Jesus’ Temptation: Part 1
(The Battle from a General Perspective)
Luke 4:1-2

1. Jesus overcame temptation in the worst of all possible conditions
1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. Luke 4:1-2 (ESV)

MacArthur: Adam faced temptation in the best possible surroundings, the garden of Eden. Jesus faced temptation in the worst imaginable setting—the wasteland of the Judean desert.

2. Jesus fought many and varied temptations consistently with the same weaponry
3  The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4  And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5  And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6  and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.
7  If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8  And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
9  And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10  for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 11  and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 12  And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Luke 4:3-12 (ESV)

Jesus was anchored in the Father’s love to endure the battle
22   . . . “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22 (ESV); 1 John 4:10

Jesus was filled with the empowerment of the Spirit during the battle
1  And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness Luke 4:1 (ESV); Ephesians 5:15-18

Jesus’ wielded the sword of God’s Word offensively in the battle
17  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Ephesians 6:12-17 (ESV)

Jesus prayed in preparation for the battle
21  Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, Luke 3:21 (ESV); Ephesians 6:18

3. Jesus’ battle against the spiritual forces of darkness had only just begun
13  And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. Luke 4:13 (ESV); Matthew 16:23; James 4:7; James 1:13

Adam, though created perfect, gave in to temptation, and passed sin onto the whole human race. Jesus, by contrast, resisted Satan.

Jesus, who could not sin, endured temptation in greater fashion than we can even imagine. Why was Jesus tempted? The simple answer . . . for us!

18  For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18 (ESV)