Beware of the tempter.

Beware of the tempter.

Matthew  4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Always remember that if the tempter came to Jesus, you will not be excepted. 

He is certainly coming to you too.

He is still tempting people inside and outside the church today.

1 Thessalonians  3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

He comes at four different times.: HALT. HUNGRY, ANGRY, LONELY, TIRED.

1. When you are hungry for food, for job, for fruit of the womb, for life partner , for healing etc.

He came to Esau  when He was hungry..

Genesis  25:29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:  25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.  25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.  25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?  25:33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.  25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

2. He came to Moses when He was angry and deprived him from entering the promised land.

Numbers  20:10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?  20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.  20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

3. He came to Eve when she was alone.

Genesis  3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:  3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.  3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:  3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.  3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.  3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

4. He came to the children of Israel in the wilderness when they were tired because of the journey.

Numbers  21:4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.  21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.  21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

To overcome you must do what Jesus did. You must resist the temptation.

However, before you can resist, you must submit to God wholeheartedly.

James  4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

This was what our Lord did, when satan tempted him.

Matthew  4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.  4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,  4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.  4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.  4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;  4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.  4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.  4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

God’s unending grace will be sufficient for you till Christ comes in Jesus name.

2 Corinthians  9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Let us pray.