DCLM DAILY MANNA 3 MARCH 2021 – HOW TO OVERCOME THE DEVIL
TOPIC: How To Overcome The Devil (DCLM Daily Manna 3 March 2021)
TEXT: Matthew 4:1-11 (KJV)
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
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.
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.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
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.
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.
KEY VERSE: “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (Matthew 4:1).
MESSAGE:
It was Martin Luther who said that “My temptations have been my Masters in Divinity”. For this militant saint, every temptation was an opportunity to do good and to show forth the glory of God who had called him to honour, glory and grace. Satan-inspired temptations are clear signs that he hates us and not a sign that God has abandoned us or that we have become weak or worldly.
Our passage for meditation reveals that Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Here we see divine permission for the Son of God to be tried and tested by the devil. The Apostle Paul reminds us that no temptation comes to us that God does not know of. “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” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Going through trials and temptations is an integral part of the Christian experience. Nobody is immune to temptations. Rather, we are assured of help to go through it by the power of God who controls all forces of life. Satan’s onslaught during temptation is to make us falter and fall, but the knowledge of who God is and obedience to His word provide us the inner strength to overcome the devil.
Jesus had resounding victories over him by the effective use of the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). We must do the same. Victory is sure for all who follow the Lord’s example.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Temptation lose its power when Jesus is with us.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 15-17
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
