It would not be an understatement to note that Matthew 4:1-11 is the preeminent passage in all of Scripture to teach about spiritual warfare. For in this passage you see Jesus the Son of God being tempted by the accuser of our souls. This is the epitome of Satan’s pride, that he thinks God in the flesh is a target he is capable of swaying to his twisted way of thought. It is also a demonstration of the epitome of human capability, that through simple meditation on and application of the Word of God, a man in the flesh can defeat our strongest foe – and that on his own turf! Further, the passage ends with two very upbeat notes about engaging in spiritual battle.
First of all, verse 11 begins, “Then the devil left him.” That means that spiritual battles can and do end. We are not ‘on the front lines’ for our entire lives. When such battles are won we are graced with a season of freedom. That doesn’t mean we won’t face another battle down the road, but it does mean that victory is more than possible. That is good news – most of all to those who are growing weary of the fighting!
There is something else that is good news for us – actually the best news. It is found in verse 10, “Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” That tells us that the battle was ended not by Satan, but by Christ. For it was He who commanded, “Away from me!” and He said it with an authority that cannot be refused by even the fiercest enemy, for it was backed up with the eternal truth of the Word of God. Having the Scripture on our side in a spiritual battle is like having gravity on our side in the flesh!
The result is very clear, “Then the devil left him.” This is very good news indeed – not only for Jesus in that moment, but for all of us who follow in His footsteps. For He says to all of us who follow Him, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go…” In the spiritual battle we have the same authority Jesus had, for we labour for the same King. A private on the front line of the war has all the authority of the generals back home.
Moreover, Jesus promised His presence to His disciples, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He even prayed for all who call Him Lord, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”
So Matthew 4:10 is very good news indeed, because we who are His disciples and also face spiritual battle have both His presence with us and His authority upon us. It means we who are walking in fellowship with God and who are on mission with Jesus can overcome and are expected to overcome.
For such reasons Jesus Himself testified, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” God’s children have no need to fear even the greatest of temptations. Satan and his hordes cannot defeat us, for with but a command and the Scripture, they must move on to lesser targets.
Some of us don’t start fighting the battle because we’re not sure we can win the war, but the war has already been won nearly two thousand years ago at Calvary. All you have to worry about is winning the battle today. God can take care of tomorrow.
Mark Batterson
APPLICATION: Thankfulness
Praise God that He has given us everything we need to overcome! As Jesus was victorious, we too will be victorious!