We rise above temptation when we choose of need for being God centered over our wants for materiality. Jesus’ encounter with the tempter reveals that wisdom is needed to combat temptation.

Matthew 4:1-11

When Jesus was being tempted he did not do anything wrong. Temptation is a form of purification to get to where God wants us to be. Jesus was being purified as a preparation for dying for our sins. Jesus’ victory our temptation means liberation from sin. Adam and Jesus’ temptation was compared. Adam was tempted in a beautiful garden and failed, while Jesus was tempted in the wildernesses and he succeeded.

Temptation can be classified as our needs versus our wants. Do we live life based on what we want or what we need? We feel like the way to bring about change is to complain and to blame everyone else for what is happening to us. Doing the will of God is what got Jesus going. Christianity is about emptying ourselves from ourselves. We think that because we are disciples we should live like princesses and princes and that we should not be tempted. The Christian life is all about temptation, it happened to Jesus so we are not exempted. We are trying to control everything in life and we want all this power. Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered. Are we willing to become like Jesus and not give into our wants? Are we willing to become like Jesus and not allow our pride to control how we react to temptation?