The devil is everywhere. He has always been everywhere and will always be everywhere. The problem for the world and especially for Christians is that as technology advances, we are making his work easier. Matthew 4 tells us of the three types of temptations Satan will use to lure us into sin. These three (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life) were used by Satan against Jesus two thousand years ago and are still used by him against us daily.
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”
Matthew 4:1-11 NLT
The first temptation we see in this passage is the lust of the flesh. This occurred when Satan told Jesus to turn the stones into bread. He did not give in, no matter how hungry he was. Imagine being Jesus, a human being like us; but, with the power to turn stones into bread just by saying the words, and yet he did not even when tempted to do so. Unfortunately, while Jesus turned down the bread; many today struggle with gluttony or food addiction. We need food to survive, but Satan could use food to enslave man.
“You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.”
1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT
The second temptation employed by Satan against Jesus was the pride of life. He took Jesus to the top of the temple and told him to test God by throwing himself off of the temple and allowing the angels to catch him. Jesus rebuked that because we are to submit to God, not the other way around. Pride of life is evident today when someone acquires earthly treasures (material possessions, status, education, etc.), and then believes they are superior to others around them. Narcissistic individuals will seek attention or popularity at any cost; this is the sin of the pride of life. We need to always step back and remember that what we have is not because of ourselves, but because of God.
“But our ancestors were proud and stubborn, and they paid no attention to your commands.”
Nehemiah 9:16 NLT
The final temptation used by Satan against Jesus was the lust of the eyes. Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth and told him that if he bowed down to him, he will give them to him. How insane must Satan be to even say such a thing? The world is God’s to give, not Satan’s.
“But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Matthew 5:28 NLT
In our world today, pornography is so easily accessible. Everyone has computers in their pockets, and the internet is calling us to sin. We may get the urge to look at such content, but like Jesus, we must stand strong against temptation.
Messengers of Mercy 