TEXT: Matthew 4:1-11
OBJECTIVE
The students should be able to explain that the devil will always be working to overthrow the Christian’s faith and bring him back into bondage. However, by following Christ’s example and heeding His Word, victory over the devil will be achieved.
REFERENCE INFORMATION
“Devil” is one of the principal titles of Satan, the archenemy of God and of man. The word is taken from the Greek word Diabolos, meaning “slanderer.” He was part of the heavenly host, perhaps the highest of all, beautiful and exalted in his ways. But pride entered into his heart, then self-will and rebellion; and he apparently led other angels into rebellion (Matthew 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). Satan was envious of God. He wanted man, whom God created and loved, to serve him, so he has unceasingly tried to destroy man’s relationship with God. Yet Christ, by His example and the Word, has given man a way whereby he can overcome this enemy.
QUESTIONS
Satan, the devil, is a very real being and is the prince of the darkness of this world. He contends with the Lord and with the Christian. We must be aware of his power, but always take confidence in the fact that the God we serve has supreme power, and that Satan’s eventual doom is sure. “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
- The devil has been causing men to sin all through the years of time. What tactics did he use with Eve in the Garden that will likely be similar to those he will use with the inhabitants of the world after the Millennium (Genesis 3:4-5; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14; Revelation 20:7-8)? How do they compare with his tactics today?
Response: He deceived Eve. Ask your class what the word deceive means. Discussion should bring out that to deceive someone is to mislead him into believing something that is not true, to deliberately misrepresent the facts. The devil will do the same to us today if we do not ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance with which to withstand him.
- What deception did the devil, as a serpent, use on Eve to cause her to sin (Genesis 3:1,4)? In a similar vein, what temptation did the devil use to try to overcome Jesus in the wilderness?
Response: He deceived Eve by questioning God’s Word. Through his subtlety (or slyness) he convinced her that God did not really mean what He said. Similarly, he questioned Jesus’ deity as the Son of God, and again misrepresented God’s Word. Show that both Eve and Jesus knew what God had said, but whereas Eve listened to and obeyed Satan’s lies, Jesus used the Word of God three times to withstand him, and Satan had to leave Him. We can use the Word of God to defeat Satan just as Jesus did.
- In what forms will Satan come to us today in an attempt to overthrow our faith in God?
2 Corinthians 11:14
1 Thessalonians 3:5
1 Peter 5:8
Revelation 12:10
Response: 2 Corinthians 11:14 — Satan comes as an angel of light. Satan’s false prophets and ministers abound in the world today, posing as ministers of righteousness. See 2 Corinthians 11:15. Help your group recognize that we should be very careful what we listen to on the radio and what we read in religious books. If it doesn’t agree with the Word and Spirit of God, it is false.
1 Thessalonians 3:5 — He comes as a tempter to cause us to follow our human desires. Emphasize that the devil has had centuries of experience in seducing people and he knows just which method will be most successful in touching our weakest point. For example, he tempted Jesus to make the stones into bread when He was hungry after being without food for forty days.
1 Peter 5:8 — He comes as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Revelation 12:10 — He comes as an accuser of the brethren.
- God has promised to give us victory over the temptations of Satan. However, His promises are conditional. He expects us to take action. Using the following Scriptures, what action must we take and what is God’s specific promise as we do so?
Ephesians 6:11
James 1:12
1 Peter 5:8-10
Response: Ephesians 6:11 — Put on the whole armor of God, so we will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
James 1:12 — Endure temptation in order to receive the crown of life.
1 Peter 5:8-10 — Be sober, vigilant, resist stedfast in the faith and He will make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Bring out that it is possible for us to do these things when our purpose and desire is to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. See Ephesians 6:10.
- What spiritual qualities must we have and exhibit in order for us to be victorious in our fight with the devil? Luke 10:19-20 and Revelation 12:11 list two very important qualities. Tell what these are, and then mention some others.
Response: The Scriptures given bring out that we must be Christians, with our sins covered by Jesus’ Blood and our names written in Heaven. Our words and lives must be a testimony before others that we love the Lord. As your class discusses other qualities which will help us in defeating the devil, they may bring out such things as courage, faith in God, determination, and knowledge of the Word.
- 2 Corinthians 2:11 tells us we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices, and he need not get an advantage over us. How can we determine if a trial or test or thought is from the devil or from the Lord? See James 1:13.
Response: Allow time for your students to discuss this thought. They should conclude that if it is temptation to do evil or if it deviates in any way from the Word of God, they can be sure it is not from the Lord. If it will bring a negative result or be harmful to others, it is from the devil. If there is a thought that brings confusion and distress to your spirit, you can be confident that it is not from the Lord, for the Word tells us that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
- Satan is called the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) and his realm is one of spirits, not one of flesh and blood that can be seen (Ephesians 6:12). What lessons can we learn from the story of Job regarding the debate between God and Satan over men’s souls? See Job 1:7-10; 2:3-10.
Response: The Lord knew He could trust Job implicitly. Though the Lord allowed the devil to afflict him grievously, yet He had a hedge about him, and Satan could go only as far as the Lord would let him. God has promised to provide for us a way of escape from each temptation of the devil (1 Corinthians 10:13). It can be brought out that many times today the devil uses affliction and sickness to try to overthrow the Christian’s faith, but the Psalmist declares that “the Lord delivereth him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19).
- Jesus said that He has all power in Heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18). He defeated the devil every time he came against Him, even to being victorious over death through His Resurrection. Since we receive our spiritual power from Jesus, what confidence can we have in our encounters with the devil?
Response: Discuss the students’ answers together. Using 1 John 4:4, summarize the entire lesson by bringing out the fact that through Jesus our ultimate victory over Satan is sure. His final end is with his followers in the lake of fire and brimstone. See Revelation 20:10.
CLASS ACTIVITIES
Show your class a picture of a lion. Discuss the characteristics of a lion. Ask the students what precautions they would take if they knew a lion was after them. Read 1 Peter 5:8 and discuss how we can follow Christ’s example and overcome the devil by using promises from the Bible of God’s care and protection. (Job 11:19; 2 Timothy 4:18; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 12:11) We are promised that if we resist the devil he will flee from us.
Show your students a hard hat, such as used by construction workers. Explain that this hat is used to protect the worker’s head from falling objects. We need to protect our head (mind) at all times from the devil. Our “mind protector” is Christ. If our mind is always set on doing the will of God, then there is protection against the devil’s attacks and we can go on living and working for the Lord.
Wear a pair of dark sunglasses to class. Tell your students that these represent the “glasses” Satan tries to make you wear. They “color” your outlook so that you can’t see things as they really are. Don’t be tricked into wearing Satan’s glasses. Remember, he just wants you to keep the SON out of your eyes! Listen to Jesus and He will keep your vision clear.
Using verses from Ephesians 6:13-17, make a match-up chart to use with your lesson. Have the class read these verses, realizing that this armor is needed in dealing with the devil. Close all Bibles and show your students the charts. Have them match up each part of armor with its purpose. Example:
Breastplate Faith
Shield Salvation
Helmet Righteousness
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