Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation shows Jesus led by the Spirit into the wilderness to face real testing. He confronts the devil, refuses shortcuts, and defeats temptation with Scripture. The passage reveals that God permits trials to mature faith. Victory comes through obedience, not presumption. Jesus chooses the cross over compromise and demonstrates to believers that they can resist the devil, overcome temptation, and walk in Spirit-led victory.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11
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Scriptures used in this lesson:
Matthew 4:1–11, Matthew 4:1, Luke 4:1, Romans 8:14, Romans 8:7, Mark 1:12, Genesis 1:1–2, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 4:4, James 2:22, James 2:19, Mark 1:13, James 2:21, James 2:22–23, Revelation 13:1, Revelation 13:11, Romans 8:37, Matthew 3:11, Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 4:2, Deuteronomy 9:9, Deuteronomy 9:18, 1 Kings 19:8, Romans 8:3, Revelation 12:10, Ephesians 4:27, 1 John 2:16, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Matthew 4:3, Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3, Luke 24:25–27, John 5:39, Matthew 4:5–6, Luke 4:5, Ezekiel 40:2, Revelation 21:10, Matthew 4:7,
Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:8–9, Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 6:12, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Psalm 2:8, Matthew 11:27, Matthew 28:18, Romans 16:20, Ephesians 1:20–21, Colossians 2:15, Revelation 12:9, Revelation 20:3, James 1:2–4, Revelation 20:10, Matthew 16:18, Hebrews 5:8, 2 Timothy 2:12, Luke 9:23, James 4:7–8, Matthew 4:10–11, Luke 4:13, Matthew 16:23, Mark 8:32–33,
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Introduction and Structure of Matthew 4:1–11
The chapter has twenty-five verses, but we will not cover them all. I plan to take us through verses 1-11. I divided these eleven verses into two main sections. The first section comprises verses 1-3, which focus on Jesus being led up to be tempted. The second section addresses the three temptations in verses 4-11.
Overview of the Wilderness Temptation
Matthew 4:1–11 deals with the three tests and temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness. The Lord Jesus was led into this wilderness by the Spirit. There, He was confronted by the devil, the diabolos. The first Adam had failed his test; now the last Adam will be tested. Being led of the Spirit does not always feel good, and in the wilderness there were wild beasts. There are beastly people in our wilderness. The tempter brought his three temptations, only to be rebuked and defeated by the Scriptures, all of which are listed in the Old Testament. We learn that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16).
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Satan offered Jesus the world if He would bow, but Jesus refused. Most believers fall for far less—a new car, a house, new clothes, or a better job. We should ask ourselves how we measure up in our temptations. Many people want the crown without the cross. Jesus said, “Be gone, Satan,” and the devil left. His response shows us we do not have to obey anything the diabolos suggests, and we can still be ministered to by angels afterward.
Matthew 4:1
1 Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Jesus Led by the Spirit Into Temptation
Verse 1 begins with the phrase “Jesus was led up of the Spirit.” The term led up is a single Greek word used twenty-four times in the New Testament. It comes from a root word listed as number 71 in Strong’s Concordance. The meaning includes leading up, bringing out, carrying, or sending away. Vine’s Dictionary lists terms such as bearing, bringing, driving, and inducing. The emphasis on this word underscores that Jesus was moved by the Spirit with purpose.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Luke 4:1 reinforces this.
Luke 4:1
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
And Romans 8:14 adds to this.
Romans 8:14
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
We all say we want to be led by the Spirit, but I like to ask if we are truly sure about that. Romans 8 gives us a clear picture of what being led by the Spirit involves. The passage as a whole, particularly verses 1-8, depicts the ongoing struggle between life and death. It describes the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and contrasts it with the spirit of condemnation and death. Paul explains that the carnal mind fights against the Spirit. Verse 7 states plainly that the carnal mind is enmity against God.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Romans 8:7
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
The carnal mind and the Spirit are locked in constant warfare. Romans 8 teaches that if we are truly led by the Spirit and living as sons of God, we will be putting the carnal mind to death. These two forces are completely opposed. Their conflict is intense and ongoing, and one of them will win. It is our responsibility to make sure the carnal mind is the one that loses.
Driven Into the Wilderness by the Spirit
Mark adds another perspective in his gospel. In Mark 1:12, he uses even stronger language, saying the Spirit “drove” Jesus into the wilderness.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Mark 1:12
12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
The word “driveth” carries a strong meaning. It includes ideas such as ejecting, casting out, pulling, sending away, or pushing forth. Jesus was not gently guided into the wilderness. He was placed there by the Spirit with no option to avoid it. Anyone truly led by the Spirit will face the same reality. Sons of God will undergo wilderness experiences and confront the diabolos.
The encouraging part is what these passages reveal. Matthew 4 and Luke 4 contain truths that can change how we see trials and temptations. When we understand what is happening, we cease viewing these moments as we used to. We begin to see them through a different lens.
You begin to see trials as times when God is working in your life. He identifies specific areas and highlights weaknesses or areas that need to be addressed. I was talking about this recently, and it changes how we view temptations and tests. We no longer perceive them as we once did. We now recognize that God is revealing something about us that He wants to perfect.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Jesus was brought into the wilderness, a term that denotes a lonely and barren place. The question is why He was taken there. The same Spirit who had just descended on Him like a dove (Matthew 3:16-17) now led Him into this wilderness for a purpose. He was brought there to be tempted by the devil.
God’s Sovereignty Over Testing
This idea is a heavy one and goes against what many people believe today. The devil cannot do anything unless the Spirit allows it. That truth makes this a hard message, but it is the word God has put in me. Expository teaching is enjoyable when the passage says what we want to hear, but we must teach whatever the Scripture presents. Matthew 4 addresses trials, tests, and temptations, which are not always easy topics. Still, it is a perfecting word, and God intends to mature us through it.
The word “devil” in Matthew 4:1 derives from the Greek word diabolos. It is rooted in another Greek term, number 1223 in Strong’s Concordance, and I want us to see the significance of that. Diabolos means a traducer—one who defames, slanders, or brings disgrace. It refers specifically to Satan. The word Satan itself is a pure Hebrew word and appears in the Old Testament nineteen times. It means an opponent, which matches what Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8 when he calls him “your adversary.”
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
The root word dia is especially important. It means a channel—something through which something else passes, like water through a hose. In that sense, the devil becomes a channel through which God acts. This may challenge our thinking, but it is consistent with Scripture. Diabolos is the channel through which specific tests and pressures come.
Peter did not call Satan God’s adversary; he called him your adversary. That distinction matters. You need to understand that he is diabolos—a channel. This kind of teaching may stretch your thinking, but I want to plant some seed in you. I have given you many scriptures so you can study these ideas for yourself.
Some people teach that Satan is a fallen angel or Lucifer, and they connect this belief to what is called the gap theory. The gap theory comes from the space between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Genesis 1:1–2
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The gap theory holds that billions of years elapse between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. According to this view, Satan fell during that period and was cast to earth, where he destroyed it. Genesis, verses 2-31, is then seen as the story of the earth’s restoration. Many scriptures are used to support this idea, and people are free to hold it. However, it shapes a mindset that suggests the devil is winning and can destroy the earth. I do not believe that.
Others teach that Satan was created directly by God as an evil being whose purpose is to bring the sons of God into perfection through suffering, affliction, and tribulation. There are many scriptures used to support that view as well. My point is that these teachings—whichever one you follow—shape how we think. We will address this further as we progress through our study.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
The Proper Perspective of the Believer Toward Satan
No matter which position a person holds, Satan remains your adversary. He is not someone to play with, but he is also not someone to fear. He has no power that should intimidate a believer. Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Stay with me, because as we walk through the testings Jesus faced, you will see how closely they relate to our own. Scripture makes it clear that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. The same Spirit who had just descended upon Him as a dove now brought Him to a place of testing. The Spirit does the same in your life and mine.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
My goal is always to line the scriptures up and let them speak for themselves rather than repeat what someone else says they mean. When you do that, you begin to see how consistent this truth is.
The Spirit knew exactly who Jesus would face in the wilderness. That testing involved meeting the devil himself. If God is truly God, then He also knows who you will face in your own wilderness moments. He knows the timing, the circumstances, and the battles. Not only does He know it, but He leads you to those moments.
The principle is simple: tests in our lives are ordained by the Spirit of God. He brings us into wilderness seasons so that these tests can shape, perfect, and mature us.
We all know the story of Abraham, and I want to mention him because we all desire perfected faith. James 2 discusses Abraham and how his faith was perfected.
James 2:22
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
I want the kind of faith Abraham had. I mentioned Sunday night that the Bible describes four levels of faith: no faith, little faith, great faith, and perfect faith. Scripture explains each of these, and perfect faith is the level God wants us to reach. When we look at James chapter 2, we see this clearly. Verse 19 states that believing in one God is good, but even the devils believe and tremble. That kind of belief is not the perfect faith God is calling us into.
James 2:19
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
James says that faith without works is dead, but it becomes clearer when we understand “works” as obedience. Faith without obedience is dead. That truth fits Abraham perfectly. He was not performing physical tasks such as cutting grass or hanging sheetrock. His “works” were acts of obedience to God. That is precisely what James is talking about. Abraham was justified by obedience when he offered Isaac on the altar. His faith was proven by what he obeyed.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
James 2:21
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Faith brought Abraham’s obedience, and by obedience, faith was made perfect.
James 2:22-23
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
The Seven Tests of Abraham
Abraham’s faith became perfect through obedience. He did not suddenly wake up mature in faith. God led him through seven specific tests that strengthened his small thread of faith until it became like a cable. Each test pushed him toward deeper obedience.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
The first test was to leave his country in Genesis 12, where God told him to leave the place of comfort. God will sometimes move us out of what feels secure. Then came the test of his kindred, which speaks not only of family but of anyone who pulls us away from God’s will. Abraham then faced the test of Egypt, which represented the world’s systems and ways of thinking. He also faced the test of Lot, which pointed to carnal believers who pitch their tents toward Sodom.
Each test required Abraham to choose between the world’s ways and God’s ways. Later, the test of wealth occurred when he gave tithes to Melchizedek. God then tested him through Hagar, reflecting a desire to serve God but on our own terms. That is often our struggle, too.
Finally, in Genesis 22, Abraham faced the test of Isaac, the thing he loved most. This test touched the deepest place of affection—whether it was family, money, ministry, or anything else. Through every test, God brought Abraham into wilderness experiences that shaped him. Those tests perfected his faith and produced real strength in his life.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Faith Perfected Through Testing, Not Confession Alone
What I am teaching extends beyond what is usually called the faith message. There is nothing wrong with that message, nor with faith. We do need strong faith, and we do need our faith to be perfected. But I want us to see that faith does not become perfect by confession alone. Faith becomes perfect through testing. That is how God strengthens it.
Abraham began with only a thin thread of faith, yet through his tests, that faith grew into something like a steel cable. Testing taught him obedience. Testing taught him trust. That is scriptural, and it is the same pattern for us. Our wilderness experiences, the places where we face Diabolus, reveal our maturity, obedience, and faith. We never really know how we will stand until the test comes. A test forces a choice. We either obey God or refuse Him.
Tests as Spiritual Examinations
A test works the same way school tests do. It reveals what we have learned. If we fail it, we will retake it. Through these seasons, God changes us. I am not the same person I was five years ago. I have more patience, and I no longer react in anger as I once did. God has worked on me through testing. Jesus also went through testing. He passed every test.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
The book of Job shows this thought clearly. We all discuss Job’s suffering, but the story ends with prosperity. Job experienced great blessings through his trials. He never cursed God. When you look at the first two chapters of Job, you see that Satan could not even touch Job until God allowed it. Testing was the doorway to Job’s maturity and blessing.
This kind of teaching is hard for many people today, and there was a time I would not have touched it. I will teach it more fully one day because I understand the underlying principles. I plan to elaborate on these ideas in a few minutes.
Wild Beasts in the Wilderness
Let’s shift to another point. In Mark 1:13, when describing the same testing Jesus faced, Mark notes that there were wild beasts in the wilderness. That detail tells us something important about the environment Jesus entered and the kind of opposition He faced during His testing.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Mark 1:13
13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
The Greek word for “beast” is therion. It appears forty-six times in the New Testament, and thirty-eight of those uses are in the book of Revelation. A therion is a dangerous, venomous wild animal. Revelation 13:1–10 speaks of the beast rising out of the sea. Many people identify that beast as the Antichrist, but the passage actually describes a destructive and hostile force symbolized as a wild creature.
Revelation 13:1
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
This is the beast of the sea. But what it really speaks about is worldly humanistic government.
Then you go on in that chapter, you’ll find another beast.
Revelation13:11
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Revelation 13 describes two beasts, one from the sea and one from the earth. The second beast works miracles and represents the false church, Babylon. My point is that during our testing, we will encounter both kinds of challenges. Some come from the world and some from the religious system. Both can be venomous, wild, and harsh, yet they serve a purpose in shaping us.
We all meet these beasts in our testing places. They may appear in worldly or religious forms, but their presence does not indicate that the Spirit has abandoned us. The Spirit uses these encounters, through the channel of Diabolus, to perfect us. The same Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness also empowered Him to triumph over the devil. That is the balance. I have shown you the hard side, but the truth is we are more than conquerors and called to overcome in this world.
Romans 8:37
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
The same Spirit who leads you into a test is the Spirit who will also bring you through it in triumph. The Spirit who baptizes you and gives you the joy of tongues, interpretation, and the ecstasy of His presence is the same Spirit who guides you into seasons of testing and growth. Jesus did not come only to water baptize us. He came to baptize us with the Holy Ghost and fire so that our lives could be purified and perfected.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Matthew 3:11
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Jesus came to perfect us. He came to burn away what is impure, to purge our lives, and to remove the dross. The devil is a real personality, even though some people do not believe that. I know that is not usually the case here, but the idea exists. I have also been asked whether Jesus could have sinned. The question suggests that, because He was God, He was incapable of sinning. That thinking makes no sense to me. Why would He be tested if sin were impossible? Scripture says He was tempted and tested in all points as we are.
Hebrews 4:15
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
It would be unfair to present Jesus as an example if He could not have sinned as we can. That is why the question itself is foolish to me. The vital truth is that He did not sin. He chose not to sin, not because it was impossible, but because He would not yield. This becomes the picture God wants us to see.
The devil can come to you in any area of life—lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. He can test you in any of those areas, yet you do not have to give in. If you are saved, Spirit-filled, and water baptized, you have what Jesus had, and He never yielded.
This is the message being painted for us. We do not have to sin. I do not have to sin. If I do sin, it is by my own will, and it is disobedience.
Matthew 4:2
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Jesus fasted forty days and nights, and there are two other examples of that in Scripture. Moses did it twice, as recorded in Deuteronomy 9:9 and 9:18.
Deuteronomy 9:9
9 When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:
Deuteronomy 9:18
18 And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
And Elijah did it once.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
1 Kings 19:8
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
Matthew says that Jesus was “afterward an hungered.” What I want to show you is that Jesus was a man just like you and I. The Bible states in Romans 8 that he assumed sinful flesh.
Romans 8:3
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
From Tempter to Accuser
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
The tempter came to Jesus, and he will come to you as well. That is a fact. Temptation is certain. What I want to emphasize is what happens when a person yields to that temptation. Once the devil tempts an individual and that person falls—if he tempts me and I take the bait—he immediately shifts roles. He becomes more than the tempter. He becomes the accuser of the brethren by using the very failure he lured you into as a weapon against your conscience.
Revelation 12:10
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
The devil not only tempts me to sin, but he also attacks me a
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
fterward by accusing me and telling me how awful I am. That corrupts my conscience. I may do something foolish during the week, and when Sunday comes, I stand to preach with no anointing because my conscience is weighed down. If someone comes for prayer, I find myself stepping aside to repent so I can feel free enough to lay hands on them. That is precisely what the devil wants. He aims to take our power by keeping our conscience dirty.
But the truth is that our conscience is sprinkled with the blood as well. He does not get a place there. We are told to give no place to the devil—especially not in our conscience.
Ephesians 4:27
27 Neither give place to the devil.
Now we come to the three temptations, which are really what I want to focus on. In 1 John 2:16, we are told precisely what is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These three categories define the struggles and temptations every person faces.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
1 John 2:16
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
These three areas are the tests that come upon every one of us, and they are the very tests Jesus faced in the wilderness. John makes it clear in 1 John 2:16 that everything the devil or the world can offer falls into these three categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The enemy cannot invent some new, extraordinary temptation. He cannot test you with anything that humanity has not faced before.
Paul reinforces this in 1 Corinthians 10 and 2 Corinthians 10. He teaches that no temptation comes to us except what is common to man, and that with every temptation God provides a way of escape.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
You do not have to give in to temptation, and that is the picture being shown to us.
Matthew 4:3
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
The first area is the lust of the flesh. Satan approached Jesus by saying, “If You are the Son of God,” not because he was unsure, but because he already knew He was the Son of God. I asked in prayer how Satan knew this, and the answer is simple—the baptism. Only a few verses earlier, the baptism identified Jesus openly.
The entire purpose of John the Baptist’s ministry was to reveal who the Christ was. The Father told John that when he saw the Holy Ghost descend and remain on a man, that man was the Messiah. That is precisely what happened at Jesus’ baptism (John 1:32-33, Matthew 3:16-17).
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
The Declaration of Sonship in the Spirit Realm
So what informed the devil that Jesus was the Son of God? It was the baptism. That shows us how vital water baptism is and how necessary Holy Ghost baptism is. You may not hear the voice with your natural ears, but in the realm of the Spirit, it thunders just as it did over Jesus: “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” When you come up out of the water, that declaration is made over you as well. You are marked as a child of God.
In John 3:3 and 5, Jesus states that unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, and unless he is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter it.
Water and Spirit Baptism as Spiritual Declaration
Water baptism and Spirit baptism are essential. If someone wants to be baptized, they should do it. If you know someone who has not been baptized, assist them in taking that step. Baptism becomes a declaration in the realm of the Spirit that this person is a child of God. At Jesus’ baptism, the Father announced, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The same declaration is made over us. It is proclaimed before Diabolus and the world that we belong to God.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
What I am saying is this: when you are water baptized, Satan knows you are now ready for temptations.
So, the devil knew Jesus was the Son of God, but now he aimed for His conscience. That is where he attacked. The first test was simple but powerful: “Command these stones to be made bread.” Remember, the very first temptation in Scripture involved food—Adam and Eve were tested in the area of eating. Many of us are tested the same way. Diabolus still tests us with food and with other cravings tied to self-satisfaction. We either answer like Eve and Adam, who gave in, or like Jesus, who said, “Man shall not live by bread alone.”
Matthew 4:4
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.
The lust of the flesh always centers on satisfying self. It is not limited to food. After forty days of fasting, Jesus’ natural appetite would have been intense, and that is where the enemy pressed Him. The lust of the flesh stirs desires and cravings that try to pull us away from obedience. When pleasing self interrupts our walk with God, we are under the influence of the lust of the flesh.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
In verse 4, Jesus answered with Scripture. He quoted from Deuteronomy three times during the testing. Each response came from the Old Testament, showing us how powerful the Word is in overcoming temptation.
Deuteronomy 8:3
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
Is Deuteronomy in the Old Testament or the New Testament? By what testament did Jesus defeat the devil? The Old Testament. I’m just wanting you to know that.
I get a lot of flak because I use the Old Testament to interpret New Testament scriptures so often. But I learned from studying the scriptures that this is what Jesus and Paul did. Look at Luke 24:25-27.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Luke 24:25–27
25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
In Luke 24, as Jesus walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, He explained the things concerning Himself from the Scriptures. He began with Moses and went through all the prophets, showing them that the Old Testament pointed directly to Him.
In John 5:39, He made the same point by saying that eternal life is found in the Scriptures.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
John 5:39
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
He was referring to the Old Testament, reminding us that all of those writings reveal Him.
Everything we need to defeat the devil is in the Scriptures. The New Testament fulfills the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is essential for understanding God’s message in the New Testament. That is the point I wanted to make. When Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,” He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3. Food cannot sustain us the way God does. Our true life comes from His Word.
We then turn to the pride of life in verses 5 and 6.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Matthew 4:5–6
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
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.
The devil took Jesus into the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, beginning the second great temptation, where Satan appealed to pride. Some teachers insist this was a literal experience, as if Satan physically carried Jesus to the top of the temple and later to the top of a mountain. Others suggest they climbed. I briefly address this because Luke 4:5 states that the entire scene occurred “in a moment of time,” which suggests something other than a physical journey.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Luke 4:5
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
The best comparison I can offer for understanding this scene is found in Ezekiel 40:2. Ezekiel had a very similar experience where he was caught up on a high mountain. Yet, he made it clear that it happened “in the visions of God.” That helps explain how Jesus could be shown these things in a “moment of time” without needing a physical journey.
Ezekiel 40:2
2 In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
In Revelation 21:10, John the Revelator also describes being caught up onto a great mountain, where he saw the New Jerusalem descending. He makes it clear that he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day,” which again points to a visionary experience rather than a physical relocation.
Revelation 21:10
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
I believe the scenes in Ezekiel and Revelation were visions, and that this temptation scene was likewise a vision. I do not think the devil physically transported Jesus around. The reference is to Herod’s temple in Jerusalem, the holy city, which also symbolizes the religious system of Babylon. Diabolus took Him to the pinnacle—the extreme corner of the temple—and challenged Him to cast Himself down.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Many people are taken to the pinnacle of a system, whether religious or worldly. They rise to the top only to fall because they test God, try to live in sin, or attempt to function without the authority of God’s Word. They reach the pinnacle but cannot remain there unless they walk in obedience. We have seen it in both religion and government. The pride of life becomes the acid test of motives. People think they no longer need to abide by God’s Word, and presumption brings them down. The higher they climb, the greater the fall, and the serpent’s heel bruises yet another. Jesus answered this temptation by saying, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Matthew 4:7
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Other translations make it even clearer by warning against testing God thoroughly or excessively. The NIV says, “It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” The NLT says, “You must not test the Lord your God.” Jesus again references an Old Testament Scripture.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Deuteronomy 6:16
16 “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.”
Do Not Tempt the Lord Your God
In Deuteronomy 6, Moses warns Israel not to test God as they did at Massah (Exodus 17), where they demanded proof of God’s presence. The devil is urging Jesus to force God’s hand through presumption. Jesus responds with Scripture, showing that faith never demands proof by testing God.
That truth leads me into a very personal reflection. I am looking back on the various teachings and messages I have encountered, and I know I have not reached any pinnacle. I still have a long way to go. What concerns me is what I call a “vending machine” or “Santa Claus” view of God.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Many people are taught that if they quote the right Scriptures, it is like inserting coins into a vending machine. They choose a result such as health, obedient children, or prosperity, and expect God to produce it on demand. I do not have a problem with believing God’s Word, but I do not believe this is how God works. What I have learned is that when I walk in covenant with Him, live in obedience, and remain under His authority, I do not have to demand anything. Blessing flows naturally as part of the covenant relationship.
Substituting Covenant with Quoted Scriptures
I recently spoke with someone who had attended a meeting and believed that the teaching in some audio recordings would cause her to prosper. She was not connected to a church, had no spiritual covering, and answered to no headship. She believed that quoting a few Scriptures would replace covenant and obedience. That is what many people are taught, but I have not found it to be true.
There is a vending-machine attitude toward God today, which creates a false sense of confidence. People are taught that they can quote a few Scriptures, make a request, and expect God to produce the result. For example, someone may ask God for health while ignoring fundamental principles of health. They overeat, smoke, drink excessively, avoid exercise, and consume too much sugar and salt. They believe quoting Scripture will override disobedience.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
I am speaking personally here. I can quote every Scripture I know, but if I do not obey what I already understand, nothing changes. We can’t buy God with words. The same reasoning appears when people want their children saved. They quote Scriptures but fail to raise their children in the ways of the Lord or teach them the covenant. Others seek financial prosperity but disregard financial wisdom, such as refusing to borrow more than they can repay.
Responsibility Within Covenant
I remember a man who told me he was not concerned about paying off his house because Jesus would return and he’d leave the debt to the devil. That mindset ignores responsibility. What I have learned is that when we walk in God’s light and live according to His ways, we do not have to press buttons or quote formulas. Blessing flows as part of the covenant, and often we do not even have to ask for it.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Matthew 4:8-9
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;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
In verse 8, we come to the lust of the eyes. The lust of the eyes is simply the love of things. It is the attraction to what we see, such as the stony and thorny ground that Jesus spoke about. Satan took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. I believe what Jesus was shown aligns with Revelation chapters 17 and 18, which describe the greatness and splendor of Babylon. Satan then offered all of it in exchange for worship.
The word “worship” carries a strong meaning. It means to fall down, to crouch, or to prostrate oneself in reverence. It derives from root words denoting movement toward something and submission to it. One of those roots refers to a dog or hound, which paints a vivid picture. What the devil was really asking was for Jesus to submit like a hound to its master. If Jesus would bow, acknowledge the devil’s authority, and accept him as master, the kingdoms would be handed over.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
This raises a critical question: Did the devil actually possess what he was offering to give Jesus? That question matters because it connects back to how we understand who the devil is, what authority he truly has, and where he stands in God’s order. How we answer that shapes the way we view temptation, power, and authority in our own lives.
If I think the devil is in control and ruling this world, then my thinking already assumes defeat. That mindset says we lose before we ever fight.
Understanding the Devil’s Influence Versus Authority
Scriptures such as Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 6:12, and 2 Corinthians 4:4 describe him as the prince of the power of the air, the ruler of darkness, and the god of this world. Those verses are real, but they must be understood correctly. They describe his influence rather than his ultimate control.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Ephesians 2:2
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Ephesians 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
2 Corinthians 4:4
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
All of those Scriptures are true, but they speak more about the devil’s role and influence than about what he actually owns or possesses. That distinction matters.
Some people say he controls everything, and some say he does not. I say no. Genesis 3:15 shows that the serpent’s head is bruised, even if the heel is wounded for a time. I may take some hits along the way, but he is the one who is ultimately crushed (Genesis 3:15).
Psalm 2 makes it clear that when the kings of the earth take counsel against the Lord, God laughs at them. He declares that the uttermost parts of the earth are given to us, not to the enemy.
Psalm 2:8
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Matthew 11:27 says all things are delivered to the Son.
Matthew 11:27
27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Matthew 28:18 says all power is given to the Son.
Matthew 28:18
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
In Romans 16:20, it talks about bruising, Satan’s head under your feet shortly.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Romans 16:20
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Ephesians 1:20 talks about Christ, who is far above all principalities and powers. He’s far above all spiritual wickedness. He’s far above all those things.
Ephesians 1:20–21
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
Colossians 2:15 refers to the principalities he spoiled.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Colossians 2:15
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Revelation 12 talks about the dragon being cast out of heaven.
Revelation 12:9
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
And in Revelation 20, verses 3, 4, and 10, it talks about the devil being cast into the bottomless pit. It talks about the devil being cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:3
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Revelation 20:10
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
What I want us to understand is that how we think about the devil is vitally important. If we view him as ruling and winning, fear predominates. That mindset pushes us into escape mode, as if we are on a sinking ship and just trying to get out.
But if we see the devil the way I believe the Bible presents him, everything changes. He is not the ruler. He is a channel through whom God brings us into fullness and maturity. Diabolus is simply the channel through which the Spirit allows us to encounter temptation at times so that we can be perfected. Yes, we will meet him during trials and temptations. James tells us to count those moments as joy. The reason is simple. Those trials are working the life and ministry of Christ into us.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
James 1:2–4
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
The way we think about who is ruling determines our entire mentality. If we believe the devil is in control, everything appears to be a sinking ship. Christianity feels like a second-class culture. Staying on earth seems foolish because we think the enemy will win, and tribulation will force people only to survive.
That mindset also turns God into someone who only blesses us if we press the right Scriptures. The church becomes defensive and fearful of the world. Fear of the devil produces that kind of thinking. I do not want you to be afraid of him. He cannot put anything on you without the permission of the Holy Ghost.
When testing comes, it is meant to move us into deeper trust and obedience. If we see Christ Jesus ruling, our vision changes. We see nations coming to Jesus and the kingdom growing stronger. Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations, not to escape the world, but to overcome it (Matthew 28:19).
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
I see Christianity as the dominant culture, not a defeated one. Every other culture and abomination must be measured against Christ. Overcoming is not optional or rare. It is expected of believers.
The Church on the Offensive
Tribulation does not produce fear when we understand covenant. In covenant, God takes care of His own. This life is not about pressing the right Scripture buttons at the right moment. It is about being conformed to the image of the Son (Romans 8:29). We see the church not on defense but as the offensive weapon of God, storming the gates of hell.
Matthew 16:18
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
That is the difference in thinking. One mindset is defensive, and the other is offensive. One storms the gates of hell, while the other builds gates to keep hell out. It all comes back to what we believe about the devil.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
When I pray, I ask God to come into my life and test me. I ask Him to judge me so I can be purified and mature. Nearly every morning, I ask Him to test me because I want to be perfected. I do not want to merely discuss this. I want to live it. This is not about pressing the right Scriptures. It is a lifestyle. This is what I am about. I want to become the very image of the Son of God. That may sound blasphemous to some. Yet I believe it is biblical. There has to be some suffering.
Hebrews 5:8
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.
We need to settle this clearly. The crown only comes with the cross. We love Scriptures about ruling and reigning. We talk about thrones and victory. Yet we will never receive the crown unless we are willing to carry the cross.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
2 Timothy 2:12
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.
No Alternative to the Cross
Through this temptation, the devil offered an alternative path. He was saying there was an easier way to gain the kingdoms. He offered them without suffering if Jesus would worship him.
I am clear on this. There is no other way except the cross. Jesus said we must take up our cross daily and follow Him.
Luke 9:23
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Jesus did not want to go to the cross, and we need to understand that. In His humanity, He prayed that if there were another way, the cup could pass from Him. He prayed it three times. In the end, He chose obedience and surrendered His will, saying, not my will, but Thy will be done.
Here is the lesson for us. We like to rebuke the devil and tell him to leave, and that is right. Yet he does not flee until the testing is complete. Satan did not leave Jesus until after the third temptation. The devil had no place in Him.
I know the Bible says resist the devil and he will flee. But there is a first part to that command. We must first draw near to God. When we draw near to Him, then we resist the devil, and then he has to flee.
James 4:7–8
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…
There is a drawing into his covenant. There’s a drawing into him. There’s a drawing into himself and I’m talking about God, the Father God, the Son God, the Holy Ghost. You’ve got to draw not under all three of them. Draw not a hymn. Resist the devil.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Matthew 4:10-11
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.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
The Continuing Battle and the Lust of the Eyes
The lust of the eyes is the love of things. It is the craving for what we do not have. You do not have to be rich to love money or possessions. This desire interferes with our relationship with God. We end up worshiping things, and they become our own kingdom. Possessions themselves are not wrong. They only become a problem when they take God’s place.
The devil will always take you to a place where you can see what you desire. He will promise those things if you turn from God and worship him. That forces a response from us.
The question is how we answer. Have we bowed to something other than God? Or do we say, Begone, Satan, I only desire the things of God? Can we crucify self, take up the cross daily, and follow Him?
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Luke 4:13
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
The devil did leave, but he came back again. He returned more than once. Scripture shows repeated temptations in the life of Jesus. We know about Gethsemane, but there is another precise moment. Satan came back through Peter in Matthew 16 and Mark 8. Peter spoke words that opposed the cross. Jesus recognized it immediately and confronted it as satanic temptation.
Matthew 16:23
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Mark 8:32–33
32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
You remember the moment when Jesus said, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” Peter had just confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus told him that revelation came from God, not from flesh and blood. Only a few verses later, Peter resisted the idea of suffering and the cross. When Peter rebuked Him, Jesus recognized the voice behind it and said, “Get thee behind me, Satan,” because Peter was thinking like man, not like God.
The Final Lesson of the Cross
This reveals what Satan is always trying to do. He wants us to believe there is an alternative to the cross. He offers a path that avoids the death of the flesh and the carnal mind. That voice still comes today, but there is no other way. The crown only comes through the cross.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11 How to Overcome Temptation
Matthew 4:1–11 shows us a powerful truth. We can be at our weakest point and still refuse to sin. Jesus had fasted forty days and was physically exhausted, yet when the devil came, He did not yield even once. I am saying this clearly. We cannot excuse sin by saying we were weak. Even in weakness, obedience is possible. The devil is a defeated enemy. He is an adversary, but he is bruised. He may roar and seek to devour, yet we do not have to sin.
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11
Matthew 4 Verses 1-11
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