Our Standard Is Christ
The standard example is always that of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and from even a cursory review of His temptation and His battle with the devil we may gather some eternal principles. In reading Matthew 4:1-11 (see also Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13) we see the following facts.
The devil has to be met when he is at his worst—in solitude, “in the wilderness,” “with the wild beasts.” Watch your solitude!
But the Spirit of God is sovereign. He sets the battle and supervises it, for we read, “Then was Jesus led up of [Mark: ‘driven by’] the Spirit.” (Matthew 4:1)
Satan speaks and suggests, incites and allures, misrepresents and lies. He knows the Scriptures and clothes his daring assault in their terms.
Each part of man is assailed—the needs of the body, the pursuit of the soul, and the urge of the spirit.
1. THE BODY. Hunger must not master the body. “Man shall not live by bread alone.” (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4) Our bread and butter are not everything.
2. THE SOUL. Divine power is bestowed for special needs, not for personal demonstration or display. Presumption is not faith. Misquoted and misused Scriptures can hide disaster behind a plea of safety.
3. THE SPIRIT. The devil craves our worship, but that belongs to the Most High, whom we are to serve with an undivided heart. “Him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8)
Notice in all this that the Man himself is not passive in this battle, though the victory is not in Him, but through the Spirit. He spoke: “Jesus said.” He declared: “It is written.” He reproved: “Thou shalt not tempt.” He rebuked: “Get thee hence, Satan.”
He is given a sword, which is “the sword of the Spirit,” (Ephesians 6:17) the very breath of the Almighty—insuperable, because infallible; reliable, because authoritative; enduring, because eternal.
A sword means that there is war, prolonged, tense, exhausting. (Note the words “forty days.”)
The sword must be used: “Take the… sword of the Spirit.” (Ephesians 6:17) He used it. It does all it says. It always will.
There is victory, progressive and complete. “Then the devil leaveth him.” (Matthew 4:11) “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:1) Satan comes in arrogant confidence, but he goes defeated. That is God’s plan for you and me.
Of course, all that the Lord did was as representative as it was personal. Except as the Head of a new race, He had no need to meet the devil. But He met him and met him for us. He conquered him and conquered him for us. What He did, we do in Him, so that in all our battles we are simply to manifest His life, display His power, and celebrate His victory by using His sword.
It may be that some Christian people elbow their way through life without much attention to these things, but it can only be “anyhow and not triumphantly.” The normal Christian life is one of battle and victory, and Calvary has made every provision for this. You may refer me to the desolation of Job or the piercing thorn of Paul (2 Corinthians 12), both of satanic origin, but I see these men emerge triumphant, borne along in the strength of Another, energized by the only Life that can overcome. To the one as much as to the other the Redeemer lived (Job 19:25). We may never be faced with the great trials of such saints as these, but we must face the facts and issues of life, and in doing so decide what our attitude is to be.