Temptations Attack on Identity

Have you ever considered the thought that temptations from the enemy are actually attacks against your identity?

This thought brings a new perspective to the Lord's prayer when Jesus teaches the disciples to protect their identity by saying, "Lead us not into temptation".

I never considered the notion that temptation was an attack on my identity until examining what the Holy Spirit did when He led Jesus into the wilderness after His baptism to be tempted by the devil. Matthew records this event in chapter 4 of his gospel where we see this very thing happen.

When I took a closer look at Matthew 4, some things began to jump right off the page at me. Every temptation was an attack on Jesus' identity!

At the end of the 3rd chapter of Matthew starting in verse 13, Jesus comes to John the Baptist while he is baptizing at the Jordan River and asks him to baptize Him. Even though John is a little confused as to why Jesus would ask him this question, he does what Jesus asks.

When Jesus comes out of the water the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descends onto Him, and both John and Jesus heard the Father say, "This is my Son in whom I am well pleased." In Luke's account of this event, Luke writes in chapter 4 what Jesus heard, "You are My Son in whom I am well pleased."

This was the first time in Jesus' humanity that He is called God's Son. Jesus was just one of the guys from Nazareth in the region of Galilee. He likely worked as a carpenter and stone mason with His stepdad Joseph.

Prior to His baptism, no one ever viewed, called or saw Jesus as God's Son, He was simply a Galilean from Nazareth, and to those who knew Him, Mary and Joseph's son.

At His baptism, Jesus was given this new identity as God's Son from the Father, and from that day forward, He would spend the rest of His humanity defending it even to the end of His life while hanging on the cross.

After His baptism, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. But why? What's the purpose?

Let's break down the temptations and examine how they were all attacks on Jesus' revealed identity. We will also discuss what they teach us about our own journey and identity in Christ. Let's dive in!