When Jesus was baptized, God spoke to Him.
Matt 3:16-17
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
God spoke precious words that affirmed Jesus identity, that secured His relationship with the Father. God said, You are my son, and I am pleased with you. You are my dear son. I love you, and also, I really like the man you are. I am pleased.
What wonderful words to hear from the Father.
Matt 4:1-4
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."
God spoke to Jesus, assuring Him of His identity.
Then, the Holy Spirit then led Him into a battle. Jesus was equipped for the battle by the word that God had spoken to Him.
When Satan came against Him, what was the first temptation?
No, not to turn rocks into bread.
The first temptation was for Jesus to question who He was.
Satan said, "If you are the son of God."
That was Satan's first temptation. God had just spoken to Jesus. Satan came to cause Him to question His identity, and to question the very word of God.
Look at Jesus answer,
Matt 4:4
"'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Was Jesus referring, not just to the word of God revealed in Scripture, but to the very specific word that God had JUST spoken to Him?
When God speaks to us, He empowers us. His words bring grace, bring truth, and bring power.
Satan comes against the words that God speaks. He comes against the promises that God gives us. Satans' primary weapon is to cause doubt. Remember the first words that we heard from Satan, in Genesis? "Did God actually say?"
Even when tempting Jesus, Satan used the same technique.
God spoke, "THIS is my beloved son".
Satan spoke, "If you are the son of God".
Jesus chose to live by the word that God had spoken.
My choice today is this: Will I live by the word that God has spoken to me? or, will I live by the doubt that Satan brings?
What will I take into my heart? What will I give heed to? What will I listen to?
Will I listen to the speaking of God, or the doubts spoken by Satan?
If I take the words that God speaks, hold them, meditate on them, obey them, treasure them, BELIEVE them, then I walk in confidence, security, and power.
If I listen to the words of Satan, meditate on them, believe them, then I will walk in doubt and defeat.
I realize that the choice is mine. I will refuse to listen to the lies of the enemy that will cause be to doubt the empowering and grace giving word of God.
I will treasure every word that God has spoken to me, every promise that He has made, and live in grace, power, and victory!
AMEN
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