Led into the Wilderness...Ready for the Fight!

Let me begin by saying, I am not much of an outdoorsman. I've never been a Boy Scout or had an affinity for camping, hiking, fishing or roughing it in the "great outdoors."  In fact, most of my outdoor endeavors usually centered around chasing some sort of ball. But, I mention the outdoors because that's where the wilderness is and that's the focus of my thoughts today.

In Matthew 4:1-11, we read, "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. After He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He was hungry." (my emphasis)

The setting is simple...Jesus was in the wilderness...He was alone, vulnerable and probably doing as you or I might...begin searching for the way home. The wilderness can be a scary place as we try to get our bearings and make sense of where we are, how we got there and what we can do about our situation...it is in moments like this that we are most vulnerable to the wiles and lies of the Devil...especially when the Devil senses a weakness.

Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights and the Word says, "He was hungry." My guess is that he was "starving," maybe, even hallucinating from the hunger and weariness. Now there was no shame in being hungry; even starving; this would be anyone's physical reaction to 4o days without food or drink. But, for the Devil, it was the perfect time to tempt our Lord...He was weak and would be more likely to succumb to the charms and charges that the Devil would bring against Him in this weakened and emaciated state.

And that's how the Devil always works! He lures into the wilderness...a place where we can become lost, isolated and looking for a way out of a situation, often not of our own making or choosing. We may stumble around, trying anything and everything to get back to our familiar surroundings, our support groups or our normal way of living...a place of safety. But it is here in the wilderness that we let our guard down and then, he makes his move. He begins to exploit our weaknesses and tempts us with what will draw us away from our Lord and from the shelter of the fold. It may be as simple as clicking on a site on  the internet by accident and then returning, day after day, to be hideously drawn into a life of pornographic images. It can be leaving the department store with something in your purse that you failed to pay for ...or any number of other things that we stumble across "in our wilderness".

So what are we to do? We do what Jesus did...we battle Satan on his turf, but on our terms with the Holy Spirit and Scripture as our weapons. With each fiery arrow of temptation fired at Jesus there in the wilderness, He answered each one with a single shot, fired from God's Word. It is and will ALWAYS be the answer to the temptations of Satan to stand firm in the Word of the Lord...quote Scripture and tell him as Jesus did, "Be gone, Satan. For it is written...."

So today, do not go unprepared into a wilderness into which you might be lead. Rather, go with this one and with many other scriptures stockpiled in your arsenal...for it is written, "Your word have I stored in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11

Lead into my wilderness, prepared to win MY fight,

WPQ