Fight your exploitation!

And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

Matthew 4:3

The devil loves to exploit vulnerabilities. He is a master at it. It is the marriage with unspoken expectations, poor communication, and dashed hopes that implodes with infidelity. It is the traumatized frontline soldier tempted to lash out in bitter anger and physical violence at the people who care the most. It is the weary parent that snaps at a son or daughter when they are only being children. And it was a hungry and exhausted Jesus Who was challenged by the tempter to turn dry desert rocks into warm fresh loaves of bread.

But Jesus did not fall for the devil’s low and inside pitch of temptation. He countered firmly with trust in God and belief that God’s Word was more sustaining than any outcome from buying the devil’s lies. He knew men lived not by bread, but by the Word of God (see His quotation of Deuteronomy 8:3 in Matthew 4:4). Jesus served notice to Satan that the Word of God sustained and Satan’s words destroyed.

And so, right now, let’s remember to fight temptations to our vulnerabilities. Stuck at home for God knows how much longer, we might be tempted to be angry or short with family; to indulge a lust, whether with porn, alcohol, or over-eating; to neglect paying attention to our souls through prayer, reading and reflecting on scripture, and worship. Don’t let the devil exploit current weaknesses! Stay strong in the sustaining power of the gospel. Follow the example of our Master and Savior and punch right through the devil’s lies with the truth of the Word of God!