DESIRE OR REASON?
We often think that the big temptation/sin is sex when it comes to lustful indulgence but Scripture shows that it is FOOD. Lack of discipline in this area lowers the bars to exploitation of other appetites. We condemn alcohol abusers, etc., but how many Christians over-indulge in food?
Eve - saw it was good for food, Genesis 3:6
Esau - birthright for a bowl of stew, Genesis 25:33-34
Israel - whined for the flesh-pots of Egypt, Exodus 16:3
Eli - ate the fat of the offerings, I Samuel 2:13
A prophet - met a lion after a forbidden lunch, I Kings 13:23-24
Jesus - tempted to make the stones bread, Luke 4:3
I see that Satan's agenda began with temptation to food and then progressed to other things. What if Jesus had succumbed to the temptation to eat when He was so weak and hungry? The horrible consequences would have spelled our eternal doom.
Bread - the lust of the flesh. Jesus would eat but LATER. Jump off temple - the pride of life, get a reputation, nobody knows you. Everyone would know and every knee would bow but LATER. Kingdoms of the world - the lust of the eye. He would rule but LATER.
All of these were the RIGHT thing but at the WRONG time. Everything begins in the mind. When we use food for the wrong reason -- boredom, comfort, retreat, medication, etc., the mind is dulled and more susceptible to wrong thoughts. Satan cannot create, he can only pervert and exploit the good. I notice how a temptation to a very basic need opened the door to other temptations. I understand that yielding to a temptation which appears relatively harmless, opens the door to yielding to greater temptations. Once we let down in any degree, we are more susceptible to our enemy's deception.
GOOD BAD
Eating Gluttony or extreme dieting
Sex All sex outside of marriage
Rest and sleep Laziness
Recreation Refusing to work
Although our temptations may differ, it is guaranteed that if we relax discipline in one area, other areas will begin to weaken.
Why is food so dangerous? Because it is the good and beneficial gift of Providence. It is so easy to over-indulge and see "no harm" in it.
I know from experience that when I eat for the wrong reasons, very soon every thought is not being brought into captivity into the obedience of Christ (11 Corinthians 10:5) and I much more easily become irritable or impatient. Why is that?
Eve saw (Genesis 3:6) that is was DESIRABLE for food. Ever since the Fall we listen to DESIRE rather than REASON. DESIRE has come to be our strongest faculty. If we give in to temptation it is because DESIRE has overcome REASON in the struggle to influence the will.
Jesus was not tempted with doing wrong but with doing right at the wrong time. Satan tempts us to weaken us. God allows temptation as a test to strengthen us. Luke .4:1 - Jesus FULL of the Holy Spirit was led into the wilderness. Luke 4:15 - Jesus returned in the POWER of the Holy Spirit.
RESOURCES RESPONSIBILITY REPUTATION
Resources: 6 weeks/42 days is the longest one can go without food without causing permanent damage. After His 40 day fast, Jesus was at the danger point. That's when Satan always makes his attack. Is it the time for panic or - ?? If You are the Son of God why are You hungry? Make the stones bread - You're in danger. Use Your own resources, it's not wrong to eat. No, it's not wrong to eat but Jesus trusted God for God's resources and passed the test strengthened. So when He could have called for 80,000 angels, He trusted God's resources to see Him through. e.g. Abraham: God had promised him a son. It's not wrong to have a son but the years went by until it was Abraham's 40th day and He panicked -- turned the stones to bread and by his own resources got Ishmael. The second time he didn't blow it. He trusted God's resources and offered Isaac.
Responsibility: Satan said -- all the kingdoms of the world, just bow down and worship me. No Cross, quick and easy, You can have it all.
It was not wrong for Jesus to rule the world -- He will rule but this was not the right way and not the right time. He trusted God until He could say -- all authority in Heaven and earth is GIVEN to Me; I didn't manipulate it or scheme for position.
Reputation: If You are the Son of God, nobody knows; Your only reputation is as a Carpenter. Jump off the temple -- God will send angels to gently float You down and the word will spread like wildfire. Your reputation will be made. Jesus paid no attention to His reputation. They called Him a glutton, a drunkard and illegitimate. He never tried to straighten them out. If we worry about our reputation it will lead to hypocrisy. (long public prayers, blow a trumpet when giving). Jesus made Himself of no reputation.
Of course He had one, everybody does; but He never worried about it or tried to live up to the opinion of others. He trusted God in this test also and when the mockers said -- come down from the Cross and we'll believe You -- He didn't say, I'll show you Who I Am, -- He died. Now God has given Him a Name above every name and every knee will bow and every tongue confess. Sometimes our circumstances are the "40th day" and we are inclined to panic, scheme, manipulate, use our own resources. Jesus went into the temptation full of the Holy Spirit and came out in the power of the Holy Spirit. God allowed Satan's temptations as tests. Because He trusted God in those temptations, God could trust Him to continue to trust for all that would follow.
If we are at the "40th day" perhaps God wants to equip us with power. Power is dangerous and even spiritual power can corrupt because it can lead to pride. Without the testing God could never trust us with the power -- the power which can only be released when our hearts and lives are pure.
Galatians 5:17 -- The desires of the flesh are opposed to the Holy Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to the flesh.
Psalms 37:4 --- Ask - seek - knock - trust - and the Lord will give you the DESIRES of your heart. If my very DESIRES are God-given, they will not overcome REASON and then I can have anything I want.