30 Mar Don’t Take the Bait

One of the daily devotionals I read gave me a new perspective on a passage with which I am very familiar. We read in Luke 4 that shortly after Jesus is baptized, He is whisked off into the desert where he is tempted for 40 days. Here’s a summary of an exchange between Jesus and Satan:

Satan: (to a hungry Jesus) “if you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”

Satan: (after showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world) “…I will give you all their authority and splendor…”

Jesus: “It is written. ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

Satan: (urging Jesus to throw himself from the highest point of the temple) “throw yourself down from here” (and you will not be harmed).

Jesus: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

This passage is often used to illustrate that we can use scripture to defend ourselves from temptation: “it is written.” That is certainly true. But my devotional “Daily Wisdom for Men” points out that what Satan is doing is essentially the same as a schoolyard bully daring someone to do something foolish. We can hear the enemy say “I dare you” every time we:

• Are tempted to eat too much (I DARE you to go back for thirds, you know you want to)
• Tempted to engage in flirtatious talk with someone to whom we aren’t married (She won’t be interested in you; I DARE you to go talk to her).
• Tempted to gossip about someone (Come on, they won’t find out you said, I DARE you to dish!)

There are hundreds of other examples, but you get the idea. In these moments, we have a choice. We can take the bait and act, or we can use the tool Jesus did; use God’s word to beat back the bully. When the enemy uses lies to dare you, remind him that he was really attempting to dare God, when we’ve surrendered to the Spirit. At a recent support group meeting, several people in attendance struggled with this verse:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 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 endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

The notion that God doesn’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear was a bit hard to swallow for several in the room. The passage isn’t saying God will give us the power to resist on our own. It’s saying that God provides the defensive weapon of His Word, and that He will show you a way to simply turn your back to the bully and refuse to take the bait.

Look back at recent actions you took that you regret. See if you can find the exit door God provided that you ignored. Be encouraged that God doesn’t expect you to fight the bully alone. The next time you’re tempted to do something you’ll regret, remember that God is giving you a way out. All you need to do is find it and leave!

Pastor Jerry Bader