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Matthew 4:1-11 – The Silence Between Temptations
There is a silence within the details that sounds an alarm. One temptation ends, and another begins, but what about in between? The silence is the amount of time between each encounter in the battle between Jesus and Satan in the wilderness. Unlike the revealing text declaring that afterwards the angels “immediately” came and began to serve Jesus (Mt.4:11), we do not know if each temptation immediately begins in a tri-fold rapid, succession. But there are lessons for us to learn within in the silence.
First, if the three temptations are fired upon Jesus in rapid succession, we learn a tactic of Satan. That is, the Tempter sends a barrage of allurements, battling against us, giving us little chance to catch our breath or mentally prepare. The deluge of deceitful offers is meant to overwhelm us much like a boxer repeatedly throwing punches; none of which is powerful enough, but together they pummel the opposition into submission.
Second, if the three temptations are separated a little by time, there is the danger of victorious pride entering in, of believing that because we defeated Satan once, or twice, that it is easier than it really is. That’s the danger of the surprise punch, the sucker punch, in boxing. It only takes one.
We can be thankful for the silence because it teaches us lessons too. So listen to the silence and learn. Time itself can be a tool of Satan. (excerpt from upcoming book, “Face to Face with Satan”)
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