DOOR OF ESCAPE FROM DECEPTION

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it – 1 Corinthians 10:13

In the wilderness temptation as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11, Satan – the ‘father of deception’ – offered Jesus three ‘doors of deception.’ The old serpent has not changed his ways (Jh.8:44). He is still offering humanity the same set of lying temptations:

1. SATISFACTION…without God (vs. 2-4). After forty days of fasting, Jesus was hungry and Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread. This would have been satisfaction without reference to God, because God’s design was to feed His Son supernaturally through the ministry of angels. Jesus refused to settle for less than God’s best, and so should you!

2. SUCCESS…without God (vs. 5-7). Taking Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple – the symbol of spirituality, Satan suggested: “Jump off, prove yourself to be the Son of God, that everyone may believe you. Has God not assured you of safety?” This implies success without the cross; taking the easy way out – the ‘short-cut’ that cuts lives short! Satan is still making that same offer: ‘You don’t need to take up your cross daily. You don’t have to exercise yourself unto godliness or practice self-denial. You can have it all, cheap and easy.’ But Satan’s offer of success is always full of destructive worms.

3. SIGNIFICANCE…without God (vs. 8-10). Satan displayed before Jesus and offered Him the kingdoms of this world and their glory, in exchange for bowing down to him. What an offer! But Jesus rebuked the devil with a reminder from Scripture, that God alone (the Creator) is worthy of being glorified, and not any creature!

It is in the nature of Satan to take every legitimate appetite and desire you have and try to get you to fulfil it in an illegitimate way. It is the promise of God to always ‘provide the way of escape’ – the DOOR of ESCAPE from all false and deceptive doors! God’s Word is the Door of Escape from doors of deception. The more know and are able to apply the Scriptures, the easier it is for you to see the Door of Escape and access it. As you focus more on the Word of God than on the trial or temptation, you’ll not miss the Door of Escape and the Victory!