October 1, 2024 Devo

This temptation of Jesus has several shades to it. It is the temptation for power. It is the temptation for notoriety and fame. It is the temptation to take a shortcut to the top. But there is another temptation that hit me today as I camped on this verse. It is one of the Enemy’s oldest and most effective tools. The Devil wants to create division.
Think about it. Jesus may be God in the flesh, but there is still a God who rules in Heaven. The Devil is slyly trying to get Jesus to turn on His Heavenly Father and make the Devil himself the one He worships and serves. The Enemy knows he cannot defeat the Triune God. So he does what he seeks to do so often. He tries to divide the Trinity against itself.
This is the Enemy’s approach wherever he goes. He finds a marriage that’s doing well who are committed to the Lord. He discovers he can’t get them to walk away from God or each other so he begins to sow seeds of division. He points out the little irritations and magnifies the hurts and slights that happen. He fans the flames of their pride so that they won’t admit their faults to each other. Little by little he seeks to drive them apart. If he can’t force a divorce, he’ll settle for a home of discord and unhappiness.
The same is true in the church. Satan knows he can’t get committed Christians to leave their faith. So he begins to work among them to try to get them to fuss among themselves. A church full of people who are arguing over who gets the best room, or why they don’t like the new staff person, or what color the new carpet ought to be, AREN’T focused on the lost and needy people who are hurting, dying, and going to hell all around them. The moment we put ourselves FIRST above our spouse, our church, or our God is the moment we invite the Devil in. A divided family is a miserable family. A divided church is a powerless church. Let’s stop giving the Enemy a foothold. That’s God’s Word for you today.