Facing the Temporary Taunts of Temptation -- Don’t Be Pulled In!

The devil led him up a high place, and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours,” Jesus answered, “get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”  NIV (Luke 4:5-8)

We’re creatures of habit, prone to succumb to that which is pleasing to sight, soothing to touch, savoring to taste, and melodious to sound. All around us are reminders that carnal spirits are most acceptable when  they are so prevalent and pervasive. What we worship is what we serve. There’s a saying around my household when any family member is about to fall prey to an ill-advised act or wrong-doing, the first thing that comes out of the mouths of anyone in close proximity to the culprit would be, “don’t get pulled in!” The meaning of that statement is clear, but the deeper meaning is not to let the devil steer you into areas that are not Christ-like -- in other words, stay within the margins of goodness. 


In the scripture paraphrased above, we find Satan trying a tactic in a temptable scheme to get Jesus to denounce all that He created for the good of mankind. Imagine Jesus, after 40 full days of famine, fatigue and self-denial, facing the evil one before him with the audacity to be tempted! Satan’s attempt in my opinion is shallow and couldn’t hold up to Jesus’ original plan. Know that Satan is a master at making the things of this world look so grand, so beautiful to the eye, which is why we so readily fall for the deception and lies that this world presents. 

Don’t be pulled in! Resist being taken out of spiritual context for fleeting moments of bliss. When I read that scripture it reminds me of times in my adolescence the need to always go for, and accept the things that looked good in my eyesight no matter what prior warnings were given to me not to indulge. We’re gluttons for punishment when there’s no discipline keeping us out of harm’s way. The power that Satan wields is not to be ignored or taken for granted. He can give you illusions of grandeur in a heightened state of euphoria because he knows what’s pleasing to you -- a mountain top experience, if you will...just like what he attempted to do with Jesus. 


The key here is knowing that every spiritual vision comes from God. It’s best to approach every inspirational experience with due caution, especially those that offer you instant gratification. Not every mountain top experience is breath-taking -- in fact, it can take your breath away into thinking that status quo is the ultimate without going deeper. Satan can definitely offer you things of great value, albeit in a false sense of security. But can you tell the difference? The Lord Jesus has given us an example to follow when temptation comes. yes, do not be pulled in! Let’s resist the devil by imitating Jesus in constantly renewing our total commitment to God and God only!