Matthew 4:1 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
Within the text, the devil is testing the humanity of Jesus and not the divinity of Christ; “for God cannot be tempted with evil” (James 1:13). Peter emphasizes the sinless nature of Christ in I Peter 2:22, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.” If the devil was going to find a weakness in the God-Man, Jesus Christ, it would have to be in His humanity and not His divinity! Speaking of our Lord’s temptations, the Hebrew writer declared, that He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). The question that surfaces is why would the Father subject Him to these temptations? The answer is twofold; so that He might sympathize and succor us in intercession as a faithful Priest and to school us in instruction as a fellow participant. These would be a help in temptation.
In the midst of temptations; we can be encouraged by His intercession! We are encouraged because it is a constant intercession, “seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25) and it is a consoling and compassionate intercession; “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15). When the enemy comes against us we know that there is an eternal God in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father that is interceding in our behalf. Those intercessions aren’t offered by one who has no knowledge of our “infirmities”, but one who knows our weakness and absence of strength. He entered into suffering as a man so that He might sympathize and have compassion on such weak and frail creatures.
In the midst of temptation; we can be enlightened by His instruction! In Matthew 4:1-11, we can be instructed by His example in temptation. It was during these various temptations of the devil, that Jesus’ response was that of a man armed with the scriptures; “it is written.” In Matthew 6:9-13, we can be instructed by His exhortation as a man armed with supplication, “After this manner therefore, pray ye.” Speaking unto His disciples, Jesus said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). By means of example and exhortation, Jesus instructs us in the use of the scriptures and supplication to help in temptation. Paul also emphasizes this truth when making reference to the whole armor of God, “And take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17-18).
Someone has said that danger comes to the Christian where the paths of temptation and opportunity cross. It is during those times that we need the help of one who has been where we are, faced what we are facing and has successfully overcome the temptation. For those reasons, Jesus was driven into the desert to be tempted of the devil; therefore we can receive the encouragement of His intercession and the enlightenment of His instruction. There is help in temptation!