“There’ll be a test on this material on Friday. Come prepared.”
Remember? Listening to my high school civics teacher drone on for endless eternity (it seemed) always lulled me into la-la land. But as soon as he said, “There’ll be a TEST …” suddenly lights were flashing and buzzers were going off. Uh-oh. What was he talking about? What material …?? WHAT’re we getting TESTED ON?!?!
When does LIFE ever give us a heads up like that? LIFE just happens. Tests come. Nobody gets a pass. It would be NICE to look at our calendar in the morning and see: “EXAM TODAY at 10 a.m.” At least we’d know. But it usually comes when we DON’T expect it. Not when we’ve prepared and are ready for it. It just happens. Bam. Pop quiz.
Tests happen to ALL of us. And just because Jesus was GOD in FLESH didn’t mean He got a pass either. He was tested, too. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been TESTED in every way, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 NAB)
The story is in Luke 4. “Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, (after His baptism) and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness …” It’s interesting to note that the SAME Spirit that hovered over Him at His baptism in Luke 3, in honor, glory, and audible favor, is the SAME Spirit that then led Jesus out into the desert … to be TESTED. It’s as if the commencement celebration came BEFORE the examination.
Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father … lead us not into temptation (“peirasmos” = hard TESTING) …” and yet, HE was. Jesus WAS led into temptation. Why?
First, what is the PURPOSE of a test?
- To determine where you’re at and to identify your weaknesses.
- To prove what you remember of what you’ve learned and how to apply it.
- To show more clearly the necessary steps you need to take toward accomplishing your goal.
Why then would Jesus—the Mighty God in Christ—need to be tested? It wasn’t that GOD-in-Flesh needed it, but that the FLESH-of-God did.
Jesus knew it was a test of His FLESH and that the exam awaiting Him would be hard. TESTS are meant to be DIFFICULT. Since it was His own Holy Spirit that led His human flesh out to be tested, He could’ve argued Himself out of it. He could’ve said “I know all this material already. I know Who I AM.”
Instead, He prepared His FLESH to FACE it:
- He went FASTING—no food for FORTY days.
- He went FRIENDLESS—without human support.
- He went FOCUSED—on His purpose, His calling, His ministry.
In addition, we might assume that Jesus was alone—but He wasn’t. Satan, the Great Distractor, showed up at the exam—uninvited. He knew he was no match for the SPIRIT of God, so he tried to take on the FLESH of God, with his own set of test questions:
- Feeling HUNGRY? “If You’re really God in flesh, then turn these rocks into fresh, hot bread!”
- Feeling LONELY? “If You’ll worship me, all the kingdoms of the world will be YOURS!”
- Feeling DOUBTED? like nobody believes You? “If You’re WHO You say You are, then JUMP off this wall! The angels will surely catch you.”
We know now that Jesus, in His FLESH, purposely endured—and passed—the TEST. But WHY did He go through it? Because He knew that Satan will try it on us, too. Jesus won’t ever exempt us from testing—but He’s already given us all the answers we will ever need!
Satan is so predictable! He will try to catch us at our weakest point or when we’re trying our hardest to do what’s right. Just like he did to Jesus, he’ll present the most outrageous challenges. Like:
- “Look at all the things you CAN’T have or CAN’T do—you’ve deprived yourself long enough! You know what you WANT. Go for it!”
- “Look at the great life that literally EVERYONE ELSE has. Everybody’s happier than you! You SHOULD have it all, too. You DESERVE it.”
- “Aw, c’mon! Do something crazy! Be YOURSELF! Prove who you REALLY are! Do what YOU want to do, for once! If you don’t, you’ll always wish you had. It will be okay.”
When Jesus was tested with Satan’s challenges, He didn’t stop to grab a scroll and frantically search the Scriptures for a scathing comeback. He pulled out of His heart what was ALREADY planted there—the Word of God. “IT IS WRITTEN …” “Thy WORD have I (already) hid in my heart that I might not sin …”
“God keeps his promise, and He will not allow you to be tested [to sin] beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength [in the SPIRIT and the WORD] to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 GNT; insertions are mine.)
In other words, when temptation comes, just look to Jesus. He says, “I took this test already. Here’s the ANSWER KEY!”
Bottomline: Satan knows he’s no match for the Holy Spirit in us. He learned that the hard way. But, beware! He WILL try to ambush our FLESH. Ordinary desires for our COMFORT, COMPANIONSHIP, and CREDIBILITY—these are all very natural inclinations. Yes. But if Satan can use them to make us spiritually weak, faithless, and out of focus, he can trip us up and cause us to fail.
There WILL be a test. Consider yourself warned. That’s why we need to be prepared, always, as Jesus was—by hiding the Word of God in our HEARTS. We should cram for the test NOW by filling our hearts and minds daily with God’s WORD—memorizing His promises, warnings, commandments, and comforts. Painting the inner walls of our souls with Scripture! This, along with daily prayer, aligns our flesh with God’s WORD. When our heart is fixed on TRUTH, our fickle flesh becomes stronger.
We can do this! Satan may show up at any time with a pop quiz, but he can’t think up new questions. What worked for the LORD Jesus will work for us. “IT IS WRITTEN …” We already have in our hands and in our hearts the ANSWER KEY for whatever spiritual test we face. Today … or any day.
