A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW 

IT IS WRITTEN

Matthew 4:10 “Jesus said to him, “Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” 

Jesus had great power! Because Jesus was both true God and true Man, He had many options how He would deal with His adversary. As He later said to His enemies in the Garden of Gethsemane, He could have called forth legions of angels to protect Him. But, note, Jesus chose instead to use the mighty and powerful Word of God: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” (Matthew 4:10 and Deuteronomy 10:20) Jesus used the Words of Moses to directly overcome Satan’s temptation.   

For the third time here in Matthew 4 Jesus “correctly” quoted the Holy Scriptures to overcome Satan. God’s Word was all Jesus needed. God’s Word of truth overcame the misquoting of Satan. God’s powerful Word kept Jesus “grounded.” He needed nothing else.   

James wrote, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) St. Paul encourages you to “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist . . .” (Eph 6:14) Jesus says that that truth is God’s Word in John 17:17. In the words of St. Paul recorded in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 

This word of God is the “one little Word” to which Luther refers in verse three of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. Luther also wrote in that great hymn in verse 2, “With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected; But for us fights the valiant One, Whom God Himself elected. Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is . . .”   

Jesus stood up to all of Satan’s temptations. He overcame them all by the power of God’s Word. You overcome Satan’s temptations through Jesus who defeated Him for you. He has given you God’s Word of truth to use in every temptation Satan brings your way. Remember always the words of Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Prayer: Jesus, I pray fervently that you protect me from my adversary the Devil strengthening and guiding me through the Holy Scriptures. In Your holy name. Amen. 

I know my faith is founded On Jesus Christ, my God and Lord;
And this my faith confessing, Unmoved I stand on His sure Word.
Our reason cannot fathom the truth of God profound;
Who trusts in human wisdom Relies on shifting ground.
God’s Word is all-sufficient, It makes divinely sure;
And trusting in its wisdom, My faith shall rest secure. 

Increase my faith, dear Savior, For Satan seeks by night and day
To rob me of this treasure And take my hope of bliss away.
But, Lord, with You beside me, I shall be undismayed;
And led by Your good Spirit, I shall be unafraid.
Abide with me, O Savior, A firmer faith bestow;
Then I shall bid defiance To ev’ry evil foe. 

In faith, Lord, let me serve You; Though persecution, grief, and pain
Should seek to overwhelm me, Let me a steadfast trust retain;
And then at my departure, Lord, take me home to You,
Your riches to inherit As all You said holds true.
In life and death, Lord, Keep me Until Your heav’n I gain,
Where I by Your great mercy The end of faith attain.  (LSB 587)