"Filled And Equipped"

  Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordon and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.  And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." But Jesus answered him saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'" 

   Then the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. "Therefore, if You will worship me, all will be Yours." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord Your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

   Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, 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 shall give His angels charge over You, To keep You,' "and, 'In their hands they shall bear You up, Lest You dash Your foot against a stone,'" and Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

   Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.   Luke 4:1-14

I just have a simple thought or rather more of an observation that I'd would like to share with you today. Did you notice how this section of scripture, which is commonly known as 'The Temptation of Jesus,' started and ended? It starts with Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit and ends ... with Jesus still full and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit! Nothing the enemy brought to the table changed that even though he tried his whole bag of tricks. Verses 13 tells us that 'when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.' He tried every temptation. 1John 2:15 says that there are three avenues in which the enemy can tempt and they are:

    #1 - 'the lust of the flesh' or in this case, because he saw Jesus was hungry he tried, "command this stone to become bread."

    #2 - 'the pride of life' as he appealed to His spiritual nature and His pride, he used, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: "He shall give His angels charge over You, To keep You,' "and, 'In their hands they shall bear You up, Lest You dash Your foot against a stone,"

    #3 - 'the lust of the eyes' by presenting the kingdoms of the world before Him, "I give it to whomever I wish. "Therefore, if You will worship me, all will be Yours."

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

The thing I really want to note here is this: Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit and fully equipped with the sword of the Spirit effectively defeated every temptation the enemy put before Him. The word tells us that He ...returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. and He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.Luke 4:14-15 He then proceeds to go to Nazareth and read His famous reading from Isaiah 61 and and proclaim, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:21

He went in full of the Holy Spirit. He returned full of the power of the Holy Spirit! He continued from there on anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit as He ministered and touched lives. What does that say to us as we look to Him as our example? Being filled and equipped makes all the difference!

   But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 

   But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

   Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.    Romans 8:9-14