Overcome Your Testing: How Jesus Defeated Satan in the Wilderness
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1).
When people think of wilderness, they often imagine tranquil beauty awash with pastel wildflowers and pristine peaks that nourish the soul and envelop a person like a warm hug.
Yet, others see the wilderness as a place of testing—a proving ground of sorts. In my upper twenties, I sought the latter—which is how I found myself climbing a vertical rock face in the dark.
My two friends and I fixed our eyes on a tall route in the Flatirons, the iconic 1,000-foot rock faces near Boulder, Colorado. While our route was not especially difficult, the dark added an extra challenge.
We rationalized that after sunset the climb would be cooler and less crowded. But if I’m honest, I think we wanted the extra challenge—a testing of sorts.
We certainly found one.
I remember looking out into the inky void, wondering if we had made a wise decision. Being a newer multipitch climber, leading by headlamp proved spicy. We finished well into the morning hours, passing our self-inflicted “test.”
Jesus also faced a test, though not necessarily of his choosing—or as trivial as rock climbing. The Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. His pivotal example of steadfast obedience amidst severe testing stands as a model for all believers to follow.
Jesus’ testing came in the heart of the Judean desert—a harsh landscape akin to a spaghetti western.
Called to the Wild
Christopher Lawrence
The devil hurled three temptations at Jesus, the intensity building with each.
The first test involved hunger. Fasting for forty days, Jesus no doubt grew famished. At a point of weakness, Satan told Jesus to turn rocks into bread.
In this desert, soft lime coats many of the stones giving them a tannish color and making them actually resemble bread, which underscored the temptation.
Jesus responded, “Man does not live on bread alone, but from every word that comes from the mouth of God”—a direct quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3.
Next Satan told Jesus to leap off the highest point of the temple—an enticement to use God for selfish reasons.
“Do not put the LORD your God to the test,” Jesus responded (Deuteronomy 6:3). Then Satan demanded Jesus worship him, a temptation which scholars say would spare Jesus the agony of the cross but thwart the Father’s mission.
Jesus said, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only” (Deuteronomy 6:13).
The stakes and intensity of these tests are hard to fathom. What if Jesus failed?
Yet Jesus remained faithful, therefore qualifying him to be the sinless sacrifice for humanity.
When facing temptation, we should also stand our ground with Scripture. Memorizing key passages and being ready to use them is like having a tourniquet for a sliced-off limb—it could prove lifesaving.
Notice that amidst his distress, Jesus never lashes out or questions God. Likewise, when facing testing we should not be overcome by anger or despair.
Rather than believing God is forsaking us, we should see it as an opportunity to trust him. For God can use any difficulty to work grit into our faith and souls.
Grit is the toughness and perseverance to see some- thing through—both of which prove indispensable for living the Christian life. We rely on Christ’s strength and choose to hang in there when the going gets tough. And sooner or later it will.
Like Jesus, we don’t always get the choice for what challenge we will face. But we do get to choose how we face it. We must obediently follow the Father through the wilderness so he can fulfill his purpose for our lives. This is true grit.
As Romans 5:3-4 says, “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Each test gives us the opportunity to stretch our trust and toughen our spiritual hide—which gives us hope.
None of us will pass each test with flying colors, but Jesus can restore us when we fall.
While self-imposed outdoor testing has its place, learning to trust God and stand strong in faith against adversity holds eternal value.
No matter what challenge we face, Jesus can give us the strength and grit to pass the test.
Question:
What testing or adversity have you been facing lately? What truth about God has helped you stand strong?
Prayer:
Lord, please help me grow my grit and perseverance. Thank you that you forgive me and restore me when I fail. But please work this virtue of grit in my life, so that I may be able to stand up to these tests like Jesus did. Amen.
Brave the wild adventure of life with God.
Life is full of unknowns. It’s natural to want answers, explanations, and clear directions along the way. But for the Christ-follower, this longing for clarity is met with a mysterious invitation: to trust, to surrender, to lay down one’s life.
After his baptism, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, where he was tempted, where his identity as “God’s beloved son” was solidified, and where he drew close to God. The wilderness is not only a place to observe the grandeur of God, it’s a place to explore the mysteries of God: His purposes, His plans, and His relentless love.
Called to the Wild is a 40-day journey filled with thrilling adventure stories and poignant Biblical meditations, through which outdoor guide and Cru campus minister, Chris Lawrence, helps readers overcome fear and self-doubt by learning to follow Jesus as their trustworthy Guide through life’s every adventure.
Perfect for those who love the outdoors, this 40-day “expedition” contains daily devotionals inspired by Lawrence’s firsthand experiences in the wilderness. Connecting these adventures with Scripture passages and insightful questions, this book will inspire the reader to:
Connect with God’s word in a fresh way
Explore His specific purposes
Trust God in the unknown
Walk more intimately with Him
Even for the most faithful believer, instability and self-doubt threaten to steal joy, purpose, and passion. Every one of us is called to the wild: to draw near, to walk with, and to trust this Guide who is not tame, but who is always good.
