Luk 4:3 And the devil said unto him, if you be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Luk 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, all this power will I give you, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whoever I will, I give it.
Luk 4:7 If you therefore will worship me, all shall be yours.
Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, get behind me, Satan: for it is written, you shall worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall you serve.
Three of the most important areas of our walk with the Lord are Prayer, the Word of God and Worship! These are very important areas of your spiritual growth and walk with Christ, where the enemy of our souls comes against us!
Someone may be asking, “Pastor how do you know this?” Well, the scripture tells us when Jesus was in the desert praying and fasting for 40 days, the devil tempted him!
Luk 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luk 4:2 being tempted for forty days by the devil, and in those days, He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
What was the LORD doing in the wilderness or desert? He was praying, fasting and seeking God, before launching into his ministry. Whenever we are seeking the face of God for answers, there must always be prayer and even fasting!
Understand that when you are praying, the devil will always try to distract, disrupt or deter you from hearing from God to get direction, and he will come against two things that are important in your life! The Word of God and your Worship!
So, as Christ is praying and fasting, the devil shows up and tempts him by saying in Luk 4:3, And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
But listen to the response of Christ! Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
How do we know he was coming against the Word of God? Because prior to Christ going into the wilderness or desert, he received a Word from the Father in Luke chapter 3.
Luk 3:21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
Luk 3:22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
So, Our Heavenly Father gave him a Word and said, “You are my beloved Son, in you I am well pleased!”
So, while the LORD is in the wilderness praying and fasting, what did the devil come against? The Word, which was spoken to Christ, and challenged him saying, “If you be the Son of God, make these stones become bread!”
But Christ, answered him and said in Luk 4:4, And Jesus answered him, saying, it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. In other words, it’s not so much about fleshly sustenance, but spiritual sustenance which is the Word of God!
The devil will always challenge you in the area of our life that is very important which is the Word of God! You must stand strong in it and say, “IT IS WRITTEN!” following the example of Christ.
Why? Because earthly bread satisfies the flesh, but spiritual bread, which is the Word of God satisfies the soul and spirit! Remember the LORD said to the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, he connects prayer to your spiritual wellbeing!
After Christ said it is written concerning the Word of God, the devil comes again.
Luk 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, all this power will I give you, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will, I give it.
Luk 4:7 If you therefore will worship me, all shall be yours.
Notice the devil showed him all the Kingdoms of the world. People of God and friends, the devil will always promise you more than he can truly give you! But the truth of the matter is that God owns it all. Why not serve and worship him?
What was Christ response! Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, get behind me, Satan: for it is written, you shall worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall you serve.
Listen, this is how Satan has deceived the church. It’s not just about going to church, it’s not just about serving, it’s not just about your giving, but it is about your worship!
Remember that Satan hates it when you worship God, because he wants worship. Remember your worship is the most important thing you can offer to God, and we do it with our time, talents and treasure!
This is why Jesus said:
Joh 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
Joh 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Remember God is an originator, Satan is an imitator. Everything the Lord does, Satan will try to imitate. What kind of worship is expected of us as believers? To worship God in spirit and in truth and in the beauty of his holiness!
People of God and friends, nothing has changed! The devil is still deceiving believers today and is doing the same thing he did to Christ! Our only response as it relates to the Word of God and Worship is, “IT IS WRITTEN.”
It doesn’t matter what a man says, or the world says. Read the Word, obey the Word, walk out the Word, and always worship the LORD in spirit and truth and in the beauty of his Holiness!
God bless, Pastor Quinn