The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
(Luke 4:5-8 NIV)
In his attempt to get Jesus to worship him, Satan takes Jesus to a high place and shows Him “in an instant” all the kingdoms of the world, promising to give Him all their authority and splendor.
In an instant. That’s usually the way the devil works. In an instant, he’ll show us what our life could be like if we would just pursue whatever might seem good at the moment. Knowing that we can’t see the end result, he entices us to believe that it could be good for us if we would just go for it. Sadly, many fall prey to his lies and live for the moment only to regret their choices later on.
Jesus knew that it wasn’t the Father’s will for Him to do what Satan was asking Him to do. The devil was tempting Jesus to avoid the sufferings of the cross, which He specifically came to endure. Through this temptation, Satan was offering Jesus an easy shortcut to world dominion. But “Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!’” (Luke 4:8). Having hidden the Father’s Word in His heart, Jesus could see past Satan’s enticement and therefore, didn’t sin against God.
Know God’s Word so well that when Satan comes and attempts to lure you for an instant, you can escape his trap too.
Rising with the Son 