Self-Control by Keala Knight

Jesus Tested in the Wilderness

Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“‘On their hands, they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

When I read this passage and look at Jesus’ character, He was the perfect example of self-control. Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1:14); he underwent temptations like us normal human beings do but did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). In the Scripture in Matthew 4, Jesus had just fasted for forty days and forty nights. Jesus was in a vulnerable state and yet he was able to resist Satans schemes. This can only happen if Jesus had great self-control!

Self-Control Defined:

(Merriam-Webster) The restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires
(Oxford Languages) The ability to control oneself, in particular, one’s emotions and desires or
the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations.

This example of self-control blows my mind as I imagine myself in a vulnerable and susceptible state with Satan next to me, offering me a “way out.” Coming from a self-focused, emotion-driven life, my self-control is something that I continually need to evaluate. The times that I lacked control in my emotions and desires led to rashness, impurity, deceit, idolatry and ultimately gave Satan a foothold on how he wants my life to be (a mess!). This is even more apparent with the holidays coming around and the distractions of the festivities, I need to make sure that I don’t lose my focus in being like Jesus in this area of self-control.

The Effects of No Self-control?

Proverbs 25:28
“A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.”

• • This analogy shows how damaging a lack of self-control is.
  • No protection, easily overtaken, a loss of foundation.

Keys to Self-control?

1. Know our struggles/temptations
Psalm 51:3
“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.”

• This scripture came to mind when I was thinking about overcoming a lack of self-control. Knowing our sin/struggles helps us understand how Satan can tempt us. In the same way Satan tempted Jesus with food after he had just fasted, he can use situations in our lives to tempt us.
• Are you currently struggling with any temptations? Are these part of a pattern of temptations?

2. Hide God’s word in my heart
Psalm 119: 11
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

•  To resist temptation we must hide God’s words in our hearts.
• In Matthew 4 above, Satan used Scripture to tempt Jesus, but Jesus used the Scriptures righteously to refute him. In the same way, we need to hold onto the Scriptures and the promises of God so that we don’t get deceived by Satan’s lies.

Reflect:

• What are your current temptations? Or possible future temptations going into the holidays? Is it spending more money than you have to get nice gifts? Spending time with family and friends that have a negative influence?
• What Scriptures can you meditate on to keep you strong in God and his word?

This “Holiday Quiet Times” series was written for the month of December 2020. Brothers and sisters from the Phoenix and Tucson churches contributed these various daily devotionals. You can download the PDF packet here: “2020 Holiday Quiet Times.“