Time To Refuel
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil…When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:1-2, 13)
Something that makes our relationship with Jesus so personal and so full of empathy and understanding is that when Jesus was on earth, He was tempted the same way we were tempted. He struggled with His humanity in the same ways we struggle with ours, so He knows exactly what we're feeling and what we're going through when we face obstacles in our lives.
In one particular instance of Jesus facing temptation (outlined in Luke chapter 4), we get to see an incredible example of what it looks like to withstand temptation that comes from the enemy. But if we want to stay strong and persevere like Jesus did, we must first look at the state of Jesus' Spirit when He was tempted.
The fourth chapter of Luke starts with, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit…” If you have read this story before, you may have skimmed over this part of the verse. But I don’t want you to miss the importance of this point. Jesus intentionally refueled His Spirit for times like these. He had spent time in prayer with His Father, asking for wisdom and strength as He continued His ministry on earth. And in doing so, He was preparing Himself to be able to withstand temptation, whenever it arose.
You and I must have the same intentionality that Jesus had, in order to withstand our temptations. If we are skipping our quiet times, rushing through prayers, and not spending quality time with our Heavenly Father, our spirits will be weak and vulnerable in the midst of temptation. If we want to have strength and godly wisdom when we are being tempted, we have to diligently refuel our souls. And the only way to do that is to spend time with the Lord.
My prayer is that you would embrace the strength that is available to you through the Holy Spirit, and focus on refueling your spirit each day. You will never know when temptation might come, so now is the time to make sure you are ready and prepared for the whatever temptation comes your way.