Luke 4:13 (ESV)
13
And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Jesus fasted and prayed for forty days. The devil looked at this as an opportunity. He tempted Jesus to make the stones into bread. He tempted Jesus to become the ruler over kingdoms. He tempted Jesus test God. Jesus responded with God's word. The devil had no valid argument. He left Jesus alone.
The devil wasn't through with Jesus. He would come back to tempt Him again. He left Him because he no longer had the opportunity. The devil doesn't waste his time or resources if he can help it.
If the devil would wait for the opportunity to tempt Jesus again, don't you think that he is waiting for the opportunity to tempt you?
That word translated opportune time is the Greek word "kairos." It has much more meaning than "kronos" another Greek word which can be translate as time. It speaks of the moment as having a special meaning. It is appropriately translated opportune time by the ESV. The devil is waiting for the right moment when the time is ripe. He strikes just when he feels he has an opportunity.
Have you ever wondered why the devil strikes so hard when things go bad? I think that's why some people think that bad things happen in threes. (and fours, fives, sixes, etc.) The devil piles on when you are down. He comes to tempt you with an easy way out of your dire situation. He wants you to abandon hope in God and follow him. He wants you to think that his answer the right answer.
Things go bad at work and they often simultaneously go bad in your family. Your car breaks down and you find that others are demanding payments from you. It rains and you have a flat. Then, the temptation comes just at the moment you are the most vulnerable.
The devil wants you out of church when church will do you the most good. He wants you to stay away when the sermon might cause you to turn to a deeper commitment to God. He wants you to remain depressed and vulnerable to what he seeks in your life. He wants to steal you away, kill your spirit and destroy any ministry that you could ever have.
I find that he often tempts me right after a great success too. He tempts me into thinking that I caused it and deserve the glory that some of the people are trying to give me. He doesn't care about this momentary victory if he can have me. He will trade a few good days at church as long as he can turn my heart away from God.
He is either tempting you right now or he is waiting for that opportune moment. You are either giving into his temptation or you are fleeing temptation and opposing the devil. You have and are having victory or you are in defeat. And by the way, defeat doesn't always feel like defeat. It may be that you made a lot of money by giving into a temptation from the devil. It may be that you have found companionship which isn't from the Lord. It may be that people are praising you for something that is dishonoring to God. The money, companionship and praise feel really good. The devil doesn't care if you feel good as long as he has you where he wants you.
Would it be a great day to put on the full armor of God? You know it has to be. You might not see the devil coming.
1 comment:
Have you seen the National Geographic type of program on TV on the lions hunting? Scripture rightly used lion as a metaphor for Satan. Scripture said that Satan is like the lion prowling, waiting to devour whom it may devour. The lion also waits for the opportune time when it comes to hunting. It would watch the prey pack; look for the one it can attack or the time that is to its advantage. It does not expense its energy unnecessary. Chasing around uses up energy, it doesn't mean it would do it, but it often sits camouflaged in wait for the moment to strike. It often strikes when the prey least expects it. The time is kairos for the lion, but often, most lousy for the prey. You have highlighted a good verse to point to this. We often just recalled Jesus was tempted, and Satan, being unsuccessful, left. You have brought up, he did not leave for good; he would wait for another kairos time.
Recently, I wrote an entry on my blog entitled, "Is Satan a reality?" I wrote it because I read it being said that surveys have showed up that many believers do NOT believe there is a Satan. Some merely believed he is just a mere personification of sins. No, Satan is a being, a spirit being, like an angel. He was once an angel, a most magnificent angel until Iniquity was found in him. People who said that Satan is NOT a being might as well say God, too, isn't a being! It is a long article, but I do encourage people to read it, and you can google for it; just type the title and add anthony chia or high.expressions.
The deer better knows there is such an enemy as the lion, or it will be eaten up NOT even knowing it; that is how we Chinese commonly said it. Now, if Satan could come against the 1st Adam and the 2nd Adam, why in the world, some pastors and preachers and teachers of the Word tell believers that Satan cannot bother a believer! Please, it is NOT uncommon that deliverance is done on believers. Both demonization and demon possession can happen to believers. I have seen it and done the work. I mean if the pastor want to insist that the believer is actually not a believer, what can I say; it is equivalent to saying Anthony Chia, a Singaporean is not a Singaporean. I really don't appreciate on the one hand a pastor will "fight you to death" that a saint who sins is NOT a sinner, and then the next moment, say another believer is not a believer because there is evidence of him being demonized or possessed by demon(s). When does a sinner becomes a saint, and when does a non-believer become a believer? "Dirty" saints and "dirty" believers, or sinners and non-believers?! Please-lah, a Singaporean who litters is still a Singaporean. Singaporeans should not litter. Saints should not sin. Believer should watch it and watch out, that they are not ensnared by Satan or demons. If people want to say, now that you have passed your driving and got this license, you will not have an accident, I think they are not wise. Even good swimmers can get drown!
Some people labelled people like me going round telling people to be scared of the Devil and devils, instead of fearing God. Please-lah, it is high time we come back to "a spade is a spade". Why sugar-coat sins? Said it plainly, and instruct how not to sin. Similarly, why paint the picture that Satan is harmless, instead of instructing how to fight him, like what Jesus did. "Yah, but brother Anthony, scripture said Jesus defeated Satan already; he can't touch us right?" Please-lah, Jesus defeated sins, right? Right; you can fall to sin or not? Scripture said no servant is greater than his master. So, if they tried messing with The Lord, are you greater than The Lord? Rather it is IN THE LORD, we have victory over Satan and the demons. Explain this properly.
Anthony Chia, high.expressions
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