The Secret to How Jesus Defeated Satan and How You Can Do It Too

If you've never read the "Temptation of Jesus" in the Bible (Matthew 4:1-11, NIV; Mark 1:12-13, NIV; and Luke 4:1-13, NIV), then I suggest that you do. It's very important for all Christians to understand how Jesus defeated Satan and how He sent Satan away with his tail between his legs (figuratively speaking). So how did Jesus defeat Satan, and how can you do it, too?

1. Jesus Defeated Satan With the Same Thing You Can Defeat Him With -- the Bible!

When Jesus was in the desert, Satan came to Him and tried three times to get Jesus to sin (by tempting Him):

1. First Temptation: Satan tries to get Jesus to use His supernatural powers for His own needs (to change stones into bread), which would have caused Jesus to fail His mission. However, Jesus says, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'" in Matthew 4:4 (NIV) (also Luke 4:4, NIV).
    
2. Second Temptation: Satan now tries to put God to the test; however, Jesus again defends and says, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test'" in Matthew 4:7 (NIV) (also Luke 4:12, NIV).
    
3. Third Temptation: Finally, Satan tries to compromise with Jesus and decides to give Him power over the world if Jesus bows down to him. However, Jesus again quotes the Bible and says, "Away from me Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only'" in Matthew 4:10 (NIV) and Luke 4:8 (NIV).

So by now you're probably wondering "that's great that Jesus was such a cool guy filled with wisdom, but how will any of this help me?" Keep reading and I guarantee that you'll find out!

2. Read and Study the Bible. Otherwise, You Won't Even Know How to Defend Against Sin!

Let's look at an example here: If you wanted to cook something new for your family, then you would probably use a cookbook to view all of the ingredients, right? In the same way, to live the way God wants us to live (a holy, Christian life) we need to open up our Christian cookbook (the Bible) and look up all of the ingredients (the wisdom and commands) that it has to offer us. This advice is not something that I discovered on my own, however, nor is it anything new. This "secret" advice has been in the Bible since the Old Testament times. For example, Joshua 1:8 (NIV) tells us, "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

3. Apply Bible Verses to Your Life

If you read my previous post, 10 Ways to Prevent Adultery in a Christian Marriage, then you probably remember that I stressed to refrain from sin you need to flee from temptation (1 Corinthians 6:18, NIV; 1 Corinthians 10:14, NIV; 1 Timothy 6:11, NIV; and 2 Timothy 2:22, NIV). There are many ways to apply this in your life, especially if you have an addiction to something. For example:

1. You're an alcoholic: Flee from temptation by refraining from being around any alcoholic drinks, especially at clubs or parties (which normally increase temptation).
    
2. You're addicted to pornography: Flee from temptation by getting off of the computer or, alternatively, install a website blocker (a free parental control bar will work, too).
    
3. You're married, but you can't stop looking at another person with lustful thoughts: Flee from temptation by making sure that you are never alone with that person, if possible.

4. Pray for Wisdom

Pray for God to give you the wisdom to defeat all temptation, and since God primarily speaks to us through His word (the Bible), also ask Him to lead you to a specific Bible verse that can help you. If you ever feel like there is no way to overcome sin or temptation, then please always remember what the Bible states in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) -- which states that God will always give you a way out of temptation. The sooner you know what the Bible has to say about something, the sooner you are ready to defeat Satan and sin!