Shortly after his baptism and entry into public life, Jesus left for the wilderness and a 40 day fast. On the last day, when Jesus was at his hungriest, the tempter arrived to begin his work.

Satan first offered fresh bread, and Jesus replied with a verse: It is written: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Jesus refuted Satan’s first attempt with scripture, but the tempter made a quick pivot. He took Jesus to the highest point on the temple, then asked Jesus to leap and let the angels catch him. In his challenge Satan quoted from Psalm 91: He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

A quick learner, Satan twisted scripture in his response to Jesus. Jesus parried back with more passages, beating Satan at his game of Biblical ping-pong. But I’m reminded that the devil knows his Bible and manipulates it like play-dough.

A savvy teacher can take a few verses from the Bible and make a case for anything. It takes a wise, reasoned approach to discern what the Bible actually says. Evaluate the teachings your hear, especially those that advocate new views on old moralities. Don’t be fooled—open the pages and read for yourself.

The ever-clever temper still appeals with his twisted words. The old saying, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, applies here. Ignorance is no excuse when we hold the Holy Scriptures in our hands. The only way to avoid falling for distorted teachings around the Bible is to open the Good Book for ourselves.

Matthew 4 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Richard Stovall