Satan ain't no dummy...

Just because Satan still doesn't fully understand that he's already lost (beat down by Jesus on the cross and dealt the final blow when Jesus said "BOO" and then rose from the dead) doesn't mean that he's dumb. He's fighting a loosing battle but he's gonna inflict as many casualties as he can before he's done.

In fact, Satan is a crafty son-of-a-gun! He's very smart when it comes to you and I, the human condition he understands very well. That is why he chose the last day of Jesus' 40 day fast as the time to tempt Him. Satan knew that Jesus, in His human condition, would be the most vulnerable. Think about it, when you are hungry, do you sleep well? Do you process information well? Jesus is hungry and probably tired and simply put, physically drained.

Yesterday I went to the Y for my workout and felt terrible! I do the 5k on the treadmill and just about didn't make it through. Why? Well, I figured I only took in maybe 750 calories yesterday before the workout (in which I burned over 550) and I just didn't have enough fuel. I made it the whole 3.5miles, but only barely. Maybe you have the same hunger symptom my wife does... she starts to shake when she hasn't eaten for awhile - blood sugar thing I suppose (yes she's been tested for diabetes and doesn't have it). When were hungry our bodies don't work right, our brains don't work right (haven't you seen the commercials?), nothing works right.

So, physically speaking it was the perfect time for Satan to try and tempt Jesus! But what Satan didn't realize is that Jesus wasn't just fasting to keep His figure, He was fasting to get close to God, His Father. So while it was a good time physically, it was the wrong time spiritually, and Jesus puts the smack down on Satan, 1...2...3.

But look what it says in verse 13 of Luke 4, "[Satan] left Him until the next opportunity came."

Satan may not fully understand the spiritual side of things but he is persistent. He failed that time but that didn't mean he would just give up. Never think that just because you've beaten Satan's temptations, once or twice or 50 or 100 times that you won't ever give in... he will keep after you, testing you to find your weakest time. Trying here and there to figure out just how you work, when you are most vulnerable so he can spring his trap.

So when you pass the temptation don't get too smug, he will most definitely try again.