It’s been months since I wrote my last story. After a short vigil with the family I stayed with. I desired sleep but it wasn’t coming forth. The spirit in me consistently keep saying “write, write , write” and so here I am writing this story or rather article.
He directed me to Luke chapter four. The popular temptation story of how Jesus overcame temptation. What’s so special about it? I enquired of the spirit.
My inquisition led me to read up the story over and over again but I realized that I payed more attention to the part the devil told the son of God to command the stone into a bread.
I took my time and reflected on that position. Beyond the spiritual aid, any human flesh would have fallen for that.
To tempt a man with food, who had fasted for forty days seems almost unfair; the devil knew quite well what he needed and brought the availability of it to Christ. You need food after 40 days fast, take this stone and make it bread.
The Devil called out Jesus like a challenger. Since You’re the Messiah, why are You so deprived? Do a little something for Yourself.” The same temptation comes to us: “If you’re a child of God, why are things so tough? Do a little something for yourself.”
Satan enticed Jesus to use the power of God for selfish purposes. The same format he had used in genesis 3 for the first man was what he was trying to use again for the messiah.
After reading the Bible text, I got the message. The devil knows our need as much as God knows them but the devil is always ready to intercept before Gods plan which is usually slow, late but reliable to give us a fast option.
For example;
You’re a Christian and a graduate. You need a job but no job is forth coming. Why don’t you do fraud, you’ll make enough money from it after all you’re the son of God but He has disappointed you.
You’re a Christian woman without a child and you’ve been praying for years. The devil begins to give you options like , “ sheybi it’s just to have a child, why don’t you see all this seers after all all child are from God , they may help you become fertile.”
And many more temptations like that. They come in form of the devil giving us an option that may compliment what God has in stock for us. More like a decoy product of what God is about to give us.
One thing I learnt is Jesus did not conquer by physical might, the spiritual led and overcame the flesh at that point in time because how can someone tell you “if you’re the son of God..”, You and I would have naturally want to boost that we are not bastards and so we end up falling into temptation.
Martins A.F Adedeji
(As led by the spirit)
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