05 Oct The Masks of Satan

Allen, my pastoral coach, (and he’s an awesome coach!) often suggests books for me to read. The most recent one: Peter Scazzero’s “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” has already rocked my world. In the temptation of Jesus in Luke 4:1-13, Scazzero sees “three false identities or masks that Satan offers each one of us.” I never identified the categories these temptations create. We will take these one at a time over the next three weeks, using my personal experience with each:

• Temptation One: I am what I do (performance)- “if you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” (Luke 4:3)
• Temptation Two: “I am what I have” (possessions)- “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them.” (Luke 4:6)
• Temptation Three: I am what others think (popularity)-“If you are the Son of God, jump off!” (Luke 4:9)

We start this week with Temptation One: I am what I do (performance). Here’s the entire passage from Luke:

3 Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.” Luke 4:3-4 (NLT)

In the secular world, many of us have a measure of performance built into our identity. A baseball player is “homerun king,” a successful tech CEO is “a wizard of Silicon Valley,” or a successful actor is “box office king or queen.” These are no longer professions; they are identities.  Their performance defines who they are. We can fall into the same trap in our faith lives, but in reverse. We can allow perceived underperformance in ourselves, or others define us.

Why do I (or they) keep making the same mistakes? Why don’t I (or they) grow faster spiritually? And we often use the same phrasing Satan did with Jesus. “If I’m really a Christ follower, why don’t I….,” If they are really a Christ-follower, why don’t they…”

Jesus didn’t need to prove anything to Satan, and we don’t need to prove anything to ourselves or others, and they don’t need to prove anything to us. All God asks of you is your heart. He knows the rest of you will follow along.

With a surrendered heart, your burning desire will be to live the life God wants you to live. When you are living to fulfill God’s will, you’re operating at peak performance in His economy. As Tara-Leigh Cobble put it, “Confident humility means never building yourself up or beating yourself up.”

God isn’t keeping score on how many church services and Bible studies you attend, or how many YouTube sermons you watch (or post). Don’t let Satan put the mask on you. God thinks you look great just the way you are!

Next week: “I am what I have.”

Pastor Jerry Bader