Dan Willis examines Jesus defeating Satan in Luke 4 by quoting Scripture, arguing the Bible is your primary weapon. Satan attacks when you're weakest: exhausted, hungry, emotionally drained. Willis shares his own struggles with PTSD and offers three defenses: daily Scripture, fellowship with believers, and disciplined prayer.
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Welcome back to the Iron Saints Podcast with your host, Dan Willis.
Welcome back, Saints. New day, new scripture. I'm excited to get back into Luke today. Yesterday we looked at the begats. We got through the genealogy and their importance, as well as the promise that brings to our generation. If you missed that episode, you can go back and look at it. Of course, we're going to keep moving forward in Luke today. Again, guys, huge shout out to all of you guys that have been downloading the podcast, sharing it out with your friends. The feedback has been fantastic. Thank you so much for that. But without further Without further ado, let's get down to it. All right, we're heading back into Luke today, guys. Luke chapter 4, verse 1, that's where we're going. Uh, I read from the ESV, guys. You're welcome to read from any translation you want, but I will be reading from the ESV. If you're at home, you're at the office, uh, you're driving, you know, you can't just open up a Bible wherever you are, don't worry. I'm going to read the scripture first and then we're going to break it down afterwards. So don't worry about that. But without further ado, let's get down to it here.
All right.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for 40 days, being tempted by the devil. 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. 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. 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's 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. Temptation of Christ. Pretty crazy story. Now, one of the things that stands out very clearly for me from the go on this is that Christ's ability to stand in the face of the devil only comes by the hand of Scripture. He doesn't speak to him tête-à-tête. He doesn't go toe-to-toe with him. There's no physical altercation. Christ's only response to Satan, and he doesn't elaborate. He simply says, Scripture says this, Scripture says this, Scripture says this. And I think there's value in that in what we're doing here with Devotions Daily. And I think that's just gonna be a natural part of your Christian walk if you're in the Word every day, if you're examining the Word every day. But the other thing that I want you guys to consider here, especially you men out there that are struggling right now, Satan doesn't come when Christ is at his strongest. Satan doesn't come When Christ is showing authority and power, performing miracles, surrounded by the crowds. Satan comes to Christ when he is tired, when he's physically weary, when he's starved, when he's at seemingly his weakest. That's when Satan comes, and that's when Satan wants to brawl, is when it seems like you don't have the strength to fight back. And we know that's true. We know that's why he's coming, because at the end of the scriptures it says that— or at the end of the passage today, it says Satan Went away until he could come back at an opportune time, right? We know that that's what Satan's looking for us is when we're at our weakest. It's when we're absolutely drained, when there's nothing left. And let me tell you guys, as a husband, as a father of 8, as a guy who runs multiple businesses, as a guy who struggles with PTSD and has done so for over a decade, I've been there. I've been in those weary moments and I felt what it's like to face those trials and that hardship. There's a couple of things that you can definitely do, and I would encourage you guys today to wrestle with this if you're going through a hard time. But clinging to the Word is very clearly one of them. You're here, you're breaking down Scripture, you're wrestling with the Word. That's important. Having fellowship is another one that we have where Christ is Christ. He's Jesus. He's fully man, fully God. He's this powerful being. We're just mere mortals, you and I. And that's why fellowship is so important, so you don't have to go through these trials and hardships alone, so that you have others around you to support you and help you and guide you. Right? Last but not least, a strong prayer life, guys. That's going to be so important. Clinging to the Lord and knowing his voice so that you know when something else speaks, it's not him. It's so crucial. Consider that today. Consider what's your fellowship look like? What's your scripture life look like? What's your prayer life look like? Those things are going to help you defend, especially if you're going through the hard times. All right, guys, it's time for a moment of prayer. What we are going to do is continue to lift up those in prayer that have made prayer requests. As always, down below, guys, all the social media media channels are there. Email is also available to you. So should you have a prayer request that you would like lifted up, I will always do it anonymously under a pseudonym or, uh, just your first name, whichever you prefer. But I do want to lift up prayers for you guys out there. Uh, so without further ado, let's get down to it here. Lord, thank you so much for the blessings that you've shown, uh, the men listening to this. For any of those that are facing trials and feel as though Satan is leaning in on them, that he's trying to push and prod and tear apart, please, Lord, be with them. Uh, help those men to stand tall, cling to your word and know what it is to absolutely just defy Satan's will for their life. Lord, I lift up Tom to you, Lord, that his wife continues to go for follow-up for her illness, that stitches be removed where applicable. Uh, Lord, I lift up those that are out there currently struggling, um, in Europe as we see hardship in energy, food, uh, war, all kinds of terrible things going on over there right now. Lord, please just be with those folks there. Um, to all of those who are currently excited for the Lord, I just pray that this time around, regardless of political party, people look to you first. People look to God and who he calls to be a leader and the character of who that leader should be. I pray that that's what's on their heart as they pray, neither Democrat nor Republican, but a God-called kingdom first. Thank you so much for those who are taking the approach of coming back to your word daily and sharing the word, Lord. I pray that they are bold in their evangelism. They are open and willing to share the word with those around them. Just pray that they have an amazing day today, Lord, as they come back to your word tomorrow. In your name we pray. All right, guys, that's it for today. Have an amazing day. As always, thank you so much for all you guys that have taken the time to leave reviews. If you guys have not done so yet and you're listening to this on whatever platform, please take the time to do that. It means the world for me. It helps me understand what's useful to you guys, what's not so useful to you guys. Wherever you may be listening to this, please just let me know. Have an amazing day and I will catch you guys tomorrow with another episode. Later.
Thank you for listening to the Iron Saints Podcast. If you are looking to share your prayer requests, check the description for social media or email to contact the show. Blessings on you all until next time.
