Read: Luke 4:1-13 NIV – Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness – Bible Gateway
“When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:13 NIV
A familiar story in the New Testament of the Bible is the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Notably the devil offered up three temptations that are recorded in Scripture. It can be assumed that these were the only temptations the devil threw at Jesus but can we be sure. In our text today in Luke 4:2 it says, ‘where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.’ (niv) That language in all translations points to on-going temptations throughout the forty days. We are not told what the temptations were, but they were there. At the end of the forty days Scripture records that Jesus was hungry having fasted the entire time and Satan saw an opportune time to employ a few more temptations on Jesus.
The evil one tempts us at our weakness moments. Jesus was tempted in His weakest physical moment when wandering in the wilderness for forty days and not eating. At the completion of the forty days the first recorded temptation by Satan was “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” (Lk.4:3 niv) Certainly a weak moment for Jesus. His answer, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” (Lk.4:4 niv) Jesus resisted the temptation at His weakness moment. At the conclusion of the last two temptations Scripture tells us the devil left him until an opportune time.
Satan did not give up on Jesus but looked for another opportunity to tempt Him or trap Him through the schemes of the Pharisees. As Satan waited for an opportune time to tempt Jesus, he waits for just the right time to tempt us, usually in our weakest moment. We need to have our guard up at all times. The devil will not give up. He will wait for the weakest moment. Peter warns us “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1Pt.5:8 niv) Don’t give the devil an opportune time.
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