Why didn’t Jesus do what Satan told him to do?

Jesus is also God. And our God is all-powerful and sovereign. That means that all things were created by Him and for Him. This would include Satan.

Satan is a created being. He is not equal to God and Satan cannot make God do anything. God created Satan. Because Jesus is God, Satan cannot tell Jesus what to do. Of course, there are several instances where Satan tries to tell Jesus what to do; in fact, in the book of Matthew, chapter 4, we see Satan try and tempt Jesus in the desert. But, Jesus does not give in to Satan and uses the word of God to resist him.

Never forget that you have the strength of Jesus in you. Jesus died for all of us and we are saved because of His sacrifice. When you feel pressured by friends to do things that are wrong, ask for Jesus’ help. If you ever have any doubts about Jesus’ abilities, just think of Philippians 4:13, which reads:

“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

Why did God send Jesus into the desert to be tempted by Satan?

That is an awesome question! If you read the very first line of the Book of Matthew, Chapter 4, Verse 1, it says, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”

So, just by this verse alone, we learn two things: 1, God (the Spirit) was involved in this plan and 2, He allowed Jesus to be tempted. And you’re saying, “Okay…but why???”

God sent Jesus to show us how to resist the devil. Remember, Jesus is God so, if He wanted, He could have made Satan disappear with just a thought. But, instead (and this is the part I love), He responded to Satan as a human to set the example for the rest of us humans. He showed us through His actions how to resist temptation!

And, if you were listening real close you heard how Jesus set the example for us. Do you recall? He accessed God’s strength. He used the passages from the Bible to give Him the strength He needed to resist Satan’s temptations. He turned to God’s Word. He did that to show us that if we can access God’s strength through prayer or knowing God’s Word and trusting in God’s Word that we can also resist temptation. Because, guess what? We can’t do it alone. And Jesus was showing that He couldn’t do it alone as a man.

Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13? It said, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But, when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” That is a promise from God to you. God knows we can’t do it alone. Jesus knew it and that’s why He showed us how to resist temptation by turning to God and by turning away from Satan and to keep walking away from him.

So, that’s why God sent Jesus into the desert to be tempted by Satan. It was to demonstrate to us how we can beat Satan by turning to God and by turning away from the temptation of the devil. Remember Philippians 4:13…”I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

How did Jesus get in the desert to be tempted? In other words, what did Jesus have to do to go there?

Those are awesome questions! Well, we know one thing for sure…He didn’t drive there! I’m teasing, of course. But, the reality of the situation is that Jesus walked there. And, more importantly, He had some help.

If you read the very first line of the Book of Matthew, Chapter 4, Verse 1, it says, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”

So, just by this verse alone, we learn two things: 1, God (the Spirit) led Jesus into the desert and 2, he allowed Jesus to be tempted. This was all part of God’s “Unstoppable Plan.” Part of this was God’s plan in preparing Jesus for His ministry on Earth. Jesus was walking in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights and fasting at the same time!

So, what did Jesus have to do to go there? He had to trust God and be an obedient servant. He knew God would take care of Him if he was spiritually obedient and following God’s commands. That’s how he was able to go 40 days without eating! That’s amazing…I can’t even go 3 hours without a snack!

You know, one of my favorite parts of that whole story is the last verse, verse 11, that reads, “Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him.” That shows that, even though Jesus was God, He was also man and needed, for lack of a better term, “first aid.” It shows Jesus’ humanity.

Aren’t you thankful that Jesus experienced these things and taught us from experience how to resist temptation, how to live, and, most importantly, how to love? I know I am.

How could Jesus be tempted?

That is an awesome question! If you read the very first line of the Book of Matthew, Chapter 4, Verse 1, it says, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”

So, just by this verse alone, we learn two things: 1, God (the Spirit) was involved in this plan and 2, he allowed Jesus to be tempted. You see, it is not a sin to be tempted. The sin is giving in to that temptation.

You wanna know what’s really cool? Jesus is God. And, Jesus is man. I’m telling you this because, if Jesus had wanted, he could have made Satan disappear with a thought or the blink of an eye. But, instead (and this is the part I love), He responded to Satan as a human to set the example for the rest of us humans. He showed us through His actions how to resist temptation!

Jesus set the example for us. He accessed God’s strength. He used the passages from the Bible to give Him the strength He needed to resist Satan’s temptations. He did that to show us that if we can access God’s strength through prayer or knowing God’s Word and trusting in God’s Word that we can also resist temptation. Because, guess what? We can’t do it alone. And Jesus was showing that He couldn’t do it alone as a man.

Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13? It said, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But, when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” That is a promise from God to you. God knows we can’t do it alone. Jesus knew it and that’s why He showed us how to resist temptation by turning to God and by turning away from Satan and to keep walking away from him.

So, how could be Jesus be tempted? Because God allowed it to show us how we can resist the devil. The key is that Jesus did not give in to the temptation and He turned away from it.

What about Adam and Eve, how were they tempted?

That is an awesome question! They were tempted by the serpent (who was really Satan, darn that guy!) who said to Eve, “Did God really say you mustn’t eat from any tree in the garden?” And poor Eve, replies, “Well, we may eat fruit from the trees in the Garden but God did say, you must not eat the fruit from the middle of the garden and you must not touch it or you will die.”

And that wily old serpent kept pestering Eve and kept tempting her, which distracted her and caused her to doubt. He lied and said, “Ohhhh, you surely will not die! For God knows that when eat of it your eyes will be open and you will be like God knowing good and evil.””

He played to her pride, making her think she could be like God. See? That’s what Satan does! Satan is smart…he won’t tempt you with things you don’t care about. He’ll tempt you in the area that he knows will push your buttons. In Eve’s case (and Adam’s too) he appealed to their envy and pride.

And so, Eve and Adam ate of the apple and their eyes were open but they certainly weren’t like God. They realized they were naked and were embarrassed. And, because of that small but significant act of taking a bite of an apple, sin entered the world.

But, it all started with the serpent tempting Eve and pushing the right buttons so she couldn’t resist.