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In this message we come to the testing of the newly appointed King (Matt. 4:1-11). After His anointing, the Lord was tested. In God’s administration the sequence is always selection, anointing, and testing. There is an illustration of this in married life. Prior to getting married, you certainly made a selection. Among the many you could have married, you selected a certain one. After the selection came the appointment, and after the appointment came the test. Nearly every married couple has failed the marriage test. Although we were successful in the appointment, we were not successful in the test.
After the heavenly King was anointed and appointed. He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tested. He did not go to the wilderness on His own; He was led there by the very Holy Spirit who had descended upon Him. In married life God will also lead us into the test. A number of young brothers and sisters have complained to God, saying, “Lord, before I was married, I prayed a great deal. Eventually You told me that it was Your will that I marry this one, that this was the one whom You had prepared for me. Lord, You know I was not interested at first, but in Your sovereignty You arranged for us to come together. But look at the situation today. Look at the one You have given me. Is this Your mistake or mine?” Neither the Lord nor you made a mistake. This is the Lord’s test.
I believe that all marriages are sovereign, even those that seem to be the most mistaken. Nothing happens to God’s children without His sovereign permission. We know that all things work together for our good (Rom. 8:28), including even a seemingly mistaken marriage. Who knows what is the right marriage? I have many years’ experience in married life. Forty-five years ago, I could tell others definitely, clearly, and emphatically what was the right marriage. But if you ask this question today, I would say, “I cannot know this until we enter eternity. After so many years’ experience in married life, I truly don’t know what is the right marriage.” But I have learned that every marriage under God’s sovereignty is right. Therefore, you all have the right marriage. Brothers, your wife is the right one for you. Sisters, your husband is the right one for you. Whether you believe this or not, you cannot escape from your situation. After the young people and the middle-aged ones have been married for a number of years, they may conclude that they have made a mistake and that if they could do it again they would do it differently. I can assure you that even if you could do it over many times, you would still come to feel that you had made a mistake. Almost all those who are about to be married think they have made the right choice, but after some years there may be times that they feel that they were mistaken. The reason for this is that God puts us to the test in married life.
The Lord tests us not only in married life, but also in the church life. When we first came into the church life, we experienced a church life honeymoon. We were enjoying the glorious church life, and everything was wonderful. However, sooner or later we shall be put to the test. Every brother who is put into the eldership is tested, and the test usually comes from the other elders. Perhaps at the beginning in your locality you were the only elder. You were looking for some others to help you, and later two were added. After several months, all three of you were tested by one another. The Lord allows this. In God’s economy, after we have been appointed to something, we shall always be tested. If the Lord Jesus needed a test, then how about us?
For many years I was not able to thoroughly understand this portion of the Word. Although I heard a number of messages on this portion, none of them truly touched the heart of it. For a thorough understanding we need to see that in God’s economy we shall always be tested after we have been anointed and appointed to something. Not even the Lord Jesus was an exception. As we shall see, in principle all the tests are the same.
Verse 1 says, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.” After being baptized in water and anointed with the Spirit of God, Jesus, as a man, moved according to the leading of the Spirit. This indicates that His kingly ministry in His humanity was according to the Spirit.
First of all, the Spirit led the anointed King to be tempted by the Devil. This temptation was a test to prove that He was qualified to be the King for the kingdom of the heavens. The Greek word translated Devil is diabolos, meaning accuser, slanderer (Rev. 12:9-10). The Devil, who is Satan, accuses us before God and slanders us before man.
Verse 2 says the Lord fasted forty days and forty nights. These forty days and forty nights were a time of testing and suffering (Deut. 9:9, 18; 1 Kings 19:8). The newly anointed King was led by the Spirit to fast such a period of time that He might enter into His kingly ministry.
The first test was in the matter of human living, in the matter of making a living. Our relatives and in-laws, especially those of the older generation, are always concerned about how we shall make our living. They may say, “It is all right to love the Lord, but do not love Him in a foolish way. You must consider your need to make a good living.” When in 1933 I was burdened by the Lord and led of Him to leave my job, my in-laws said, “You have a good job. You are making excellent money to take care of your family and to help others. You can speak on Sunday and hold meetings at night during the week. Why must you quit your job? Many are looking eagerly for such a job, but have no opportunity to get it. But you are leaving. We wonder how you will be able to make a living. We don’t know how you will take care of your wife and children.” I did not listen to their advice, and they could not discourage me from leaving my job to serve the Lord full time. A number of times my in-laws even sent their little daughter to sneak into our kitchen to see if we had food to eat. They were worried that we might be starving. The matter of our living touches us deeply, and even the Lord Jesus was tested regarding it.
The Lord was led to fast for forty days and forty nights. After these forty days and forty nights, He was physically hungry, and the tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, speak, that these stones may become loaves of bread” (v. 3). To this proposal the Lord replied, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God” (v. 4). Many Christians think that because the Lord was fasting during this time He did not eat anything. However, this word reveals that while the Lord Jesus was fasting, He was eating. Physically He was fasting, but spiritually He was eating.
Here we see an important principle. In the Lord’s ministry and economy, if we do not know how to lower our physical demands and take care of the spiritual demand, we are not qualified for His ministry. In order to be qualified in the Lord’s ministry, we must be tested. We must lay down our physical requirements. A good living, good food, good clothing, and proper housing are all secondary. Eating spiritual food is primary. Immediately after His baptism, the Lord Jesus was led into a situation where He could declare to the whole universe that He was not for the physical need, but that He would take care of the spiritual need only. For forty days and forty nights, He forsook all physical food, forgetting the physical requirements. However, He took care of the spiritual need. Although He did not eat to nourish His physical body, He ate a great deal for the nourishment of His spirit. Satan was absolutely wrong in thinking that the Lord Jesus was not eating during those days in the wilderness. While He was fasting from physical food, He was partaking of spiritual food. This is the test in the matter of our living.
Many wives have not been able to withstand this test. Every wife is very concerned about her security. The wives desire to have good food, clothing, and housing. In other words, they desire a good living. This has posed a problem to many brothers. Although these brothers had a heart to take the way of the church, their wives were not willing to follow them because there was no guarantee of a good living. Many of us can testify that, when we first began to take the way of the church, our wives said, “What about our future? What about our living? What about our food, clothing, and housing?” This is a test we must face if we would take the way of the church and go the way of God’s economy.
The first test we must pass is the test regarding our living. We must care for the spiritual food more than for the physical food. Whether we live or die is secondary. We only care that our spirit is fed, that our spirit feasts on the Word of God, on God Himself.
Some pastors, missionaries, and Bible teachers saw the way of the church and had a thorough talk with me about it. However, realizing that this way is narrow, they were concerned about what would happen to their living if they went this way. The wives of many of these dear ones simply did not agree that their husbands should take this narrow way. They knew their standard of living would be lowered if their husbands went the way of the church.
Forty-five years ago in China, this way was truly narrow, and we were daily on the test concerning our living. Time after time just one dollar kept some of us from having nothing to eat. In order to take this narrow way, we had to live by faith in God. Although it was very difficult, we lived by faith for many years. I can testify that we feasted on God and His Word during those testing days when our standard of living was greatly lowered. Our experience was the same as that of the Lord Jesus in the wilderness. He neither chose to go to the wilderness nor did He go there by His own preference. He was led there by the Holy Spirit. Likewise, we were led by God into the wilderness of the church life. Fifty years ago, the church was truly in the wilderness. Nearly every day we were tested concerning what we would eat that night. But that was the time we enjoyed feasting on the Word of God. On the one hand, we did not have very much physical food to eat, but on the other hand, we did feast on the rich Word.
The principle is the same today in the church life. In taking the way of the church, the first test we shall encounter is that of lowering our standard of living. This is the test in the realm of our physical living. Everyone who takes the way of the church will be tested in this matter of his daily living. We shall be tested to show to the whole universe that our concern is not for physical food, but for spiritual food. During those days in the wilderness, Jesus was not concerned for His physical food, but for His spiritual food. He was fasting physically, yet He was eating the Word of God. In the wilderness He did not live by bread alone; He lived on the Word of God.
Now we come to the main point of the first test. At the time of Christ’s baptism, the Father opened the heavens and declared, “This is My beloved Son” (3:17), A voice from heaven declared that a little man from Nazareth was God the Father’s beloved Son. Immediately after this declaration was made, the Holy Spirit led this man into the wilderness to be tested to see whether He would care for His physical life or for His spiritual life. Then, based upon the declaration of God the Father, the tempter came to tempt this man by saying, “If You are the Son of God, speak, that these stones may become loaves of bread” (v. 3). Satan seemed to be saying, “We heard the declaration made forty days ago by God the Father that You are the beloved Son. Now if You are truly the Son of God, do something to prove it. Simply say, ‘Stones, I want you to become loaves of bread.’ If You are the Son of God, You must prove it to Yourself and to me and to everyone in the whole universe by doing something which no one else can do.”
The newly anointed King fasted in His humanity, standing on the ground of a man. However, He was also the Son of God, as God the Father had declared at His baptism. For Him to accomplish His ministry for the kingdom of the heavens, He had to defeat God’s enemy, the Devil, Satan. This He must do as a man. Hence, He stood as a man to confront the enemy of God. The Devil, knowing this, tempted Him to leave the standing of man and assume His position as the Son of God. Forty days before, God the Father declared from the heavens that He was the beloved Son of the Father. The subtle tempter took that declaration of God the Father as the ground to tempt Him. If He assumed His position as the Son of God before the enemy, He would have lost the standing to defeat him.
To make the stones become loaves of bread would certainly be a miracle. This was proposed by the Devil as a temptation. Many times the thought of having a miracle performed in certain situations is a temptation from the Devil. The Devil’s temptation of the first man, Adam, concerned the matter of eating (Gen. 3:1-6). Now his temptation of the second man, Christ, also concerned the matter of eating. Eating is always a trap used by the Devil to snare man.
Verse 4 says, “But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.” The tempter tempted the new King to take His position as the Son of God. But He answered with the Word of the Scriptures, “Man,” indicating that He stood in the position of man to deal with the enemy. The demons addressed Jesus as the Son of God (8:29), but the evil spirits did not confess that Jesus came in the flesh (1 John 4:3), because by confessing Jesus as a man, they would be defeated. Although the demons confess Jesus as the Son of God, the Devil does not want people to believe that He is the Son of God, because in so doing they will be saved (John 20:31).
The word “man” spoken by the Lord Jesus to the tempter was a killing word. The Lord seemed to be saying, “Satan, don’t tempt me to assume My position as the Son of God. I am here as a man. If I were only the Son of God, I could never be here, and I could never be tempted by you. But because I am a man, I am being tempted. Satan, I know that you are not afraid of the Son of God, but you are afraid of man. The first man, the man whom God created to defeat you and to fulfill His purpose, was defeated by you. Thus, God sent Me as the second man to defeat you. Now you are tempting Me to leave My position as a man to assume My position as the Son of God. But I tell you, Satan, I am standing here as a man.”
Although the demons shouted, “Son of God,” the evil spirits do not confess that Jesus came as a man. They will admit that He is the Son of God, but they will not recognize that He is a man. The reason the evil spirits do not want anyone to believe that Christ is the Son of God is that anyone who does so will be saved. But they do not dare recognize Jesus as a man; for if they did, they would be defeated. In dealing with the demons, Jesus is the Son of man. In saving us sinners, He is the Son of God. When we believe in Him as the Son of God, we are saved. But if the demons recognize Him as the Son of man, they will be defeated. Therefore, the Lord Jesus took a strong standing as a man to defeat Satan. In this first test Satan was defeated because Jesus took the position of a man.
The newly anointed King confronted the enemy’s temptation not by His own word, but by the word of the Scriptures, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3. This word indicates that the Lord Jesus took the word of God in the Scriptures as His bread and lived on it. The Greek word translated “word” in verse 4 is rhema. Rhema, the instant word, differs from logos, the constant word. In this temptation, all the words quoted from Deuteronomy by the Lord were logos, the constant word in the Scriptures. But when He quoted them, they became rhema, the instant word applied to His situation.
All Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). Hence, the words in the Scriptures are the words that proceed out of the mouth of God.
Verse 5 says, “Then the Devil took Him into the holy city and set Him on the wing of the temple.” The Devil’s first temptation of the new King was in the matter of human living. Defeated in this, he turned his second temptation to religion, tempting the new King to demonstrate that He is the Son of God from the wing of the temple. In verse 6 the Devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down; for it is written, He shall give charge to His angels concerning You, and on their hands they shall bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.” There was no need for the Lord Jesus to do this. It was simply a temptation to show that as the Son of God He was able to do things in a miraculous way. Any thought of doing things miraculously in religion is a temptation of the Devil.
The second test is a matter of religion. The most exciting thing in religion is miracles. According to the human concept, any religion that does not have miracles is powerless; the most powerful religion is a religion of miracles. Therefore, Satan brought the new King to the wing of the temple and tempted Him to leap down from it by saying that the angels would protect Him. Do not think that you have never had the thought of doing this kind of thing. In my early days I often thought of doing things to show people that I was a supernatural person and that I had supernatural powers. Have you not had this kind of concept in your Christian life? Sometimes we are tested when there is a need to do something, and at other times we are tested when there is no need. In this instance, there was no need for Jesus to leap down from the wing of the temple.
Sometimes there does seem to be a need for a miracle. Once my youngest brother-in-law became seriously ill. At that time I was tempted to make a show of myself by praying for his healing. I thought, “Now is the time for me to prove to my in-laws and relatives that I am a wonderful person. I shall pray just one prayer, and my brother-in-law will be healed. Doesn’t the Bible say that Jesus heals, that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that we must pray for others? If I do this miracle for my brother-in-law, my mother-in-law will be convinced that I am a supernatural person. In her eyes I am too religious, daily talking about God, Christ, and faith. Imagine what would happen if I went to my brother-in-law and said, ‘Lord Jesus, heal him,’ and he immediately rose up! Not only would he be healed, but I would be manifested. What a wonderful person I would be in the eyes of my mother-in-law!” Was that the Lord’s anointing, the Lord’s leading and guidance, or was it a temptation? Surely it was a temptation. Have you not had such a temptation in the past?
Many young Christians have peculiar concepts regarding the performing of miracles. Some may say, “Since I am one following the Lord and I am in the Lord’s presence as my Emmanuel, I must do something to show others that God is with me.” I know of one dear brother who had such a thought. Convinced that the Lord was with him, he asked the Lord to give him two hundred thousand dollars within a certain number of days. He said, “Lord, You must show the people that You are one with me. You must show them that whatever I ask in Your name, You give me. Lord, I am asking You for two hundred thousand dollars. Within a certain number of days, You must give it to me.” This brother stopped eating and sleeping and began to pray for this amount of money. What kind of prayer was that? It was leaping from the wing of the temple to make a show of himself. In principle we have all done this many times. Every Christian has been tempted in this way.
If the Devil does not tempt us in the matter of our living, he will tempt us in the matter of religion. You may desire to be a great one in religion, to be recognized as a powerful person. Everyone else must walk down from the wing of the temple, but you, a supernatural person, one who is more powerful than others, can leap down. By doing this you become great in Christianity. All the religious “big shots” are those who have yielded to this temptation. If you have become famous in Christianity, if you have succeeded in becoming recognized as a supernatural person, then you have already yielded to this temptation. You have already been defeated by the enemy. However, if you desire to defeat the enemy in this test, you must not leap from the temple. Rather, you must walk down from it as slowly as possible. Let others think that you are weak and incompetent. But you must tell yourself, “I am not walking in power. I am walking in life. I do not care for power — I care for life.” It is easy to say this, but it is difficult to do it. When the opportunity presents itself, although you may not leap from the wing of the temple, you will run down, at least showing that you are a good runner, able to run faster than others. Nevertheless, if we would defeat the enemy, we must be a nobody. Never do anything to prove that you are somebody or something. Let others think that you are nothing. Actually, I am nothing, and my Christ is everything. If you take the standing of being a nobody, you will kill the enemy. You will slay the tempter.
When the Devil tempted Jesus to cast Himself down from the wing of the temple, Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (v. 7). Because the Lord Jesus defeated him the first time by quoting the Scriptures, the tempter imitated His way and in his second temptation tempted Him by also quoting the Scriptures, however in a subtle way. To quote the Scriptures concerning something in one aspect requires us to take care of the other aspect as well, in order to be safeguarded from the deception of the tempter. This was what the new King did here to counter the tempter’s second temptation. Many times we need to tell the tempter, “Again it is written.”
The Lord Jesus defeated Satan in the first temptation by quoting the Scriptures. Thus, in the second temptation, the tempter himself quoted them. He seemed to be saying, “Jesus, You quoted the Bible. I know the Bible also. Let me quote a verse to You.” But the Lord Jesus said, “Again it is written.” The word “again” is very strong. Do not think that you can quote the Bible and that the enemy cannot. Satan knows more of the Bible than you do. Therefore, the best safeguard is to have a word again as either a balance or a confirmation. Then, in the second temptation, the enemy will also be defeated.
The Lord Jesus said to Satan, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (v. 7). Do not tempt God. Do not go to the wing of the temple and cast yourself down. If you find yourself there by accident, you must find a way to come down. But you must never go there purposely. If you are there by mistake, ask the Lord to forgive you and to help you walk down step by step. But do not cast yourself down to make a show. You are nobody. The Lord Jesus overcame the tempter by not taking his proposal to tempt God.
Verses 8 and 9 say, “Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, All these will I give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Defeated in his temptation in the religious sphere, the Devil presented his third temptation to the new King, this time in the realm of the glory of this world. He showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. The temptations of the subtle one always come in this way: firstly, in human living; secondly, in religion; and thirdly, in worldly glory. In any temptation, all three of these items will be present. The third temptation is a matter of worldly glory, promotion, ambition, position, and a promising future. All this is the glory of the world.
Luke 4:6 says that the kingdoms of the world and their glory were delivered unto the Devil; hence, to whomever he wills he gives them. Before his fall, Satan as the archangel was appointed by God to be the ruler of the world (Ezek. 28:13-14). Thus, he is called the ruler of this world (John 12:31), holding all the kingdoms of this world and their glory in his hand. He presented all these to the newly anointed King as a temptation in order to secure worship. The heavenly King overcame this temptation, but the coming Antichrist will not (Rev. 13:2, 4).
This temptation involves the matter of ambition and promotion. Even among the saints, there is the desire to be a leader. This is the desire for worldly glory. Your eagerness to be a leader is your ambition. This is the glory of the world. Whenever you are tempted in this manner, you must realize that behind this temptation is the tempter seeking to gain your worship. Satan told the Lord Jesus that if He would worship him, he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Behind every ambition there is a hidden idol. If you are ambitious to have a position, a promotion, or a name, there is an idol behind that ambition. If you do not worship any idol, you will never fulfill your ambition. In order to have any part of the glory of the world, you must worship some idol. Without worshipping idols it is impossible to have a position. Whenever you are seeking a certain position, deep within you know that you are worshipping an idol. For this reason, the Apostle said that covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5).
Suppose some brothers who came into the church life four years later than you become leaders and you feel that you have been passed by. If you complain about this, asking why they have been made leaders and you have not, this is a proof that you are seeking worldly glory. Perhaps among a group of ten sisters three are appointed to take the lead in a particular service. If the other seven have no feeling about this, they have gained the victory. But if they question why those three were appointed, this indicates that they are seeking vain glory, the glory of this age. In this matter, we all are weak. If this desire for ambition and position can wedge even into the church life, then how much we need to be on guard in other things!
In verse 10 the Lord Jesus said, “Go, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.” Satan in Greek means adversary. He is not only God’s enemy outside God’s kingdom, but also the adversary within God’s kingdom, rebelling against God. The new King rebuked the Devil’s presentation and defeated him by standing on the ground of man to worship and serve God only. To worship or to serve anything other than God for gain is always the Devil’s temptation to secure worship. The Lord seemed to be saying to Satan, “Satan, as a man, I, Jesus, worship God and serve Him only. You are God’s enemy, and I will never worship you. I don’t care for the glory of the world or for the kingdoms of the world. Satan, get away from Me!”
If we consider our experience, we shall see that all temptations are included in these three aspects: the temptation in the matter of our living, the temptation of religious miracles, and the temptation in the realm of worldly glory. All day long we are tempted in the aspects of our living, religion, and worldly position. But the Lord Jesus overcame every aspect of the enemy’s temptation. He could say, “My living is secondary. I don’t care for religious power. And worldly glory has nothing to do with Me. I know only God’s word and God Himself. I care only to serve God.” Therefore, as the One who passed the test, the Lord Jesus was qualified to be the King of the kingdom of the heavens.
Verse 11 says, “Then the Devil leaves Him; and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” The Devil’s temptation of the first man, Adam, was a success; his temptation of the second man, Christ, was an absolute failure. This indicates that he will have no place in the new King’s kingdom of the heavens. After the Lord Jesus defeated Satan, angels came and ministered to the tempted King as a suffering man (cf. Luke 22:43).
Not only the King but also all the kingdom people must overcome the matters of their daily living, religious power, and worldly glory. If we cannot overcome these three temptations, we are outside the kingdom. If we would be the kingdom people, these three things must be under our feet. If we kill these three temptations, saying, “I don’t care for my living, for religious power, or for worldly position,” Satan will not be able to do anything to us.
We should not be concerned about our daily living. Consider the example of the Apostle Paul. Paul said, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to be in want” (Phil. 4:12). Paul seemed to be saying, “It does not matter to me whether I have poverty or abundance. I can live in either scarcity or plenty. The matter of my daily living does not worry me.”
Furthermore, instead of caring for religious power, we should be weak, just as Jesus Christ was weak when He was arrested and crucified. If He had not been weak, who could have arrested Him and put Him on the cross? When He was arrested, tried, and crucified, He made no display of His power. He refused to exhibit any religious power. Instead, He was weak to the uttermost. Paul said that Christ “was crucified out of weakness”; he also said, “We are weak in Him” (2 Cor. 13:4). Many devilish people challenged Paul, saying, “If you are the true apostle of Christ, you must do something to prove it.” But when Paul was in prison, the Lord did not do anything miraculous for him.
Paul’s situation was the same as that of John the Baptist, who also had been imprisoned. After a certain period of imprisonment, John sent his disciples to challenge the Lord, saying, “Are You the coming One, or should we expect someone else?” (11:3). John seemed to be saying, “If You are the coming One, why don’t You do something for me? Don’t You know that I, Your forerunner and recommender, am in prison? Are you not powerful? Are You not Christ the almighty? If so, do something for me.” In His answer, the Lord said, “Blessed is he who shall not be stumbled in Me” (11:6). The Lord seemed to be saying, “Yes, I can do anything, but I don’t want to do anything for you. Although you are My recommender, My forerunner, I don’t care to do anything for you. I would rather that you would be beheaded. John, will you be stumbled by Me?” Brother Nee’s experience is an up-to-date illustration of this. He was in prison from 1952 until he died in 1972. During those twenty years, the Lord did not do anything for him in a miraculous way.
How we need to overcome these three kinds of temptation: the temptation of our living, the temptation of so-called religious power, and the temptation of vain glory. If we conquer these things, we are truly the kingdom people following our heavenly King. Hallelujah, our heavenly King overcame the tempter and defeated him in these three temptations!
