“KINGDOMS IN CONFLICT!” Gen 3:1-13/Matthew 4:1-11
On the outskirts of town, there was an old walnut tree by the cemetary fence. One day two drifters sat beneath the tree sorting the walnuts evenly between them, as some rolled down the hill.
As it so happens a boy came by on his bike and overheard their voices coming from the ceme-tary. He stopped and could hear one of them saying to the other: “One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.” The boy gasped and seeing an old man across the street raced up to him and declared, “Mister, come here! You won't believe it! I just heard Satan and St. Peter dividing up souls at the cemetary over there!” The man was skeptical...., but followed the boy all the same.
Leaning against the fence they listened and heard the two voices just as the boy had described: “One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.” The elderly man's face went white. “You were right! Straining to catch a glimpse, the boy and the old man listened intently, and heard: “One for you, one for me, and one last one for you. Now let's go get those nuts by the fence and we'll be done!”
In his book, God's Story, Your Story, Max Lucado looks at things from the enemy's perspective.
“If I were the devil, I'd be ticked off! What are you doing here, hanging out with these religious nuts? ….I'd whisper not-so-sweet nothings in your ear, like:' You sure love to be liked and hate to be wrong, don't you? And how about how you hold on to hurt feelings long beyond their expiration date, or how prone you are to spiritual amnesia. At least I think you are. I can't quite remember. Point is, God doesn't love you! I mean, look at you! You call yourself a Christian? Who ya fooling?!'”
If I were the devil I'd serve up heaping dishes of distraction, deception and disillusionment. I'd perch myself on every corner of your world, clamoring for your attention, and burden you with anxiety, loss and uncertainty. I'd distract you with possessions and relational problems so that you'd never think to open the Bible and read it, especially the story of Jesus in the wilderness. What a disaster that was – the day Jesus knocked my best pitch over the Green Monster. I never even landed a punch!
(from Max Lucado's God's Story, Your Story)
If I were the devil, I wouldn't want you thinking about that! But I'm not the devil, so, shall we? In Matthew 3, Jesus was baptized by John and God the Father proudly declared: “This is my dearly beloved Son, who brings me great joy!” (Matthew 3:17) Jesus stepped out of the Jordan strengthened by God's affirmation and the annointing of His Spirit, and began his ministry, not by healing the sick or preaching a sermon, but by fasting and clarifying his mission by exposing Satan's schemes.
The Greek word for devil is diabolos – the accuser or adversary. It shares a root with the verb, diaballein, 'to split'. The devil is a splitter, a divider, a wedge driver – look how polarized we are! He divided Adam and Eve from God in the garden and has every intent of doing the same to you and me.
Satan has many names. He's a: serpent (Genesis 3:13; Rev 12:9; 20:2), a tempter (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), the enemy (Matthew 13:25, 39), the evil one (Matthew 13:19; 1 John 2:13-14), murderous thief (John 10:10), prince of demons (Mark 3:22), father of lies (John 8:44), a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), the great deceiver (Revelation 12:9) and a dragon (Revelation 12:7, 9; 20:2).
Jesus strode into the badlands to clarify his sense of calling and to unmask Satan and expose him. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Matthew 4:1)
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How about you? Has the Spirit ever lead you into the wilderness? Times of testing can be powerful seasons of faith building. You can “rejoice whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (James 1:2-3) In such seasons of testing though we must stay alert to Satan's tricks. As Paul put it, “We are not ignorant of his schemes.”
(2 Corinthians 2:11)
When General George Patton counterattacked Field Marshal Rommel in World War II, Patton is reported to have shouted in the thick of battle, “I read your book, Rommel! I read your book!” Patton had studied Rommel's book, Infantry Attacks. He knew the German general's strategy and planned his moves accordingly and as a result, ultimately defeated him. So it is with the devil.
His strategy is to attack weak spots first. Forty days of fasting left Jesus famished but it was more than food Jesus was being tempted with. Fasting was a way of tuning into God. Satan was trying to interfere, introduce a little static. In his C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letter, a demon trains another, telling him: “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things in their minds; in reality, our best work is done by keeping things out.” Jesus' stomach was empty, so to the stomach Satan turned. “The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” (C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters) / (Matthew 4:2)
Have you ever felt empty? Ever hunger for attention, crave success or popularithy, ever long for intimacy outside of your marriage? Is there some static in your ears? Be aware of your weaknesses. Bring them to God before Satan tries to bring you down thru them. Stay alert to Satan's tricks.
“If you are the Son of God...” (Matt. 4:3) Satan hissed. It's another ploy: raise a question about identity. Satan also tries to use timing to his advantage. Knowing what just happened at Jesus' baptism, where Jesus heard God's voice, claiming him, delighting in him, Satan hammers at that relentlessly: “If you are who you say God says you are..., the son of God..., then prove it!”
So many of us are subject to this attack from the enemy. So many of us today don't really know who we are because the enemy has been in our head since we were little whispering lies about our identity. Ann Louise and I were trained years ago in an inner healing ministry to help people be set free from those lies by hearing and receiving the truth about their past and their person by the one Jesus identified to his followers as the Spirit of Truth. I remember one woman, who'd been abused in heer youth articulating those lies:“I'm dirty. I deserved it. No one loves me! I never should've been born”
As Ann Louise and I prayed for her she started to hear and experience the truth. Soon she was giggling with delight, telling us what Jesus told her as he held her in His arms. You belong to me. You are my handiwork and I don't make mistakes. I love you. I always have and always will!
God's voice can be heard claiming and delighting in you as well: “For God so loves (you) that
He gave you His only Son...” “You are the light of the world! You are the salt of the earth! You are a new creation! You are God's masterpiece in the making!” Counters lies with truth.
(John 3:16; Matthew 5:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10)
Satan twists things and tries to make us think we have to prove ourselves. Clever. If Satan can convince us to trust our abilities over God's Word, he has us right where he wants us!
When Jesus shrugs this off Satan tries another approach. He suggests that Jesus show off in church. “Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down'.” (Matthew 4:5-6)
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Testing isn't limited to the desert; it also occurs in the sanctuary. The two stood on the south-eastern wall of the temple, more than a hundred feet up, and Satan urged Jesus to jump into the arms of God. Jesus refused, not because God wouldn't catch him, but because he didn't have to prove anything to anyone, much less the devil – and neither do you. Satan is going to try and persuade you that you need to prove your faith by drawing attention to your good deeds. But don't buy it. It's a lie. The life of faith and doing good is not about performance but about obedience to the will of God.
“Then the devil took him to a high mountain.” (Matt. 4:8) Matthew's audience no doubt saw a connection with Moses on top of Mt. Nebo, with a view of the promised land, only this time the view comes with a twisted promise. Satan's tactic? Promise heights. He promised power and influence.
He offered to make Jesus top dog, king of the mountain. He led Jesus higher and higher, hoping it would seem, that the thin air would confuse Jesus' thinking. “He showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me.'” (Matthew 4:8-9)
Oops! Satan just showed his hand. He wants center stage and God an afterthought. The cosmic struggle between God and Satan, between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God's Enemy and its impact on individual lives and the church has just moved to center stage. His ambitions were articulated by Isaiah long ago: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God...; I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:13-14)
Satan is planning a coup, but God is on to him. Satan wants us to sell out, but don't buy it. Satan wants to win you to his side, but Christ has already won the fight and is poised to help. “For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. When he lived on earth, he was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God's throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)
So now you have the upper hand. You know his schemes. He'll attack your weak spots. He'll tell you, you can do it on your own. He'll cause you to question your identity as a child of God. He'll sell you all manner of attractive substitutes to give your heart to...and then enslave you to them.
There's another piece here that is terribly timely and we dare not miss it. In a gospel in which Jesus' message about the Kingdom of Heaven takes center stage, as we'll hear him preach about it, we'll see him paint it with the word pictures of his famous parables, we'll even see him demonstrate it with his miracles of healing, deliverance and resurrection, Matthew points to a power struggle between two kingdoms and at the literal height of the enemy's temptations he tries to lure Jesus into his camp with an offer to gain earthly, political power, the very thing that American evangelicals are persuading each other is our calling as followers of Christ. But Christ, in being shown such power, all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor is not about such power. Instead he sends Satan packing.
“Get out of here, Satan!” he orders! That is, that's not my way!
Unlike Jesus, we cannot do battle with Satan on our own. He is the great deceiver and he's plotting to seduce the church itself. He's cunning and full of rage because he knows that his time is short and that God's victory is secure. He resents God's goodness toward you and your worship of God. He's a skilled, ruthless foe who seeks to “work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth there is no equal.” (from Martin Luther's 'A Mighty Fortress')
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But there is wonderful news for the followers of Christ: “We are more than conquerors thru him who loves us!” (Romans 8:37) So arm yourself with God's Word. Keep the sword of truth at your side and your hand of your heart on its hilt, for it is sharper than any two edged sword.
And remember: “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes... Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers...” (Ephesians 6:10-11, 18)
If I were the devil, I wouldn't want you to know how dangerous you are to the powers of dark-ness and deception. But then again, I'm not the devil. So my friends, pray and “stand your ground!”
(Ephesians 6:14)
“God's Word forever shall abide, no thanks to foes who fear it. God himself fights by our side, (not with political persuasion or coersion nor with the weapons of this world, but) with the weapons of the Spirit – sacrificial love, prayer and the Word – for the Kingdom's ours forever!”
(from Martin Luther's A Mighty Fortress)