This week, we saw how Jesus confronted and overcame the devil. When the devil is at work, he is the father of lies; he breathes division and deception. If we give him the opportunity to come between us and God, we have given him the victory. We must always remember that, contrary to what others may believe, the devil has no power over the earth. The only thing he has power over is evil.

After Jesus was baptized, He was full of the Holy Spirit and was compelled by God to go into the desert. This test was to discredit any power the devil thought he had and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to save the world. The 1st temptation the devil used was the temptation to distrust the love of God (Luke 4:3-4); the 2nd temptation was to distrust the plans God has for our lives (Luke 4:5-7); the 3rd temptation was testing God presumptuously (Luke 4:7-9). These temptations are what the devil use to prevent us from submitting to the will of God. By God’s grace, we can live a life that glorifies Him just like Jesus did. By staying connected with our Father in heaven by praying without ceasing, we will always be grounded in the Spirit.

For more on the temptation of Jesus and the confrontation of Satan, check out whatsyourmark.org.