, and all-satisfying.

Do Not Put God to the Test: Expressing Trust in God’s Sovereign Care

Biblical Narrative (Matthew 4:5–7)

In the next scene of this story, Satan tempted Jesus a second time. He brought Jesus to Jerusalem—“the holy city”—where they stood “on the pinnacle of the temple” (4:5). Jerusalem and the temple were centers of Jewish religious devotion. The devil brought Jesus to this place to challenge Jesus’ authority and Jesus’ trust in God the Father. Once again, Satan cast suspicion on Jesus’ identity by introducing his challenge with the words “If You are the Son of God” (4:6). Satan appealed to basic human desires for self-preservation and protection. He dared Jesus to throw himself off the temple pinnacle and have angels come to his rescue (4:6). To reinforce his temptation, Satan quoted Psalm 91:11–12. These Old Testament verses promise God’s protection over his people, even sending his angels to come to their help.

Exercising self-discipline, resolve, and discernment, Jesus did not comply with Satan’s challenge. He confronted Satan’s misuse of the Scripture. While God does promise to protect his people, Satan was asking Jesus to intentionally put himself in a dangerous situation, which would require God to come to his help. This temptation amounted to presuming upon God. Such an act would come from an entitled and demanding spirit, not a heart of genuine and sincere faith. Consequently, Jesus combated Satan’s scheme with God’s word. He told Satan: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (4:7; cf. Deuteronomy 6:16). This simple, yet pointed, prohibition put Satan in his place. To test God’s faithfulness in this way amounted to an audacious and flagrant violation of trust in God. Jesus would have no part in this temptation, and his words call us to the same.

Biblical Principles

Temptations of Authority and Safety. In the second temptation, the devil misused God’s word in an effort to tempt Jesus to sin. Specifically, Satan told Jesus to throw himself down from the temple and have angels come to his rescue. Whereas the first temptation appealed to bodily hunger, this temptation exposed the human desire for security and safety. Humans often behave in ways that are self-preserving and self-protective. In this way, the location of the second temptation is also significant. Satan brought Jesus “to the holy city” (4:5) and to “the pinnacle of the temple” (4:5). The temple in Jerusalem was the sacred center of Jewish religiosity. Jesus went from the unbridled danger of the wilderness to the spiritual capital of Israel, a symbol of divine favor and protection. By fasting for forty days, Jesus had already entrusted himself to the protection and care of God the Father.

For Satan to tempt Jesus in this place amounted to a challenge of God’s faithfulness to care for his people. Satan’s temptations are often taunts against God’s goodness, faithfulness, and provision toward his people. Easily, we can feel insecure, unconfident, and fearful. Satan preys upon these feelings and challenges God’s people to seek protection and security in sinful ways. Satan was not passive about this temptation. The forcefulness and antagonism of Satan’s temptation are emphasized by the fact that “the devil took Him” (4:5; cf. 4:8) to Jerusalem and “set Him” (4:5) on the temple. Clearly, these terms do not mean that Satan forced Jesus to go against his will. The whole narrative emphatically demonstrates that Satan’s power is limited and that Jesus voluntarily endured hardship, suffering, and temptation. Nevertheless, Satan aggressively and dramatically challenged Jesus to misuse his authority in order to demonstrate God’s faithfulness. Satan is militant in his efforts to pressure the saints to act in self-preserving and self-protective ways, conduct which is tantamount to unbelief.

Strengthening Faith through Fasting. In this situation, Jesus intentionally putting himself in harm’s way would amount to putting God “to the test” (4:7). God the Father had not called Jesus to cast himself off the temple. This was a dueling wager from Satan, an arrogant and defiant challenge of divine faithfulness. The devil cast suspicion on Jesus as the Son of God and tested God’s attentive care for his Son. Underlying such temptations that “test God” is a menacing unbelief. Had Jesus presumed on God the Father in this way, it would have been a betrayal of trust and an act of egregious faithlessness. Jesus’ faithfulness to the Father was directly connected to his confidence in his own identity as God’s Son. In the first two temptations, Satan challenged Jesus’ identity by saying, “If You are the Son of God” (4:3; cf. 4:6). He also challenged Jesus’ authority. He told Jesus to command the stones to turn to bread (4:3) and command the angels to come to his rescue (4:6). In the wilderness, Jesus’ power and ability were also being challenged. To transform stones into bread and to have angels protect at a moment’s notice would explicitly display divine power and heavenly might. Such exhibitions of power at the prompting of Satan would only reveal a latent doubt and unbelief. Satan’s temptations dared Jesus to act for his own benefit rather than submitting to his Father’s will. If he had yielded to the enemy’s provocation, Jesus would have compromised his integrity. Demonstrating faithful devotion, Jesus resisted Satan’s alluring scheme.

All temptation is fed by unbelief. Doubting Jesus causes people to resort to reckless living that puts God to the test. Under the pressure of unbelief, prayers become demands, and petitions degrade into selfish expressions of entitlement. Abstaining from bodily nourishment emphatically asserts that God is protector, sustainer, and provider. Believers reinforce and strengthen their trust in God when they fast because they are entrusting themselves to God’s care in God’s timing and in God’s way. Consequently, when the devil raises doubts about Jesus—his identity, authority, ability, or integrity—disciples of Christ are ready to respond with faith in Jesus. Fasting builds one’s faith in Christ so that under the test of trial and temptation, believers refuse to put God to the test.

Him Only: Expressing Our Devotion in Exclusive Worship

Biblical Narrative (Matthew 4:8–10)

The final temptation took place on “a very high mountain” (4:8). At this elevated location, Satan showed Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (4:8). This temptation appealed to power, glory, and wealth. By God’s allowance, Satan has some limited jurisdiction over happenings in the world. His authority is not total, and his power is not supreme. Yet somehow, Satan tried to offer what Jesus already possessed—universal rule. Satan offered this to Jesus if he would “fall down and worship” (4:9). This final temptation reveals what Satan is really after—worship and praise. He desires to be elevated and adored as God, even though he is not. So desperate is Satan for this false worship that he tried to pay for it with the kingdoms of the earth.

Jesus did not succumb to this evil suggestion. He promptly banished Satan with a rebuking exclamation: “Away from Me, Satan!” (4:10). Jesus overcame Satan’s enticements by once again quoting Scripture. He recited a passage that commanded exclusive devotion to God alone: “Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (4:10; cf. Deuteronomy 6:13). Accepting Satan’s invitation would clearly violate this command and be a devastating act of faithlessness. Sin and temptation make offers of power, fame, and wealth in exchange for false worship. Jesus’ knowledge of the Scripture and his undivided faithfulness to God the Father enabled him to reject false worship and remain committed to God the Father and his own divine vocation. Heeding his example is vital for our formation in the faith.

Biblical Principles

Temptations of Power and Glory. The devil’s third attack on Jesus tempted him to false worship in exchange for world dominion. He brought Jesus to “a very high mountain” (4:8) in order to show him the empires of the world. In addition to providing a clear view of the nations, the mountain’s height might very well have stirred a sense of pride in most. Satan offered Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (4:8) if he bowed down to worship him (4:9). In this temptation, Satan enticed Jesus to sin with the promise of unrivaled power and unequaled fame. The desire for power and glory certainly tempts the human heart into a myriad of sins. Pride, conceit, and arrogance elevate the self in opposition to God. Self-aggrandizement and self-exaltation indefinitely lead one to false worship. One cannot promote oneself without paying homage to some false deity. At the foundation of all pride is a deceitful wager—a promise for power and glory in exchange for one’s soul. Every wager of this kind is not only sure to disappoint but certain to corrupt. The spiritual discipline of fasting helps to confront these temptations by humbling the proud, renouncing selfish ambition, relinquishing one’s rights, and insisting on pure and exclusive devotion to God.

Pure Worship. Disciples of Christ worship God alone. In Jesus’ response to Satan’s final temptation, he declared this basic principle of Christian living and formation: “worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (4:10). God alone deserves to be worshiped. Satan forcefully and frantically wants to rob God of this worship. An evil adversary of God and God’s people, the devil will appeal to our pride and selfishness in order to obtain human praise. Fasting helps believers establish an exclusive and wholehearted devotion to God. By refraining from earthly provision, believers in Christ diminish the appeal for worldly power and entrust themselves to God’s sovereign care. Embracing weakness in times of fasting helps disciples to develop an aversion to human praise. Exercising self-discipline by means of this spiritual practice prepares believers to serve God with a singular and undivided allegiance. Ultimately, fasting is an expression of pure worship: exalting the true God in a way that renounces all false gods.

The Nature of Sin and Temptation. This passage teaches us much about the nature of temptation and sin. Sin appears to be enriching, but only leads to ruin. Satan (falsely) promises to fulfill our desires when he is actually planning for our demise. Desire, unbelief, insecurity, and false worship are underlying causes that cause us to comply with temptation. At these points, we must clearly expose and explicitly condemn temptation when it arises. God alone is the source of our satisfaction, the standard of truth, and the object of our worship. In sin and temptation is an offer to provide what is not needed, a suspicion to doubt what is clearly true, and a false promise to give what is already possessed. Importantly, this narrative took place after Jesus’ baptism and prior to the launch of his ministry. Temptation to sin will often accompany times of deep communion with the Lord and ministry opportunities. We should be watchful and alert to this reality. Fasting can help us develop vigilance in Christian living and ministry.

The various locations of these temptations also matter. They progress from wilderness terrain (4:3) to temple pinnacle (4:5) to mountain peak (4:8–9). These locations represent an increasing elevation, almost to suggest an intensifying appeal to one’s pride and lofty self-image. They also represent earthly, religious, and sociopolitical domains. Temptations to sin impact individual, communal, and societal spheres. By longing for God as our ultimate joy, trusting in God as our true protection, and worshiping God alone as our only Lord, we influence the world around us rather than being shaped by the world’s sinful schemes. Disciplined and devoted, the fasting Christian has the opportunity to not only preserve their own spiritual vitality but also impact the surrounding world.

The Devil Left Him: Discovering Decisive Victory in Jesus

Biblical Narrative (Matthew 4:11)

In the final scene of this narrative, Jesus achieved decisive victory over Satan. Although Jesus did not use his authority to transform stones into bread (4:3) or command angels to his side (4:6), he did use his authoritative word to banish Satan (4:10). While Jesus did not yield to Satan’s deceptive words, Satan was compelled to listen to Jesus’ divine command. After he failed to undermine Jesus’ integrity during these three intense encounters, “the devil left Him” (4:11). Satan’s departure signaled Jesus’ conquest over Satan. At this time, “angels came and ministered to Him” (4:11). Angels did eventually attend to Jesus, but not through an act of presumption or unbelief. The angels came because Jesus was truly God’s Son, and he had demonstrated faithfulness in overcoming Satan’s schemes. In this way, this angelic visitation validated Jesus’ identity as the Son of God.

Biblical Principles

Victory of Satan. This narrative recounts Jesus’ definitive victory over Satan. The final temptation concluded with Jesus banishing the devil from his presence: “Away from Me, Satan!” (4:10). In response to this command, “the devil left Him” (4:11). In this way, Jesus’ authority was put on full display. Throughout this brief narrative, the devil issued commands to Jesus (4:3, 6), but his directives could not subject Jesus to his domineering efforts. Instead, Jesus’ righteous commands (4:7, 10) proved more powerful than the enemy’s wicked mandates. Withstanding Satan’s temptations and casting out Satan from his presence, Jesus displayed his supreme authority and unconquerable reign. The enemy had launched a fierce offensive against Jesus, but he left in utter failure.

Fasting is a faith practice of securing spiritual victory over evil. Done in Christlike fashion, fasting Christians can break strongholds, overcome temptation, oppose evil, and vanquish Satan. This intentional weakening of the flesh can cultivate a renewed spiritual strength. An enemy who preys on indiscipline, indulgence, and immoderation, Satan is no match for believers who have crucified their sinful desires. His alluring appeals are exposed as trivial and hollow to those who have found fulfillment and substance in Christ. Victory in the Christian life does not mean the absence of temptation, suffering, or spiritual attack. Triumphant Christianity constitutes the renunciation of sin, the endurance of hardship, and the resistance of evil. Christ secured this victory in the wilderness through his disciplined fast, and he commends this practice to us.

Focus on Jesus. Fasting helps believers maintain a central focus on Christ. Eyes of faith fixed on Jesus make one strong against temptation and faithful throughout life. This narrative clearly portrays Jesus as an example to his disciples. Although the specific circumstances of Jesus’ temptation are unique and unrepeatable, many of the details in this narrative assist believers in overcoming sin, temptation, and evil. Jesus is empathetic to human weakness and need. Having endured the devil’s temptations, Jesus understands the weight and pressure of temptation. He wrestled against bodily hunger, experienced Satan’s attacks, confronted sin’s deception with Scripture, and resisted self-exaltation. Jesus knows what humans endure when they are tempted to sin. This is comforting to the suffering and struggling believer, especially because Jesus bore intense temptation and did not yield to sin.

Even though Jesus offers a model for Christian formation, his temptation is a unique instance of victory over Satan. Jesus achieved victory over sin and Satan so that we could share in his triumph. His victory is secure because he is God. After Jesus told Satan that people should “serve [God] only” (4:10), the angels and “ministered to [Jesus]” (4:11). The angelic visitation authenticates Jesus as fully God, deserving of worship, praise, and adoration. Although this passage clearly commends fasting as a key faith practice, it also highlights the person and character of Christ. When we fast, we are orienting our lives around Christ: following him as our example, clinging to him as our comforter, trusting him as our substitute, and worshiping him as our Lord.

Conclusion

In this narrative, Jesus overcame temptation, resisted sin, endured hardship, and conquered Satan. He entered the wilderness, fasting for forty days and forty nights. Fasting prepared Jesus for spiritual battle. When Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, Jesus declared the sustaining power of God’s word. In the second temptation, Satan urged Jesus to throw himself from the top of the temple. In response, Jesus warned Satan against tempting God. Finally, Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world if he bowed down and worshiped him. Jesus rebuked Satan, and Satan left in defeat. Showing himself as a model to us, Jesus had Scripture memorized so that he could deploy it during the fierce wilderness combat when he faced temptation to sin and spiritual attack.

Jesus’ wilderness fast commends to us the spiritual practice of fasting. When we fast as Jesus taught us, we prepare ourselves for the spiritual battle of the Christian life. This spiritual practice helps us grow in self-control, self-discipline, and self-restraint. Temporary abstinence from food can equip us to overcome the temptations of various kinds. When we fast, we are really feasting on God. Finding our ultimate fulfillment in God, we can resist bodily desires, expose Satan’s lies, overcome unbelief, and uproot false worship. An enlarged appetite for God makes sinful appeals trivial. In this way, the practice of fasting can help us realize victory over sin, suffering, and Satan.

Session Synopsis

SESSION 11 SYNOPSIS
Fasting	In this passage, Jesus commends the practice of fasting. After Jesus’ baptism and before the public launch of his ministry, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for a time of testing and temptation. Jesus fasted for forty days. At this time, Satan tempted Jesus three times in the wilderness. The temptations revolved around physical needs, security, authority, and glory. Jesus’ time in the wilderness demonstrates that the Christian life is a spiritual war, and fasting is a helpful practice by which disciples can develop self-discipline, watchfulness, and faith for this battle of faith. A summary of this story’s principles is outlined below.
Christian Life as Spiritual Battle and Pilgrimage	The life of faith is a spiritual battle and spiritual pilgrimage (4:1–3). God allows his people (4:1) to endure temptation (4:1–2), hardship (4:2), and Satan’s attacks (4:1, 3, 5–6, 8–9) as tests of faith and devotion. Fasting helps believers embrace the life of faith as a wilderness journey through difficult land and as a spiritual battle against an evil foe.
Fasting	Fasting is an important spiritual discipline that helps believers strengthen their faith, resist sinful temptations, and combat Satan’s attacks (4:1–3). Satan often tempts people around desires and physical weakness (4:2–4), authority and self-preservation (4:5–6), glory and power (4:8–9), and identity (4:3, 6)
True Satisfaction	God knows our physical weakness and meets the needs of his people (4:2, 4). Real life is not based upon physical nourishment but upon the truth of God’s word (4:4). We are vulnerable to temptation and sin when we are tired, hungry, and depleted. Fasting helps us root our lives in God’s word and find our true satisfaction in God.
Genuine Faith	As a protector, God takes care of his people. People can wrongfully test God (4:7) when they put themselves in situations that demand God respond a certain way (4:5–6). Temptation to sin is fed by unbelief and desires for self-protection (4:6). Fasting reinforces our trust in God’s goodness, sovereignty, and power.
Pure Worship	God alone deserves our worship and praise (4:10). In the narrative, the progression from wilderness (4:3) to temple (4:5) to mountaintop (4:8–9) is an increasing elevation, representing the increasing exaltation of self. Temptation to sin often appeals to a person’s desire for glory, power, and fame (4:8–9). Fasting purifies our worship of God alone.
Victory Over Evil	Jesus gained complete victory over Satan (4:10–11). Jesus’ righteous commands (4:7, 10) overcame Satan’s evil commands (4:3, 6). Jesus’ victory over the enemy gives believers victory over evil as well. Jesus’ triumph over Satan is also an example of how believers can face suffering, persecution, temptation, and spiritual warfare. Fasting enables believers to experience victory in Christ.
Importance of God’s Word	God’s word is foundational to the Christian life. (4:4, 4:6–7, 10). The devil misuses God’s word to people to sin (4:6; cf. Psalm 91:11–12). Believers should use God’s word to confront Satan’s attacks and temptations (4:4, 7, 10; cf. Deuteronomy 6:13, 16; 8:3). Fasting roots believers in God’s word.
Devotion to Jesus	The temptations in the wilderness challenged Jesus’ identity (4:3, 6). At the end of the narrative, the angels ministered to Jesus (4:11). Because Jesus is fully God, he is deserving of all worship and service (4:10). Fasting helps us increase our devotion to and worship of Jesus.

Personal Reflection: Entering the Story

Apply the Text: The word of God is binding and authoritative, the only reliable guide for faith and godliness. True disciples submit themselves to God’s word. In this movement, you will apply God’s word to your lives.

Reflection Questions

Encourage one person to share a testimony about how this story has impacted them so far. Use the reflection questions to examine your life in light of this biblical passage.

Spiritual Practice

Fast With Purpose

In the upcoming week, identify one day to fast. Think through the purpose and focus of your fast and what you will fast from. As you engage in the exercise, try to record the experience. Afterward, reflect on what the challenges were, the insights you gained, and the emotions you felt.

Ministry Practice: Rehearsing the Script

Minister the Text: God’s word is living and active. Through God’s word, the Christian community is edified. In this movement, you will utilize the biblical passage to minister to other believers and build them up in their faith.

Application Questions

Look at the infographic below. Use the questions to think about how to minister this text to other believers.

Missional Outreach: Publicizing the Truth

Witness the Text: The Bible is a message of God’s gracious salvation to the world. In word and deed, God’s people proclaim the good news of the gospel. In this movement, you will use this biblical passage to reach out to unbelievers.

Strategy Questions

Reflect on the infographic below. Consider how you can use this passage to witness to the surrounding world. Use the suggested ideas to prime your imagination. Then, put together a plan to share this passage with unbelievers, Afterward, reflect on this mission experience.