Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- 3 main strategies in which the devil seeks to attack us
- Context:
- Reading 1 Cor 10:1-14
- Paul is bringing to remembrance events that happened to the Israelites when they left Egypt
- Paul is bringing warnings based on Israel's time in the wilderness
- Many times they disobeyed, many of them fell
- Ex 32:1 (the golden calf)
- Num 25 (sexual immorality)
- Num 21 (grumbling at manna)
- Israel were supposed to be a light to the nations around them - God's chosen people
- They turned away from God's laws
- Jesus identifies with His people
- He is baptised
- He had a time of temptation in the wilderness
- Comparison of Jesus' time in the wilderness vs Israel's time in the wilderness
- Reading Matthew 4:1-11
- Three temptations - three attacks that satan will use against Christians
Attacking the nature/identity of God in the eyes of His people/in our view
- Jesus is hungry after fasting for 40 days
- Deut 8:1-5
- Satan is trying to get Jesus to be dissatisfied with God, to take His hunger into His own hands
- Jesus stood on the word of God
- Israel was dissatisfied with God's provision
- A similar temptation with Adam and Eve
- Jesus showed there was a better provision for life than bread - the word of God
Attacking our identity from God's view
- The devil is goading Jesus to prove that He is God's son
- He was trying to get Jesus to doubt His identity and to test this experientally
- This correlates with what happened to the Israelities
- Jesus advised not to test God
Attacking the worship of God
- To worship - to bow down
- We were designed to worship the Creator
- Satan tried to get Jesus to bow down to Him
- He showed Jesus the lusts of the world
- Adam and Eve failed this test
- The Israelites shifted allegiance and worshipped false gods
- Satan wants us to commit idolatory
- Jesus was triumphant over His temptations
- Adam failed
- Israel failed
- Satan failed - he returned in the Garden of Gethsemane but Jesus was triumphant over all these temptations
- Jesus showed His power in restraint (restraint on the cross)
Closing Remarks
- Recap
- What does this mean for us today?
- Reading 1 Cor 10:11-14
- We are awaiting the promised land of glory
- But we are in a wilderness at present - we must stand and remain loyal, despite the attacks of satan
- Examples of the work of satan
- Be careful about what we watch
- Remember we are in a spiritual war
- Come alongside our brethren
- Take to heart the warnings of the Israelities
- Remember we have a gracious God
- 1 John 1:9
- Example of Gomer
- Remember our sin is serious and watch out for satan's lies
- Study the word of God and know Scripture
- Eph 6:10-13