The Devil Tempts Jesus – Part 1

Matthew 4:1-11

Whether you realize it or not; whether you are a Christian or not, the devil is on a mission to kill, steal and destroy BOTH believers and unbelievers.
Jesus faced the same tests, trials and temptations that we all face in our lives. The great thing about Jesus is that He overcame temptation in every area that the devil tried to tempt Him.

When Jesus was being tempted, there are various lessons you can learn about the devil’s tactics and about why Jesus was successful in overcoming temptation.
Today, I will concentrate on one of those tactics of the devil and why Jesus was successful over temptation.

The Devil Attacks Your Identity
On the two different attempts that the devil tested Jesus, the devil would begin by saying these very words: “IF you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3 and Matthew 4:5)
Even though the devil himself knew that Jesus WAS the Son of God, by using the word “IF”, the devil still attempted to very subtly throw a seed of doubt into Jesus’ mind about who He was. You see the devil knows that if he can get you to doubt your identity in Christ, then he can get you to fail in so many areas of your life.
Have you ever doubted your salvation after you became a Christian? Have you ever doubted if God wants to bless you? Whenever you sin or make a mistake, do you ever doubt whether God loves you?
That’s just the devil attacking your identity in Christ. Knowing who you are in Christ is one of the foundations of your relationship with God.

John 10:30 NKJV
“I and My Father are one.”

John 10:31-33 NKJV
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”  The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

Jesus knew who He was despite insinuations from the devil to prove Himself and despite the opposition from the Pharisees about His identity.
Jesus knew without a doubt that He was the Son of God and He knew the power and authority that came with His identity.

When you become a Christian, the devil will try by all means to attack you FIRST in the area of your identity in Christ. It is the devil’s MOST SUBTLE area of attack. The devil will try to convince you that you are a chicken, yet in God’s eyes you are an eagle. But as long as you believe that you are a chicken, you will always walk like a chicken and talk like a chicken and believe like a chicken.
Your thoughts and actions are based on what your core beliefs are about yourself.

So what do you REALLY believe about yourself and who you really are in Christ? Yes you may know what the bible says about your identity in Christ – but DO YOU BELIEVE IT?

For example in the face of TESTS & TRIALS do you BELIEVE & BEHAVE as one who is “more than a conqueror in Christ” (Romans 8:37)? Do you BELIEVE & BEHAVE as one who “can do all things through Christ” (Philippians 4:13)?

One of the reasons why the devil couldn’t succeed in tempting Jesus was because Jesus knew who He was and no word or insinuation from the devil was going to change that.
TODAY. Discover who you are in Christ. Then BELIEVE it.

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