Matthew 4:1. Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
He had just been baptized, the Spirit of God had descended upon him, and the Father had borne witness to him, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," yet, immediately after all that, he was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. So, after your times of sweetest fellowship with God, after the happiest enjoyment of gospel ordinances. After the sealing of the Spirit within your hearts, you must expect to be tempted of the devil. You must not suppose that, in your Christian life, all will be sweetness, - that all will be spiritual witness-bearing. You have to fight the good fight of faith, and your great adversary will not be slow to begin the encounter. You are a pilgrim in a strange land, so you must expect to find rough places on the road to heaven. Yet, since you are so much weaker than your Master was, you will do well to pray the prayer that he taught to his disciples, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Matthew 4:1. Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
He had just been baptized, the Spirit of God had descended upon him, and the Father had borne witness to him, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," yet, immediately after all that, he was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. So, after your times of sweetest fellowship with God, after the happiest enjoyment of gospel ordinances. After the sealing of the Spirit within your hearts, you must expect to be tempted of the devil. You must not suppose that, in your Christian life, all will be sweetness, - that all will be spiritual witness-bearing. You have to fight the good fight of faith, and your great adversary will not be slow to begin the encounter. You are a pilgrim in a strange land, so you must expect to find rough places on the road to heaven. Yet, since you are so much weaker than your Master was, you will do well to pray the prayer that he taught to his disciples, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."