Tried and Tested

Tested  by the Devil

"Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry. The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: “Since you’re God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to really live.” For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. Then the Devil said, “They’re yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I’m in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. Worship me and they’re yours, the whole works.” Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.” For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, “If you are God’s Son, jump. It’s written, isn’t it, that ‘he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; they will catch you; you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone’?” “Yes,” said Jesus, “and it’s also written, ‘Don’t you dare tempt the Lord your God.’” That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity."
Luke 4:1-13

It is important to be reminded that Scriptures tell us that the enemy tests us. He even tested Jesus Himself. And our Savior having went through with the same testings we do, overcame it all. His secret? Intimacy with our Abba Father, through prayer, fasting, reading the Word, being filled with and led by the Holy Spirit and facing the enemy with the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God).

It is also important to note that right after this 40 day fast, the Lord went back filled with the Spirit and read that passage in Isaiah, after which He told the people that He was the prophesied Messiah. It is good to reread the whole chapter of Luke 4 to see the big picture.

Fasting strengthens our spirit but it weakens our flesh, and the enemy will try to use that to test us, that is why when we fast we need to read the Word to have a weapon to fight back with. Remember our fight is not against flesh and blood, it's spiritual.

And after we fast and after having fought the enemy, we, like Jesus will have greater intimacy with our Father in heaven, stronger faith and be filled by the Spirit to do even greater things and that is why the enemy fights us so hard while we are fasting. He knows we will win the battles we will face afterwards.