Greg Laurie - How to Handle Temptation (02/15/2026)
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Pastor Greg Laurie kicks off the new year preaching from Luke 4 and James 1 about resisting temptation, using Jesus' wilderness testing as the model. Temptation often strikes after spiritual highs, stems from our own desires, is best faced in God's will, and is defeated by the Word of God. He urges believers to make Bible reading and memorization a key resolution, ending with an invitation to receive Christ for true victory over sin and a meaningful life.
New Year, New Resolutions—and the Reality of Breaking Them
All right, we're going to be looking at Luke Chapter 4 and James 1. The new year is officially here. 2025 is in the rear view mirror. It's history. And one of the things that people do at the beginning of the year is they make their resolutions. How many of you made New Year's resolutions? Raise your hand. Not many. Okay.
Here's the problem with resolutions. And by the way, I'm one of you. I don't make New Year's resolutions. And you know why I don't make them? Because I break them. What's the point of it? I read that 63% of those that make New Year's resolutions already broke them in about two weeks. So, really, what's the point?
But what do you think the number one New Year's resolution is? What would your guess be? Is that personal? Do you need to lose weight? You're right. That's it. It's losing weight. That's always the number one New Year's resolution.
So, people are going on all these diets. And there's so many of these diets. I've tried a few of them. Not all that successfully. There, of course, is Sugar Busters, Atkins, The Zone, The South Beach Diet, The Grapefruit Diet, The Fit for Life Diet, The Pritikin Diet, The Zone. Then there's one. I've never tried this. I don't know anyone who has tried it. The Cabbage Soup Diet. I tried the Cabbage Patch Doll Diet. Did you? Well, you sit down with a doll and eat a burger. It didn't really...
How many of you remember the Cabbage Patch Dolls? Well, Google it. It was a fad. Oh, there's a picture of them. Yes, okay. It was a fad a long time ago. Then there's a DASH diet. Of course, intermittent fasting, The Carnivore Diet, The Mediterranean Diet, I think, may be the most popular.
And they do work diets, but it's hard to stay on them. I mean, the very word says it all. Diet, D-I-E, like pain, abstaining, saying no. I'm always drawn to the wrong foods. No matter what the choice is, I want the wrong food. Not the... I don't want the... Oh, I'll have a salad. You know, people go to a restaurant. I'll have a salad. To me, salad is practice. It's just like, can I still chew? When am I going to get actual food in my stomach, right?
Or, I'll have a soup, a bowl of soup. I don't know. I like to put my teeth into something. But when I was younger, I used to be able to eat anything. And I had that fast metabolism, which changes as you grow older.
And years ago, when we started our church, and I was in my... Well, my very early 20s, I would go after church on Sunday night and eat at a place called Noggles. You ever heard of Noggles? They're in Riverside. They're no longer in existence. And I ordered something called the Macho Combo burrito. It was about the size of a sleeping bag. I couldn't even consider that.
If I ate a Macho Combo burrito at night, I would be up all night with acid reflux. Because I've gone from acid rock to acid reflux. So it's just, it's not even an option.
But I bring diets up because it's a way to really get to my real subject, which is resisting sinful temptation. It's one thing to resist the idea of eating food. But to sin is another thing. And of course, we would rather... There was no temptation at all. But it is a part of the Christian life.
Temptation in the Christian Life and God's Property
The story is told of an old minister who, when temptation would come knocking, would say to the Lord, "Lord, Lord, your property is in danger again." And here's the thing. As a Christian, you are God's property. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, "You're not your own. You've been bought with a price."
It's good to keep that in mind when unjust attacks come. When lies are told about you. When your name is drugged through the mud. We need to remember this. We don't belong to ourselves anymore. We belong to God. We are His property. Our reputation belongs to Him. Our future belongs to Him. Our battles belong to Him.
And Jesus warned that these attacks would come when we walk with Him. Jesus said in John 15, "If the world hates you, remember, it hated me first."
Therefore, God will allow trials and even temptations in the life of the Christian. Why? Well, testing and temptation can have a positive effect. In James 1:12, it says, "God blesses those who patiently endure temptation. Because afterwards, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."
So right off the bat, we learn three things about temptation here. Number one, it can be endured. Temptation can be endured, and it can be resisted. Oscar Wilde, the author, famously said, "I can resist anything but temptation." But the fact is, you can resist temptation.
Because 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "There is no temptation taking you, but such as is common to man. But God who is faithful will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it." Let me paraphrase that for you. Whatever temptation comes your way, there's always a way out. God won't give you more than you can resist. So it can be resisted. It can be endured.
Number two, there's a reward for the Christian who endures it. Because it says, if you resist it, you'll receive the crown of life. And thirdly, you'll be happy if you resist it. Because it says, "blessed is the man that endures temptation." And the word blessed is interchangeable with the word happy.
It was Martin Luther who said, "One Christian who has been tempted is worth a thousand who haven't." That's a good statement. Another person said, "Christians are a lot like tea bags. You don't know what they're made of until you put them in hot water."
And maybe you're in the hot waters of trial or temptation right now.
Jesus' Temptation in Luke 4: Key Questions Answered
And so here in Luke 4, we're going to look at the temptation of Christ. And we're going to identify four things for you if you're taking notes. Number one, when does temptation come? Number two, who does temptation come to? Thirdly, where is the best place to be when temptation comes? And fourth and lastly, what is the primary weapon we should use to resist temptation?
So let's sort of pick up where we last left off, and then we'll look at Luke 4. We'll look at Luke 3 first, then Luke 4.
So Jesus, of course, has been born in the manger of Bethlehem. He's been raised in the little town of Nazareth in the home of Mary and Joseph. His cousin John is preparing for his public ministry, which would soon commence. It does not appear that Jesus and John had any interaction up to this point.
And then John just bursts on the scene. People have not seen anyone like him before. The way he dressed, his diet, everything about him was unusual and arrested your attention. In fact, he was so popular at one point, people thought he was the Messiah. Josephus, the Jewish historian, actually wrote more about John the Baptizer than he did about Jesus.
But John said, no, I'm not the Messiah. I'm the voice crying in the wilderness saying, prepare the way of the Lord. I'm the forerunner of Messiah. And Jesus said of John, of those born among women, there has never been a greater than John the Baptist.
John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, if you will. But why would he be the greatest? He never wrote a book like Isaiah or Ezekiel. He never performed a miracle like Elijah or Elisha. How could he be the greatest? His greatness was a direct result of his closeness to Jesus. It's that John and John alone had this special role of getting people ready for Christ. He said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And he also said, he must increase and I must decrease.
And so now the moment has come for Jesus to begin his public ministry. He's 33 years old. And we come to Luke 3, verse 21. When the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. And as he was praying, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit in bodily form descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, this is my beloved son. In him I am well pleased.
Now sometimes in religious art, this scene is portrayed as just John and Jesus at the Jordan River. But as we read the story, there was a crowd there and people were getting baptized. So they're probably standing in line. And I'm sure the Lord just got in line, was waiting his turn.
And he steps up and John immediately recognizes his cousin Jesus. And he says, I can't baptize you. You should be baptizing me. Jesus says, no, this must be done. And understand the fact that Jesus had done no miracles yet. He had not given a single message. He didn't have a halo over his head. He didn't have a blue sash on his robe. He just looked like everybody else.
But now the Son of God is going to begin his public ministry. And to confirm it, the Holy Spirit comes upon him in the form of a dove. We're not really sure what that means exactly. And then there's a voice from heaven that says, God speaking, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased.
So here we have the Trinity in action. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So now the moment has come for Christ to begin his ministry. But first, he's going to go into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Drop down to Luke 4, verse 1. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days. And at the end of them, he was hungry.
The devil said to him, if you are the Son of God, tell the stone to become bread. Jesus answered, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from God.
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said, I'll give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me. And I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.
Jesus answered, it is written. And I want you to underline that. Because I'm going to come back to it. It is written. Jesus answered, it is written, worship the Lord your God and serve him only.
Verse 9. And the devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple and said, if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.
Now this is interesting because the devil quotes scripture. Satan is speaking. It is written. He'll command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully, they'll lift you up in their hands so you will not strike your foot against a stone.
Jesus said, you shall not put the Lord God to the test. And when the devil had finished all of his tempting, he left him for an opportune time.
When Temptation Comes: After Spiritual Highs
So let's see with one of those questions. When does temptation generally come? Answer. Often after times of great blessing. What had just happened to Jesus? He had been blessed, filled with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes upon him in the form of a dove. The Father says, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
So after the blessing, comes the trial. After the dove, comes the devil. And this happens to us as well. Temptation seems to come at the worst times. I mean, maybe you have a great morning in church and you get in your car and you're reflecting. Well, that was just probably the best sermon I've ever heard. That was a joke. Never mind. I love you. Great time of worship. It was so wonderful to see so-and-so and to be with God's people.
And then all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, but really by his own direct attack, a horrible thought comes to your mind. It's a temptation. It's an impure thought. It's a hateful idea. Whatever it is, it's from hell. And it comes to you and you think, why is this happening to me?
Because the devil is looking for an opportune time. See, he sizes you up. And he seeks to exploit your weakness.
So I started playing racquetball again. I wasn't sure if I'd ever play again after I had a hip replacement. But I am playing again. And I asked my doctor, it's not going to come out of the socket or anything, is it? That would be kind of embarrassing. Oh no, you'll be fine, he said.
So the guy I'm playing, he, you know, he's very good, but he's not that mobile, okay? So when I play him, I always try to put the ball where he isn't. Why? Because I want to beat him. The problem, he always beats me, but I'm trying to score a point here and there.
And that, I hate to compare myself to the devil, but to make the point, the devil's looking at you. Where are you vulnerable? He wants to exploit that weakness for his own purposes. And so we have to be aware of that, and that's what he will do in each of our lives.
Times of spiritual attack often come after mountaintop experiences. We have the story of Jesus being transfigured. On one side of him is Moses. On the other side is Elijah. It's a great moment, and immediately as they descend from that mountain where Jesus shone like the sun, there's a demon-possessed person waiting.
So the devil is always looking for that opportunity to hit you, often when you least expect it.
The Source of Temptation: Our Own Desires (James 1)
Where does temptation generally come from? Answer, we play a key role in our own temptation. Where there's no desire on our part, then there's no temptation.
And in these verses before us in James 1, that I had you turn to, we have the five steps of temptation. Every temptation that you have faced followed this pattern. James 1:14. Everyone is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and is enticed. Then when desire is conceived, he gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
So it starts off with the temptation itself. Everyone is tempted when they're drawn away by their own desires. We like to blame the devil for everything. We'll say, oh, the devil made me do it. The devil can't make you do anything, especially if you're a Christian. You have a free will.
The Bible says, resist the devil and he will flee from you. But the temptation itself comes to us usually in the realm of our imagination, in the realm of our thoughts. Listen to this. You are the air traffic controller of your own mind. You decide what thoughts are going to come in and what thoughts are going to stay out.
And so that's something we deal with right here. It's not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted. The sin of temptation is not in the bait. It's in the bite. Just because bait, if you will, is dangled before you doesn't mean you've done anything wrong.
Just because an unclean thought or whatever it is comes at your imagination doesn't mean you've sinned. Because you can reject it and say, that is not from God. But if you bring it inside to your imagination, that's where the problem begins.
Which brings you to step number two. It says, you're drawn away by your own desires. See, the thought comes knocking and you say, well, let me just check it out. You know, I'm going to try that free sample. Why do they give you free samples in the supermarket? Because they want you to buy the food. Why do they ask you to take a test drive? Because they want you to buy the car.
And the devil says, just take it out for a spin. You don't have to actually do it. You'd never do that. You're such a godly man or woman. And so you take your little trip to Fantasy Island. How many of you remember that TV show? You're very old. The plane, the plane said tattoo. That was one of the characters in Fantasy Island. Google that along with other weird cultural references I give.
But I'm going to just think about it. But that's the first step toward doing it. It's been said, sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny. It starts with the thought right up here. So we have to think about what we think about.
So you come under its power. Now you're almost hooked. Verse 14 of James 1 says, You're drawn away by your own desires. And then the hook is now set. You bite and desire, when it's conceived, gives birth to sin. That evil thought has been acted on. And now you're facing the repercussions of it.
And finally, number five, the lethal effects of sin kick in. Verse 15 of James 1. Sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. That's what it brings, death. Oh, there's a little excitement. There's a little euphoria. There's a little fun. And there's a little pleasure. But man, it's going to cost you.
The Bible says, sin is pleasurable for a season. But afterwards, it brings death. And this is a devil's strategy. He knows how to sell his stuff. And you're separated from God in fellowship. And you need to repent of that sin. Because the Bible says the wages of sin are death. The Bible says the soul that sinned shall surely die.
And when does this happen? When sin is full grown. You know, it's funny how things can seem rather innocent when they're small. But they get bigger in time.
How many of you are animal lovers out there? How many of you love dogs? Dog lovers? Lots of dog lovers. How many of you love cats? Cats. Why? No. I know I always mock cats. But I actually like some cats. Not most, but some.
There's a cat in our neighborhood. He's just the coolest cat of all time. And he's been around forever. Because I've been taking pictures of him with my grandkids. And they're really little. And now they're all a lot older. And this cat is still around. And it's sort of his world. And we just live in it.
I mean, this cat will go and sit in the middle of the street. And a car comes. He's like, drive around me. This is my street. This is my neighborhood. I'm not moving. And every now and then, he'll show up at our house and just stand at the door and meow a little bit. And I'll come out and obediently bring him a little cup of milk. And he'll lap it up. And then he'll just walk away. You know, that's just the way he is. But I like this cat.
And the other day, I looked out the window. And we have a little chair on our porch. And he was just sitting in the chair. Like, this is my house. And I'm watching the world go by. So, I like some cats. I like that cat, at least.
But some animals don't make great pets. I heard about a woman that brought a deer from the wild into her home and raised it as her own. And then the deer killed her. Killed by a deer? Yes, it grew into an adult. It had antlers. And it got spooked. And the pen she was keeping it in. And it killed her. So, she took a wild animal that wasn't meant to be a pet and tried to tame it. And it turned on her.
There's another story I've told before of a guy who had a pet hippo. And hippos are very dangerous animals, by the way. More people are killed in Africa by hippos than any other animal out there. And this hippo, whom he named Humphrey, he said, was his pet? I read an article about it. He says, Humphrey is as good of a pet as a dog is. I ride him around. He's the friendliest animal. And one day, Humphrey the hippo just killed the dude. Just like, I'm done with you. You heard of Hungry Hippos? It's happening. Okay?
So, this is the point. That's it. Oh, it's little. I can control it. I can control this vice. With drinking, I'll know when to stop. With drugs, I won't go too far with this. Sexual sin, I won't go too far. And then one day, it gets hold of you. And it takes control of your life. That's what we're being told there in James.
It can be a lot like doom scrolling. You know where you get your phone out and you just start flipping through videos on Reels or Instagram or TikTok. And you just go from one to the other to the other. And you kind of, your eyes are glazed over. And your hand is numb from holding your phone. And after you're done, you're thinking, that was such a waste of my time. At first, it was kind of entertaining and fun. But now, it's just like, this is not good for me. They actually have a term to describe that. They call it brain rot.
But, and I think I've experienced it personally. Imagine if we pick this up instead of that phone, how much different we would feel. Especially before bed. Before you go to sleep. Don't doom scroll. Read the Bible. Let your last thoughts be of the Word of God. That will help set your mind and your imagination for your sleep that night.
Best Place During Temptation: In God's Will
But, so now, the next question. Where is the best place to be when temptation comes? Where is the best place to be when temptation comes? Answer. In the will of God.
Look at Luke 4:1. He was led by the Spirit. Notice, led by the Spirit. Into the wilderness, where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil.
So, the devil brings three temptations to Jesus. And he starts in verse 3. If you're the Son of God, command the stone to become bread. By the way, that word, if, could also be translated since. So, the devil is not questioning if Jesus is the Son of God. In fact, he's affirming it. He's saying, in effect, since you are the Son of God. He's not disputing it.
Since you're the Son of God, why don't you prove it? I know you're hungry. I know you're famished. I know you're literally starving to death. After not eating for 40 days and 40 nights. Why don't you turn this rock into a piece of bread?
But, and Jesus gives us a model. He gives us a model to follow. Because Jesus could have used executive privilege. Said, I'm out of here. And appeared somewhere else. Or he could have said, you're out of here. And the devil would have gone somewhere else.
But instead, Jesus faced it as a man. He showed us how to resist temptation. And what does he do? Again and again, he says, it is written. Jesus quotes the scripture. It is written, our Lord says, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Psalm 119:9 says, how can a young man stay pure? By obeying your word. Psalm 119:11 says, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Now here's the thing that the devil was really trying to pull off. He was trying to have the Lord put the temporal above the eternal. Put the temporal above the eternal. It's a good thing to eat food. How many of you like to eat food? Not everybody? What? Just the rest of you don't like? I don't really like eating. Okay. Really? I think most... How many of you really like to eat food? It's okay. I'm not going to shame you. Wow, a bunch of gluttons. I'm kidding. Most of us like to eat food. Some people like to eat food more than other people. No doubt about that.
There's nothing wrong with this. God gives us our hunger for food. And it's not just there to help us physically, but it's there to enjoy as well. The Bible says, whatever you eat or drink, do it for the glory of God. The Bible says he's given us all things to richly enjoy.
Jesus even uses eating as a picture of fellowship with him when he says in Revelation 3:20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I'll come in and have a meal with him. King James, sup with him. Right? So that's a great thing.
But here's the point I want to make. We should eat to live, not live to eat. Eat to live, not live to eat. Because some people, you know, they live to eat. They get carried away.
So you can have a God-given drive that is right in its proper place that can become a problem. Take sex as an example. God gave us sex. We wouldn't be here without sex. Sex is, of course, for procreation, but it can also be for pleasure in the safety of a marriage relationship. That is where God will actually bless the sexual union between a man and a woman. Any other place is out of his order. Any other place of sex is not ever going to be blessed by God. In fact, it will separate you from God.
So I can have something in its proper place that will be blessed. I can have it out of its proper place that becomes a problem. So here's the point. Don't put the temporal before the eternal. Keep the eternal in your front windshield. Always be looking to live a godly life and putting Christ first.
C.S. Lewis put it this way. Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither. C.S. Lewis said, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. And these things were what we're going to eat, what we're going to drink, what we're going to wear. It's okay to think about those things. But don't be obsessed by those things. Put God first. So that's the point that is being made here.
Second Temptation: Shortcut to Power
Now we come to the second temptation. And that was a temptation to avoid the cross. Verse 5, Luke 4, the devil leads him to a high place, shows him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
Now what did that look like? All the kingdoms of the world. And Satan says, I will give you all of their authority and splendor for it has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.
What a fascinating statement. Was it true? Apparently yes. Because Jesus did not refute it. So what is the devil saying? He's saying, this is kind of my show that I'm pretty much running in many ways right now.
You see, when our first parents sinned in the Garden of Eden, they forfeited paradise. And Satan, according to scripture, became the god of this world, small g. The prince of the power of the air, and now rules in the children of disobedience.
The myth that Satan will one day rule hell is false because one day he'll be cast into hell. And according to Jesus, was created for the devil and his angels. But the devil knows his time is limited. He knows his days are numbered. And he wants to take as many people to hell as he can before that day.
But here he is saying, look Jesus, I know why you're here. I know why you were born in the manger of Bethlehem. I know you're coming to go to the cross and die for the sin of the world. And I'm going to make you an offer you cannot refuse. Very bad Godfather imitation. I'll give it to you on a silver platter. No cross. No suffering. No crucifixion. No bearing the sin of humanity. If you will give me the momentary satisfaction of bowing before me in worship, I'll give it all to you. What do you say?
And Jesus says, you shall not test the Lord your God or have any other gods before you. So, this is really the temptation to bow before an altar. And it's interesting because Jesus says, you shall worship the Lord God and him only shall you serve.
Fascinating. The devil didn't say anything about service. He just said worship. But Jesus added service because he knows that whatever altar you bow at, that's where you will also serve.
So, Jesus, of course, resists his temptation because one day Christ will purchase back that which was lost in the Garden of Eden. In Revelation 5, we read, who is worthy to open the book and loose the seals? And he says, weep not, the lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed to open the book and loose the scrolls. And John beholds Jesus as a lamb who has been slain.
So, one day, Jesus will get back the title deed of the earth and that comes through his death and resurrection. And Satan was offering a shortcut around that, which, of course, the Lord resisted altogether. And he says, get behind me, Satan, for it is written, worship the Lord only.
Primary Weapon: The Word of God
Okay, what is the primary weapon we should use to resist temptation? What's the primary weapon? It is the word of God. It's the word of God.
Have you ever noticed in Ephesians 6, as it talks about spiritual warfare, it tells you to take the helmet of salvation to protect your mind, the breastplate of righteousness to protect your vital organs, having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, but then it says, and then also the shield of faith, but then it says, but take the sword of the Spirit. And what is the sword of the Spirit? The word of God. It's the only offensive weapon, right?
And so Jesus is modeling this for us by quoting Scripture when he's being attacked.
And as we think about New Year, a new year with New Year's resolutions, here's one resolution you all should make. We all should make. We want to read our Bible every single day, right? We want to memorize the Bible. We want to have a good working knowledge of the Bible. We need to have a biblical worldview.
And this is a problem that you see among some Christians today, maybe even a lot of Christians today. They don't think biblically. They think emotionally. And they don't let the Scripture impact them in every area of their life.
The Bible should affect you in your lifestyle. The Bible should affect you in your thoughts. The Bible should affect you in your voting. The Bible should affect you in your finances. Everything should be run through a biblical grid so you live and think biblically.
Go ahead and applaud. You need to applaud that. It's sad I have to tell you when to clap, but that was a moment there. Not for me, but for the point we were making. Your biblical blood type should be biblene. You should bleed Bible. Think Bible.
And I might also encourage some of you, get an actual Bible. A Bible. How many of you have a Bible? Hold it up. Let me see your Bible. Now, I know some of you are scrolling on tablets on phones, and that's okay. I look at the Bible on my phone too. But I think it's good to have an actual physical Bible.
And I'm going to be selling something after this. No, I'm not really. But I like to see a Bible that's kind of marked up and beat up. It's been said a Bible that's falling apart is usually an indication of a life that isn't.
So get a Bible, memorize the Bible, write in your Bible, Mark up your Bible. This is a very important thing to do.
But here's an interesting point. The devil quotes the Bible. In verse 10, the devil takes Jesus to the top of the temple and tells him to jump. Now, notice, Satan quotes Scripture. He says, It is written, he will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully. They'll lift you up in their hands so you will not strike your foot against a stone.
Did you know the devil knows the Bible? Did you know he can quote the Bible? You ever heard of W.C. Fields? He was a comedian from many years ago. He was also an alcoholic. Not a church-going guy. Not a guy known to read the Bible. And one day, someone was shocked to see the famed comedian reading the Bible. And they said, W.C. Fields reading the Bible? What's going on? Why are you reading the Bible?
And W.C. Fields said, Looking for loopholes. He talked that way. No one understands it. It doesn't matter. Okay. So the devil reads the Bible. Why? Looking for loopholes. Looking for ways to misuse it. Looking for ways to weaponize it against people that have not studied their Bibles. Taking verses out of context. That's exactly what he's doing here.
But notice what Jesus did. Verse 13. He said, Don't put the Lord, your God, to the test. And when the devil finished all of his tempting, he left him for an opportune time.
Listen to this. There's a difference between testing the Lord and trusting the Lord.
Here's something to consider as we enter into a new year. The Christian is indestructible until God is done with him or her. Indestructible. No weapon that is formed against you is going to prosper. No plot that has been hatched is going to destroy you. No threat against your life is going to succeed if God wants you to keep living.
So you don't have to be afraid. Because sometimes we're afraid. What if this happens? Or what if that happens? Look, all I know is if you're putting your trust in Christ, you have nothing to be afraid of. And God is in control of your life.
Yes, your days are numbered. The Bible says. So apply your hearts to wisdom. Because this could be our last year for some of us. What if the Lord came? That would be nice. Then we'd all be in heaven. Well, most of us. Some would be left, quite honestly. I'm talking about the rapture of the church now. But for others, this could be their last year.
That doesn't frighten me. Because as Paul said, to live is Christ and to die is gain. So I'm going to go to heaven if that's what God has in store for me. But the bottom line is, I don't have to be afraid of what is coming.
Jesus said, the end of Mark made an interesting statement. He said, you'll be able to handle snakes with safety. And if you drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt you. Now, does this mean we should play with rattlesnakes and it's cool? No. Don't do that. I've heard about churches where they pass around venomous snakes. And if it bites you, you should have faith. And that's stupid. That's not what this means. That's testing the Lord. Not trusting the Lord.
We don't want to take unnecessary chances or risks. But having said that, you're going to live as long as God wants you to live. And this is illustrated in the story of Paul who was shipwrecked and ended up on some little island and was warming himself by a fire. And a venomous snake attached himself to Paul, bit him. And all the people there were like, oh, it's a bad omen. The gods are against him. Paul's like, stupid snake, throws in the fire. Nothing happens to him. Oh, he's a god. Let's worship him, is craziness.
But the point is, that wasn't Paul's time yet. And God will preserve you until that time.
According to YouVersion. Have you heard of YouVersion? Come back now to Online Bible. And I do think there's a place for that, of course. And YouVersion is a very good program that you can download, app that you can download for your phone.
And according to YouVersion, the most engaged with verse in 2025 was Isaiah 41:10. And that verse says, God speaking, so do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
I love that verse, don't you? That's a good one. Let's read it out loud together. Put it back up there, if you would, for a moment. So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Yeah. Did you see how that just reset your thinking? This is what I'm talking about. You're filled with fear. You're frightened by this. Something else comes at you. Oh, what if this happens? What if that happens? And then I take a scripture like that one we just looked at. And sometimes I say it out loud. For me, I quote scripture to myself. And as I say it, all of a sudden, my thinking begins to adjust. And I'm seeing it more the way God wants me to see it.
And though my problem hasn't gone away outwardly, inwardly I have a peace. This is why we need to know the word of God. But those cute scenes on Pinterest aren't going to help you. Those sentimental posts on Instagram aren't going to get you through your time of hardship. But the word of God will. That's why we need to know the word of God. Memorize the word of God. Study the word of God. And you will benefit from it in so many ways.
Victory at the Cross and Invitation to Christ
Last point. When I say last point, that could be a very long point. But it won't be that long. Jesus dealt a decisive blow against Satan and his demons at the cross. Effectively, he defeated Satan at Calvary. The Bible says in Hebrews 2:14, Through his death on the cross, Jesus destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.
You say, well, Greg, if he's destroyed, he's still pretty powerful, isn't he? Oh, ultimately his judgment is coming. He is headed to hell. Not to rule it. But to face the torments of it. And quite frankly, anyone that wants to follow him will end up there as well.
You know, sometimes people say, how could a God of love send people to hell? God doesn't send people to hell. He wants you to go to heaven. He's done everything possible to make a way for you to go to heaven by sending his son to die in your place. And to rise again from the dead.
He said, so if you end up in hell, and people are going to end up in hell, you'll have no one to blame but yourself. You had to practically climb over Jesus to get there. But if you're bound and determined, yes, you can go to that place prepared for the devil and his angels.
But I don't think you want to go to hell. I think you want to go to heaven. And because of the death of Jesus and his resurrection, you can have the hope of heaven. And you can know that you'll go to heaven. And not only that, but you can find the meaning and purpose of life.
To quote that C.S. Lewis statement again, if you aim at heaven, you'll get earth thrown in. But if you aim at earth, you'll get neither. What does that mean? It means if I'm obsessed with only the things of this life, what I'm going to eat, what I'm going to drink, what I'm going to wear, where all the things that just obsess me, I miss out on everything. Because I probably will never find the fulfillment I'm looking for in any of those things.
But if I put Jesus first and follow him, I'll get heaven, which is the ultimate reward, and I'll get a more meaningful life on earth. What a deal God offers us.
And all I need to do is say, Lord, I know I'm a sinner. And I believe you died for me. And I'm sorry for my sin. And I want to follow you. Would you like to do that?
Maybe there's someone that's joined us. Maybe you're here for the first time. Maybe you're watching us on one of our campuses or online. But you don't have this relationship with God. You can have it right now.
I quoted this verse earlier. And I'll close with it. Jesus says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If you'll hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and have a meal with you or a fellowship with you.
Christ wants to come in your life, but he won't force his way in. Only you can open that door of your heart, so to speak, and of your life and invite him in. And if you've not done that yet, you can do it right here, right now.
Let's pray. Now, Father, I pray for any here that have joined us that do not yet know you. Help them to see their need for you. Help them to see the fact that they're a sinner that needs a Savior. And I pray that your Holy Spirit will convince them of their need for Christ and draw them to yourself now.
Now, while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we're praying, maybe you would say, Greg, I want Jesus to come into my life. I want him to forgive me of my sin. I want to go to heaven when I die. I want to find the meaning and purpose of life. I want Jesus to come into my heart right now. Would you pray for me?
If you want Christ to come into your life, if you want him to forgive you of your sin, if you want to know that you will go to heaven when you die, would you just lift your hand up right now wherever you are and I'll pray for you. Raise your hand up and I'll pray for you today. You raise your hand, you're saying, I need Jesus right now. God bless you. Lift it up however I can see it. God bless you and you. Anybody else? God bless you. God bless you. Yes. Wherever you are, raise your hand up. Let me pray for you.
Now some of you, I can't see you, of course, because you're watching the screen, but the Lord sees you. You could even take that little step of faith.
Now you that have raised your hand, I want you all to stand to your feet. And I'm going to lead you in a prayer, asking Christ to come into your life. Stand to your feet, if you raise your hand, even if you did not. Stand up. Let me lead you in this prayer. Stand up. You heard me right. Others are standing. You're not alone. Stand up. We're going to pray. We're going to get this settled right here, right now. As we enter into this new year.
Anybody else? Stand now. Let me lead you in this prayer. God bless you. God bless you that are standing. Maybe there's a few more. Just stand up and let me pray with you. So you can ask Christ to come into your life. I'll wait one more moment. Anybody else? Stand now. God bless all of you standing.
All right, I'm going to pray a simple prayer. And I want you to pray it out loud after me. Again, as I pray, pray this out loud after me now. Pray these words if you would. Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner. But I know that you're the Savior. Who died on the cross for my sin. And Rose again from the dead. I turn from my sin now, Jesus. And I choose to follow you from this moment forward as my Savior and Lord. As my God and my friend. Thank you for hearing this prayer. And answering this prayer. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.