As we live the Christian life, many of us feel like we have to work hard to gain God’s approval. We wonder if we’ve done enough to “pass the test” and make Him happy. In Matthew 4:1–11, we find Someone who has passed the test. Satan offers Jesus three temptations, presenting opportunities for Him to doubt God’s provision, promise, and plan.

Doubting God’s Provision

Satan begins by playing off Jesus’ physical weakness: His hunger. Although Jesus is fully God, He is also fully man, meaning He experienced what it feels like to be tired and hungry. Know your weaknesses! Satan will attack them and try to lead you into sin.

Sin leads to death. If you know that the sin your friend is committing is leading to death, how does that change the way you talk to them and help them fight sin? Life is at stake!

When Satan urged Jesus to eat, this was an opportunity to doubt God’s provision. Jesus responded in faith, trusting that God would sustain Him. We often look for life-giving sustenance through material means. We need to realize that the Bible is what we need most of all. Through it, we have access to the Bread of Life!

Doubting God’s Promise

Satan then tempts Jesus to throw Himself off of the temple, reminding Him that God has promised to protect Him. Satan is offering Jesus an opportunity to doubt God’s promises, but Jesus does not take the bait.

Notice that Satan actually backs his claim up with Scripture. Let’s be careful not to take Scripture out of context like Satan does here. We may get the meaning wrong and fall for an argument such as this.

Doubting God’s Plan

Finally, Satan showed Jesus the whole world, saying it could all be His if Jesus only worshiped Satan. This was a temptation because Jesus had come for this very purpose: to be the King of the whole world. But He was to do it by the Father’s plan, which included being beaten, tortured, and crucified while the Father’s wrath was poured out on Him. Satan’s offer was the crown without the cross. Sin appears to offer you everything without the cost. But nothing Satan can offer you will last. Jesus responded faithfully by willingly choosing the cross.

Rest Secure and Seek God

Since Jesus has passed the test that everyone else across history has failed, we must rest secure and seek Him. We don’t need to strive to prove our worth or think we need any works to be truly justified before God. All our efforts to be good are actually filthy rags. But there is hope because the perfect righteousness of the Son is ours in Christ. We are incapable, but He has passed the test for us!

We must also seek God in prayer when we are tempted. We have a high priest who understands us and offers help in every time of need!