Lone Survivor

There is a book titled Lone Survivor which is an eyewitness account by Marcus Luttrell, who was part of the lone survivor of a team of four Navy Seals sent to Afghanistan in June of 2005 on a mission to take out a certain Taliban leader. Operation Redwing wound up being a failed mission as the team was surrounded by Taliban fighters and Luttrell was the only one who survived the ordeal. It was later made into a movie with the same title in 2013. We understand that our military are combating forces of evil in lands abroad. Satan is working hard through these forces, as we see evidence of it every day on the news. However, we also need to understand that we are having to combat evil on another level here on our home soil against the one that Jesus refers to as the ruler of this world (Jn. 12:31).

The Apostle Paul says “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). The temptations of Satan are one of the ways we are combated each day that is even more personal for us. Willard Collins, former president of Lipscomb University used to talk about the three bullets of Satan as the Apostle John details: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (1 Jn. 2:16).

While we know we can’t be perfect because we all sin (Rom. 3:23), there is recorded in Scripture a lone survivor who successfully combated Satan and came out unscathed in His temptations: Jesus, the Son of God. The writer of Hebrews says Jesus was without sin even though He was tempted in all things as we are (Heb. 4:15). Preston Riley had asked if I would preach on the temptations of Christ, so I’m going to oblige him this morning by doing just that. Our passage this morning comes from Luke 4:1-13.

Jesus Survived the Lust of the Flesh

When we are brought to the scene of the temptations in the wilderness, Jesus had been there forty days and had nothing to eat. Fasting involves abstaining from food, but water is going to be necessary to hydrate the body. When studying for this, I happened to remember that Moses was up on the mountain forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water when he was receiving the two tablets of testimony from God, the Ten Commandments (Ex. 34:28). In this case it had to be divine intervention, for Moses could not have survived this. In the case of Jesus, we are not told the specifics, but if it was as Moses, perhaps that meant the fasting of Moses was a type of the fasting of Christ in the wilderness as He was being tempted.

Water or no water, Jesus was hungry. The last time I checked, there was no Jana’s Jumbo House in the Judean wilderness (local burger and chicken joint in Columbia, TN – yum yum)! Satan hit Jesus with a temptation that would have hit him hard, being hungry. If it was not appealing to Jesus, it wouldn’t have been a temptation. I would have caved, because anybody that knows me knows I like food. Jesus withstood Satan’s temptation by quoting Deut. 8:3 when He said “man shall not live on bread alone (Lk. 4:4). Matthew’s account continues with the words “…but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4).

Later on Jesus had finished talking with the woman at the well in Sychar, and His disciples were trying to get Him to eat. He told them He had food they did not know about; “’My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work’” (Jn. 4:34). Jesus survived the temptation against the flesh by focusing on what His true food was, focusing on His Father’s Word and will.

Satan tempts us with the lust of the flesh. We are constantly bombarded with sexual temptations, be it through television, internet, other forms of entertainment. Anything that pertains to gratification of the body would classify as lust of the flesh, not just sexual temptations.

Jesus Survived the Lust of the Eyes

When Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world, think about what might make that look appealing to Jesus. From one aspect there is the appeal of riches and glory and honor. Jesus came to earth as someone who did not live a luxurious lifestyle. He was not a rich individual from a financial perspective. In fact, when He began His ministry He didn’t even have a home (Mt. 8:20). From another aspect, perhaps Satan was trying to appeal to the advantages of having an earthly kingdom. However, that wasn’t why Jesus was here. John’s gospel records that when the Jews tried to take Him by force and make Him king, He withdrew to the mountain alone (Jn. 6:15).

Satan said Jesus could have all of this if He would worship him (Lk. 4:7). God and Satan both want our worship, but for different reasons (McGarvey 99). Satan had an alterior motive attached to this invitation to worship. Again, if you say that this was not appealing to Jesus, it wouldn’t have been a temptation. Jesus withstood Satan by quoting Deut. 6:13 & 10:20: “’You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only’” (Lk. 4:8).

Are there things that appeal to our eyes in life that are not what we need? You better believe it. There is a reason so many things in life look good, as Satan knows how to dress things up so we will be attracted to them. We need to avoid being like King David who laid his eyes on Bathsheba from his rooftop. If we dwell too long on what we see, we can end up succumbing to the lust of the eyes.

Jesus Survived the Boastful Pride of Life

Satan tried to get Jesus to throw Himself off of the pinnacle of the temple just to show that the angels would protect Him. I mean, come on, He could be proud of the fact that He was the Son of God and that God, His Father would send angels to protect Him. Wait a minute, back up the temptation train. Did Satan just use Scripture? Yes, he quoted from Ps. 91:11-12. As J.W. McGarvey says, “the devil’s head is full of Scripture, but to no profit, for his heart is empty of it” (95).

Jesus responded by quoting Deut. 6:16: “’…you shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Lk. 4:12). Keep in mind that Jesus knew what Satan said was true. Jesus stated later when Peter cut off the ear of Malchus in the Garden of Gethsemane during His arrest: “’…do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?’” (Mt. 26:53). The devil was twisting the Scriptures to try to use them against Jesus in this instance as He appeals to the boastful pride of life.

Satan uses pride against us. Think about some ways he does this. When someone gets a job promotion, there is the chance for someone to gloat and rub it in someone else’s face who was not on the receiving end of something like this. Just the other day the kids were watching the old Flintstones movie where Fred got a promotion and he was letting it go to his head by belittling those under him, including his best friend, Barney. What about the church? I’ve seen it firsthand where people will use their talents, abilities and positions to belittle others. There is no place for this in God’s kingdom. The list could go on and on: athletics, school, etc. Pride is the downfall of many people (Prov. 16:18).

These weren’t the only temptations by Satan to Christ, as Luke records Jesus was there forty days being tempted by the devil when we see these three appear. On top of that, Luke records in verse thirteen that Satan departed until an opportune time after these were finished. Jesus was impelled (some versions say driven) or led by the Spirit into the wilderness for this purpose in preparation for His ministry. Let us not forget that even though Mark’s account does not give the details of the temptations, he does record that Jesus was with wild beasts and ministered unto by angels (Mk. 1:13). Evidently in the Judean wilderness, it is documented that lions, wolves, leopards and serpents could be found there (McGarvey 90-91).

Jesus was truly the lone survivor when it comes to being able to perfectly combat the temptations of Satan; He was the only one who did not become a casualty of the devil’s warfare. When it comes to temptation, we need to remember there is no “easy button.” However, we do have the promise from Scripture that will help us through them. Paul says “no temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Our country is confident that we can be victorious against those who Satan uses as forces of his evil in countries abroad, especially those of the Muslim faith. We can be even more confident that we are victorious against Satan because in Rev. 12:11 the church overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. While we ourselves may not be in combat with our military, we as members of the Lord’s army are in combat with that same source of evil being tempted by Satan every day.

Pertaining to temptation, there was a lone survivor, Jesus Christ. Pertaining to salvation, in the Father’s house are many dwelling places (Jn. 14:2). It is my prayer that those who read this will obey the gospel before it is too late. You will not survive if you have not obeyed the gospel, for when Jesus comes back he will be dealing retribution “…to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thess. 1:8). Study your Bibles and see that you need to believe in Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 8:37). You need to repent of your sins, turning from your previous ways (Acts 2:38). You need to confess Jesus before men (Mt. 10:32). You need to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:21). The Bible holds the keys to our spiritual survival. Are you prepared?