subject: Who You Gonna Serve [print this page] And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'" And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:1-13)
Everyone believes in something. Even the atheist has his religionHis set of beliefs. We all direct or are even compelled to allow those beliefs to shape our lives and our actions. I would submit to you that no man is entirely free. Each of us in a way is a servant to our beliefsand therefore an intentional slave to the author of those beliefs. But the master we serve will determine the kind of life we will livechained in our master's house and subject to his cruelty and whim or joined to our Master's family and subject to His love and blessing. In other words, what we believe can be a chain around our necks or the wind beneath our wings. If we follow Christ and His way we are led to freedom and to His life-giving Wordwhere we are refreshed, nourished, exhilarated and strengthened in our bodies, emotions and spirits. If we follow Satan and his ways we are led by or own lusts into slavery.
The "Prince of this World" hates God, all He has created and all that He loves. That includes us. It is the Enemy's desire to see us become prisonersand in a prison built by our own hands. God through His Son offers us nourishment, refreshing and strength for the daySatan offers us addiction. The choice is simple. Feed the lusts of the flesh or deny them. Sell our inheritance for a "bowl of pottage" or buy the "pearl of great price" that we might gain the kingdom. The Prince of Peace offers us love for the Prince of this World's offer of lust. He offers us refreshing in place of hunger and thirstpeace for longingfreedom for slavery. By the light of our Lord's Word we easily see the empty promises of Satan for what they are. Use the Word of the Lord to protect you as He did and the Prince of this World will depart from you. Remember, Satan is not a benefactorhe is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. And his favorite meal is illiterate Christians.
