Walking With Jesus – Matthew Chapter Four Verses One to Ten

 

Matthew 4: 1-10 "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Being led by the Holy Spirit

Jesus was led by the Spirit to pray and fast for forty days and forty nights. This was to prepare him for his coming ministry and His redemptive work at Calvary. It was also to prepare him for the temptation that the devil would bring as the fast ended.


Christ Jesus was obedient to the Spirit’s guiding and the will of His Father in Heaven. He gave no protest and began the fast and kept it for the entire forty days and forty nights. To lean himself down; to prepare for going without at a personal level; To harden his resolve; to prepare for the war to come.


Do you listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life. Are you obedient to the will of God. Do you view yourself as a soldier in the Army of Jehovah. Do you take up the Full Armour of God. The Helmet of Salvation, Breastplate of Righteousness, Belt of Truth, Shield of Faith, Sword of the Spirit – The Word of God, Feet shod in the Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 6). For you are purchased with a price. The Blood of the Lamb and God has a purpose for you in your life. Are you fulfilling that purpose?


Fast and Pray


In order for Jesus to complete his mission as the Son of Man and the Lamb of God. He needed a dedicated time at the beginning of His ministry to spend time with His Father in Heaven. By Fasting and Praying, for forty days and forty nights, he was able to gain an exact knowledge of what God intended Him to do to fulfil the plan that they had laid out together.


It was a time of strengthening and hardening of resolve. The sacrifice that Christ Jesus must make, was most definitely the greatest battle of the war against Satan and the most difficult task that a single human being has ever been called upon to undertake and to achieve the Victory over Sin.


The fact that Jesus Christ did fulfil His three year ministry and the crucifixion process, is a testimony to the forty day fast at the beginning of the ministry and His on going fasting with prayer through the time of three years the comprised the ministry.


The Power of the Word of God


Jesus was tempted by Satan at the end of his forty day and forty night fast. Satan preyed on the fact that Jesus must be exceedingly hungry. He extolled Him to command the stones to become bread. Jesus responded that the things of this World are not the most important things rather the things of God as described in the Word of God. So then, we can take from this that if you live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and your food will be taken care of as well. When you are tempted remember to use the Word of God to defeat the enemy!


Next, Satan encouraged Jesus to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple and Jesus told him the scripture “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” So defeated once more, Satan then took Jesus to a high mountain overlooking many kingdoms. He offered Jesus all of these kingdoms if he would kneel and worship him. Jesus quoted the first commandment “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.” He also said “Away with you Satan.” This brings to mind the scripture “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)


This was a short battle and Satan didn’t stay to continue his failing assault on what he perceived to be the Christ at His weakest point. Even in that weak state, using the Word of God under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Christ Jesus was more than a match for the fallen archangel.


The angels then came to minister to Jesus. Remember always, that you are a child of God. A brother or a sister of Jesus Christ. Who is the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Resurrected Saviour, Emmanuel – God Who Is With Us. When you are in battle and after the battle. The Holy Spirit is with you always and the Angels are available to minister to you and they will come. There are many tales of angels appearing in the battle and rescuing the Children of God so that they may live to fight another day.


This scripture in Matthew Four is a precious one, in that it lays out a plan by which any Christian can be victorious. Through Prayer and Fasting, memorising the Word of God and seeking God to ask the Holy Spirit to sanctify you and fill you up to the Fullness of God. That you may be fit for the battle against the enemy, against principalities, the powers of darkness and all of the evil that you might encounter. That you might be victorious as Christ Jesus is victorious.