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Part 3 - The Kingdom Can Be Yours

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How Jesus Fought Temptation

the Series

I hope you were able to read part #1 and part #2 of this series. If so, you have seen how Jesus has been tempted twice so far, and Satan has no intentions on stopping. I hope you have seen that Jesus has been using scriptures to help Him overcome the temptations of Satan. Although Satan is still around, Jesus believed, and had faith, that God would give Him the power to restrain from those temptations through His Words. 

After Jesus was tempted to jump from the temple, and be saved by God's angels, Satan tried once more to tempt Jesus. In Matthew 4:8-10 it says, "Satan took Jesus up on a high peak where Satan said, 'I will give all the kingdoms of the World if you will kneel down and worship me.', and Jesus told him, 'Away with you Satan." For the scriptures say, "You must worship the Lord your God and serve Him only."

Jesus was again quoting from Deuteronomy where in Ch 6:13 it says, "You must fear the Lord your God, and serve Him only, and take your oaths in His Name." 
  
Do you think Satan had the power to give Jesus all the Kingdom of the earth if Jesus would kneel to Satan? I want you to think about this for a minute. Who did God give power of the earth to? Let us see what scriptures say in 1 John 5:19, We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one." John 12:31 also says, "The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out."

And in 2 Corinthians 4:4 it says, "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They do not understand the message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God."

If you go back to my question, "Do you think Satan had the power to give Jesus the Kingdoms of the world if Jesus would kneel to him? What do you think? 

I am sorry, but I am not going to personally try and answer the question of Satan's Temptation here. I did want you to think about it though. I will say after some research that some believe he did. All I know is this: There is no way that God would send His beloved Son, Jesus, to earth, to ever worship Satan. Nor would the Son of God ever worship something so opposite of His Father. 

From the time Satan was created he knew he had no power over the Father or the Son. In Isaiah 14:14 it says, "I will preside on the mountains of the gods far away in the North, I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High." 

Satan right here tells us that he desires to be like God, but he knows he actually has no authority over God. How can he have authority if he was created by God? Jesus came as a man to show us how we must overcome the power of Satan. Do not be fooled and think you have this in the bag. He is fierce, he is deceitful, and he wants you as a believer to turn against God. If he tried to do it to Jesus, he will try it to you. Do not let your body become weak in the flesh. Jesus became very weak from not eating, but he was very strong in the mind. 

Remember, the god of this world is Satan's, but the Eternal Kingdom belongs to Jesus. You have to fight, you must believe, and you have to be in the Word!!

My challenge to you is to read your Bible for 10 minutes daily. You may be saying, I don't have the time. However, I am telling you that you can, and should, make the time! You will get to the point after a week or so, that you will not be able to put the scriptures down. Find some scripture and start researching it. Memorize verses so that you can keep your sword sharpened for the on-going attacks from the devil. Satan is not going away until we are dead, and in the presence of our Savior. 

God bless,

Eric
 


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