Deliverance In and Not From

Surrender 21-Day Challenge - Day 1

Matthew 4:1 - Then Jesus was led up BY THE SPIRIT into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  This is an interesting verse.  "Jesus was led ... by the Spirit ... to be tempted by the devil.  In my limited view of things, I think if you asked me to led one of my children to be tempted by the devil, I would say, "NOT A CHANCE!"  I mean, what parent in their right mind, if they had a choice, would sit by and let their child walk into a place of temptation ... much less led them.  Yet this is exactly what the bible tells us the Father did.  Curious?

Watching my kids grow up has been such a joy.  And as they have grown, my wife and I quickly realized that we can't protect them from the world.  In fact, our job as they grow is to equip them to influence the world.  As much as we would like to keep them in their Christian cocoon, we can't.  And it's hard to watch them discover how sinful and broken this world is, but then again, our job as believers is to do something about it.  So rather than bury our heads in the sand, we try to train our kids to shine in the darkness.  And the Father has given us a great blueprint:

1. Teach them the Word of God from a young age - As the devil tempted Jesus 3 times, each time He did the same thing ... responded with the Word of God.  Unless our children know the wisdom of God, they will adopt the world's wisdom and act like those around them.
2. Teach them to apply the Word of God - Not only did Jesus know the Word, but He was able to apply it to the particular temptation that He faced.  This is so important.  As parents, we need to help our children to understand how the Word applies to the world around them and the temptations they will be facing.  
3. Teach them find their strength in God - Notice the devil waited to tempt Jesus after 40 days of fasting.  And the bible tells us that He was hungry.  How often does the devil wait until we are in our weakest place to tempt us to forfeit our future.  But Jesus drew strength from His relationship with the Father and we need to teach our kids to do the same.
4. Teach them who they are in God - The devil kept questioning who Jesus was and tempting Him to prove Himself.  But Jesus knew who He was and refused to take the bait.  He didn't need to prove Himself, He simply had to rest in the Father and be who He knew He was.  And as our children grow up, they will be tempted to look at the world and let it tell them who they are.  And the world, in contrast, will look at them and challenge who they say they are.  So we need to help them see who they are in Christ.  And the Word gives us all the answers.  
5. Teach them to deny their flesh and find their satisfaction in God - The glitz and the glamor of the world is a great temptation.  Media constantly shows people who have reached the pinnacle of success and are surrounded by money, possessions and relationships.  But it's a mirage, and we need to help our kids to see that the temptation to pursue the "stuff" this world holds valuable is a snare.  The only real pleasure and satisfaction comes from our relationship with God.  The devil will always default to his top 3 ... lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.  After all, that's how he got Adam and Eve.
6. Teach them that while temptation may come, God will meet them there - The bible tells us that after the devil left Jesus, angels came and ministered to Him.  God rewards us as we stand strong in times of temptation.  He said after all that He wouldn't leave us or forsake us.  And I believe that the Lord loves to come and reward His children as they stand in times of temptation.
7. Teach them that tremendous ministry is birthed out of tremendous times of temptation - Let's not forget that Jesus started His teaching ministry right after this event.  And while Jesus may have been led into the wilderness by the Spirit, He certainly came out of the wilderness in a new Spirit birthed power.  And as our children face the temptations of life and stand strong in the Lord, they will come out of those times with fresh power and a fresh anointing to be light in the darkness.  

It doesn't make it any easier as parents, but it does give us hope.  God is faithful, and He cares more about our children than we do.  And we can rest in the security of His sovereignty.