Once Jesus had publicly determined to do His Father’s will, Satan was after Him relentlessly. The deceiver failed to shake the Lord’s grip on His commitment through the needs of the body, so he tried another tack. He attacked the needs of the ego. After Jesus’ astonishing ministry of teaching, healing, and miracle-working, the multitudes wanted to make Him king (John 6:15). Here it was— the kingdom, the goal of the Father—handed to Him on a silver platter!
But Jesus recognized the snake behind it and turned down the offer. He was strong enough to resist the appeal of popularity, the gratification of the ego. Nothing turns the head so quickly, or softens the will as much, as the appeal and clamor of the crowd. Jesus did not allow Satan to feed His ego, which would have led to catastrophe; rather, He submerged His ego in the Father’s will, which led to triumph.
That is how I must walk. My ego is more fragile than my body. If the deceiver cannot break my will by tempting my body, he will try to break it by tempting my ego. King David was deceived both ways: first through the sexual needs of the body, which resulted in adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11); and then through the cravings of pride, which resulted in taking a census of the people (2 Samuel 24). What sad, painful outcomes from both!
Jesus defeated the ego temptation by slipping away quietly and communing with His Father, where He strengthened His resolve. So must I, again and again, as often as the deceiver baits me, for my will is strengthened only as I carefully cultivate it in the presence of my heavenly Father. To “pray at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18) is the way to “put on the full armor of God” and thus be able “to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (v. 11).
“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death” (Revelation 12:11).
Daily with the King 