Matthew 4:1-11 – TEMPTED TO DENY
Satan tempts us in the same areas that He tempted Jesus. Satan was trying to get Jesus to sin by denying three truths about God. Satan will try to get us to deny God in the same three ways.
INTRODUCTION – Vss. 1-2
SATAN WANTS US TO DENY GOD’S PROVISION Vss. 3-4
God has promised to take care of our needs. Psalm 23:1, Philippians 4:19
When we do not get what we think we need, Satan will tempt us to take matters into our own hands, and go against God’s provision in our lives.
Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread. If He had done this, He would have denied God’s power to take care of Him.
SATAN WANTS US TO DENY GOD’S PLAN Vss. 5-7
It was not God’s plan that Jesus jump off the pinnacle of the temple.
There are times when we will be tempted to go against what we know to be
God’s plan for our lives. When we do this we are following Satan and not our God.
SATAN WANTS US TO DENY GOD’S PREEMINENCE Vss. 8-10
Satan promised Jesus great power if He would bow down and worship Satan.
Satan may not ask you to worship Him directly, as he did Jesus.
However he will ask you to worship things other than the one true God. Matthew 6:24, Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Notice that Jesus resisted Satan by quoting Scripture. We should resist in
the same way, relying on the Holy Spirit to control us and give us strength to resist the temptation to deny God. 1 Corinthians 10:13