"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry." {Matthew 4:1,2}

"Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him." {Mark 1:12,13}

"Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry." {Luke 4:1,2}

After John the Baptizer baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness where He was to be tempted by the devil. What can we learn from the example set by our Lord as He dealt with mankind's adversary? Allow the scriptures to assist us in our understanding of these events.

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." {Hebrews 4:15} Some brethren find it difficult to understand this passage . Did Jesus have an edge over other men? No, our Lord overcame sin by using the same weapon we must use when we battle against Satan--God's word!

When Jesus was hungry, and Satan tempted Him to turn the stones to bread to satisfy that hunger (some say he really wasn't hungry), what did He reply? "...IT IS WRITTEN, man shall not live by bread alone..." {Matthew 4:4}

Then the devil challenged Him to cast Himself down off the pinnacle of the temple. Even Satan quoted, albeit improperly, from the scriptures. What did our Lord say? "...IT IS WRITTEN AGAIN, you shall not tempt the Lord your God." {Matthew 4:7}

Satan took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and promised to give Him the kingdoms of the world (bypassing the pain and anguish of the cross), if Christ would bow down and worship Him. Our Lord answered,..."Away with you, Satan! For IT IS WRITTEN, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve." {Matthew 4:10}

Many believe this concluded our Lord's temptations from Satan. "Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time." {Luke 4:13} No matter how many times the tempter came, he was always rejected in the same manner--WORDS OF TRUTH!

Did Jesus have an edge? He did not. He used the word (2 Timothy 3:16,17; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). And we must do the same thing. It was effective then, and it still is!!