Luke 4:1-13 (New Living Translation)

4:1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.

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.’”

5 Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”

8 Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”

9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. 11 And they will hold you up with their hand so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”

12 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”

13 When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.

I. Preparation for temptations (vv. 1-2)
• Immersion in the Holy Spirit empowers us to fight

battles.
• The Christian view of a devil is the most

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explanation for evil.
• Fasting is how we

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battle for devotion.
• Pleasing God brings

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spiritual conflict and the devil

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. (Lk. 3:22)
II. Temptation through natural desire (vv. 3-4)
• Devotion is not known until it is tested by temptations of

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.
• Every natural desire also has a right and wrong

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fulfilment.
• The devil tempts us to

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and

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natural desires.
•

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the truth of Scripture to the devil is how we overcome natural desire temptations.
III. Temptation through visual desires (vv. 5-8)
• The devil tempts us through

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visions outside of God’s purpose for our life.
• The devil is the “

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” who demonstrates that pride is blinding. (Job 1:6-12, Jn. 10:10)
• Focusing on possibilities instead of actualities gives the devil the “

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” in your life.
IV. Temptation through prideful desires (vv. 9-13)
• Humility accepts that obtaining the right thing in the wrong way is

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.
• Being in tune with God’s voice in

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is how we audibly overcome the devil. (Mt. 10:27)
• Mistaking a battle for the

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is costly in spiritual battle.

1. Read Luke 4:1-4. How does being immersed in the Spirit help overcome temptations? Which of the four categories – unaware, unsure, unstable, and usual – best fits you regarding your views of the devil, demons, and temptation? Why did Jesus’ first temptation involve food? How does the devil use natural desires in spiritual ways?
2. Read Luke 4:5-8. How does Jesus’ second temptation illustrate the differences between the devil’s pride and Jesus’ humility? In what ways does Jesus’ response show us how to prioritize devotion to God? How does this passage define the only real way to test our devotion to God or anything?
3. Read Luke 4:9-13. Notice how the devil used scripture to tempt Jesus. How did Jesus show us how to engage in spiritual battle? Why is it prudent to know proper interpretation of Scripture will be essential the next time the devil comes to tempt us, and there will be a next time (v. 13)?
4. Did anything else stand out to you from the sermon that you have questions about in this passage of Scripture?