"Shield Us In Every Temptation!" Matthew 4:1-11
February 26, 2023
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
The old evil foe now means deadly woe. Satan has been defeated by the Second Adam. Still he attacks us through the world and our own sinful flesh. In the Large Catechism, Dr. Luther teaches us, " For this we must know, that all our shelter and protection rest in prayer alone. For we are far too feeble to cope with the devil and all his power and adherents that set themselves against us, and they might easily crush us under their feet. Therefore we must consider and take up those weapons with which 31 Christians must be armed in order to stand against the devil. For what do you think has hitherto accomplished such great things, has checked or quelled the counsels, purposes, murder, and riot of our enemies, whereby the devil thought to crush us, together with the Gospel, except that the prayer of a few godly men intervened like a wall of iron on our side? They should else have witnessed a far different tragedy, namely, how the devil would have destroyed all Germany in its own blood. But now they may confidently deride it and make a mock of it; however, we shall nevertheless be a match both for themselves and the devil by prayer alone, if we only persevere diligently and not become slack. 32 For whenever a godly Christian prays: Dear Father, let Thy will be done, God speaks from on high and says: Yes, dear child, it shall be so, in spite of the devil and all the world.".....Sermon Text: Matthew 4:1-11. Sermon Theme: "Shield Us In Every Temptation!" Preached for Invocabit, The First Sunday In Lent, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, LCMS, Tell City, Indiana by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert.
Episode Notes
Invocabit, The First Sunday In Lent 26-February-2023
Sermon Text: Matthew 4:1-11
Sermon Theme: “Shield Us In Every Temptation!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Having heard the voice of Jesus speaking to you in the Gospel from Mark 10 and prayed with Him the Lord’s Prayer. War was declared: “Do you renounce the devil?” These words rang in your infant ears on the day you were carried to the font. Your parents and baptismal sponsors responded for you, “Yes, I renounce him.” Again, Jesus, asked you through the voice of your pastor, “Do you renounce all his works?” You answered through your parents, “Yes, I renounce them.” Again, the ever present God-Man, queried, “Do you renounce all his ways?” You answered, “Yes, I renounce them.”
To declare war against the ancient serpent, the dragon, the father of lies, the murderer - is to speak the Truth. “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty? Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?” You answered through your parents and sponsors, “Yes, I believe.” Faith is the gift of God the Holy Spirit through Christ’s Word spoken, not your cognitive choice, emotional decision, or ecstatic experience. Then Jesus asked you, “Do you desire to be baptized?” As an infant you answered through your parents and sponsors, “Yes, I do.” Then Jesus took you in His nail scarred living hands pouring water over your head, He spoke His life giving Word through your pastor, His ambassador that He had called and sent to you, “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
War was declared and the One Man who defeated Satan sealed His victory upon you in baptismal grace. Christ Jesus knit you into His death and resurrection, God the Holy Spirit daily and richly heals your war wounds washing you forgiven with Christ’s blood within this Christian Church. Through the blessing of Christian parents you were kept in Christ’s Word and the Faith by daily Bible reading, prayers, hymns, and catechetical instruction at home. Every 8th day of Creation, the day of resurrection, the first day of the new creation, they brought you to Jesus’ fortress - the Church- to be reclaimed from Satan through forgiveness, strengthened by God the Holy Spirit through His Word, and renewed with Christ’s victory within the Divine Service. On the day of confirmation - your repeated the declaration of war against Satan - that you did as an infant in baptism. You vowed to remain faithful unto death, suffer all things, even death rather than fall away from being fed by Jesus at the Tree of Life.
Then Satan came whispering, “Did God really say....” He whispered, “God doesn’t care...He wants you to eat rocks.” He hissed, “Jump, the Lord’s Word hasn’t helped you in your troubles.” He promised real fun, the world, if we’d follow him on Sunday mornings. He played our desires through flashy screens - and we fell - just like our father Adam. We try to cover our shame, our guilt, our nakedness with fig leaves of excuses. “I don’t like the pastor.” “Someone once scowled at me when I went to church.” ‘The service is too long.” “Boring.” “I can’t come, I have a wife and children.” These lies we tell ourselves keep us in bondage to Satan, sin, and death.
Repent! Return! We just confessed, “The old evil foe Now means deadly woe; Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight; On earth is not his equal. 2 With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected; But for us fights the Valiant One, Whom God Himself elected.(LSB 656). Christ Jesus - the God-Man, your Brother, your High Priest has won the victory over Satan, sin, death, and hell for you. Stop thinking that your own reason or strength gain you the victory over sin’s temptation. Look to Jesus. Listen as He teaches you to pray, “Father, lead us not into temptation.” Pray, “Shield Us in Every Temptation!”
We confess, “God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.” History records the battle: (vs.1). Jesus had been baptized in the Jordan by the priest John, laying on Him the entire sin of all mankind. God the Holy Spirit descended and remained upon the Son of Man, and God the Father declared, ‘This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” Immediately Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to engage in spiritual warfare. The first Adam peaceful garden had been invaded by Satan striving in as a serpent. The second Adam takes the battle to the father of lies in the barren wilderness where he dwells. Learn from this that we don’t seek to fight Satan on our own terms, we follow the Holy Spirit leading us in the Faith through the Word of Christ.
Jesus is fully human - God in our skin - (vs.2) He fasts for 40 days, eating no food, He is hungry. Christians may fast during lent, forgoing a meal, to devote the time to prayer and feasting on God’s Word. When we skip a meal, or even fast for a blood test, we realize how we are ruled by our stomachs. Jesus carrying the burden of all my temptations, all of yours, all of the worlds - yet without sin - is constantly attacked by Satan with these three temptations for 40 days - His body is weakened by hunger.
Now Satan, unmasks himself. (Vs.3) The devil doesn’t masquerade as a serpent, he comes to Jesus as an “angel of light.” He seeks to steal God’s Word away. “Has God indeed said, You are My beloved Son?” Forget His Word sealed to you in baptism. The Tempter hisses, “God helps those who help themselves, command the stones to become bread.” “Do things your way...use your power for your stomach!”
The Second Adam stands winning you the victory. (Vs.4) Moses, taught this Word of Christ to the second generation of the freed children of Israel before they entered the promised land. Forty years the God the Father fed them bread from heaven. The bread didn’t give them life, but God’s Word alone sustained them. Life flows not from ourselves, our desires, our appetites - it flows from the Word of God speaking creation into existence. The Word of God reviving you in Holy Baptism. The Word of God - made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary - the Word of God - Jesus who still dwells among us.
Satan isn’t easily defeated. He is a liar and excels as a white devil - a religious liar. (Vs.5-6) He takes Jesus to a holy place, the Temple at Jerusalem. He sets Jesus on the heights, a pinnacle of the Temple. He even speaks God’s Word from Psalm 91. Beware of people building temples, and knocking on your doors misquoting God’s Word, tempting you to trust a burning in your bosom. The first Adam listened to Satan’s lying word spoken through his wife. They were in a holy place - the midst of the garden - the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil before them. Trusting in their own feelings, sight, and wisdom they plunged all of creation into sin and death.
Behold your Victor! (Vs.7) The children of Israel complained against God’s means of satisfying their thirst in the wilderness at Massah. The Lord told Moses to speak to the rock and it would yield water. Moses took things into his own hands, lost his temper, and said, “Do we have to get water for you!” Then striking the rock twice it flooded forth. The Lord God told Moses for this rebellion he would not enter the promised land. Satan tempts us to trust in our own works and ways - as the white devil he whispers that it is up to us to do, to choose, to build, to plant - to grow the church. Like our father Adam we fall - pursing a false religion of doing, rather than trusting salvation is accomplished for us in Jesus.
Finally, Satan lays out his trump card. (Vs.8,9) He gives Jesus a mountaintop experience. Shows Him all the glitz and glitter of the world, all that we glory in as our great technology. He promises Jesus that He can have all these things if only He falls down and worships him. Satan owns nothing, but he is a thief who enslaves men by his ill gotten treasures. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, teaches us through Solomon, Pro 29:23-25 A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. (24) Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing. (25) The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.” Pride, wanting what is not given us by God - partnering with thieves - the chief thief Satan - fearing man’s opinions above God’s Word. All these things trap us. How often Satan chokes out the Word of God planted in our hearts in holy baptism, watered through catechetical instruction, and with His very living blood at His Table - with the thorns and thistles of the cares and pleasures of this life. Our father Adam fell and paradise was stolen! Beware!
Behold your Victor! (Vs.10) Moses instructed the children of Israel, before his death on Mount Nebo, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve!” He takes them back to the first commandment - which flows from God’s work of deliverance: Exo 20:1-3 And God spoke all these words, saying: (2) "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (3) "You shall have no other gods before Me.
It was the Lord who freed them from Egyptian slavery. He Shepherded them to Sinai, and now He preached His Word into their very ears. He isn’t a God far away - He is with us - Emmanuel - God in the Flesh - Your Brother - He has borne your illnesses, your sin, your iniquity, and paid your price in full once for all. He has brought you back to His Father, to your Father - to His God, to your God.
The devil, the world, yes, even your own sinful flesh will tempt you to despair, false belief, other great shame and vice - you will be attacked by these things - pray through your Victor Jesus to your Heavenly Father to be strengthened by His Holy Spirit. (Vs.11) The Lord sent His holy angels - His heavenly messengers to minister to Jesus. He sends His servants, His messengers to you - through them He baptized you, forgave you, preached to you, prayed with you, and now invites you to the Tree of Life. Take eat! Take drink! - Christ’s victory is fed you! Hear His promise, Psa 91:15-16 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. (16) With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." Amen.
Sermon Text: Matthew 4:1-11
Sermon Theme: “Shield Us In Every Temptation!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Having heard the voice of Jesus speaking to you in the Gospel from Mark 10 and prayed with Him the Lord’s Prayer. War was declared: “Do you renounce the devil?” These words rang in your infant ears on the day you were carried to the font. Your parents and baptismal sponsors responded for you, “Yes, I renounce him.” Again, Jesus, asked you through the voice of your pastor, “Do you renounce all his works?” You answered through your parents, “Yes, I renounce them.” Again, the ever present God-Man, queried, “Do you renounce all his ways?” You answered, “Yes, I renounce them.”
To declare war against the ancient serpent, the dragon, the father of lies, the murderer - is to speak the Truth. “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty? Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?” You answered through your parents and sponsors, “Yes, I believe.” Faith is the gift of God the Holy Spirit through Christ’s Word spoken, not your cognitive choice, emotional decision, or ecstatic experience. Then Jesus asked you, “Do you desire to be baptized?” As an infant you answered through your parents and sponsors, “Yes, I do.” Then Jesus took you in His nail scarred living hands pouring water over your head, He spoke His life giving Word through your pastor, His ambassador that He had called and sent to you, “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
War was declared and the One Man who defeated Satan sealed His victory upon you in baptismal grace. Christ Jesus knit you into His death and resurrection, God the Holy Spirit daily and richly heals your war wounds washing you forgiven with Christ’s blood within this Christian Church. Through the blessing of Christian parents you were kept in Christ’s Word and the Faith by daily Bible reading, prayers, hymns, and catechetical instruction at home. Every 8th day of Creation, the day of resurrection, the first day of the new creation, they brought you to Jesus’ fortress - the Church- to be reclaimed from Satan through forgiveness, strengthened by God the Holy Spirit through His Word, and renewed with Christ’s victory within the Divine Service. On the day of confirmation - your repeated the declaration of war against Satan - that you did as an infant in baptism. You vowed to remain faithful unto death, suffer all things, even death rather than fall away from being fed by Jesus at the Tree of Life.
Then Satan came whispering, “Did God really say....” He whispered, “God doesn’t care...He wants you to eat rocks.” He hissed, “Jump, the Lord’s Word hasn’t helped you in your troubles.” He promised real fun, the world, if we’d follow him on Sunday mornings. He played our desires through flashy screens - and we fell - just like our father Adam. We try to cover our shame, our guilt, our nakedness with fig leaves of excuses. “I don’t like the pastor.” “Someone once scowled at me when I went to church.” ‘The service is too long.” “Boring.” “I can’t come, I have a wife and children.” These lies we tell ourselves keep us in bondage to Satan, sin, and death.
Repent! Return! We just confessed, “The old evil foe Now means deadly woe; Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight; On earth is not his equal. 2 With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected; But for us fights the Valiant One, Whom God Himself elected.(LSB 656). Christ Jesus - the God-Man, your Brother, your High Priest has won the victory over Satan, sin, death, and hell for you. Stop thinking that your own reason or strength gain you the victory over sin’s temptation. Look to Jesus. Listen as He teaches you to pray, “Father, lead us not into temptation.” Pray, “Shield Us in Every Temptation!”
We confess, “God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.” History records the battle: (vs.1). Jesus had been baptized in the Jordan by the priest John, laying on Him the entire sin of all mankind. God the Holy Spirit descended and remained upon the Son of Man, and God the Father declared, ‘This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” Immediately Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to engage in spiritual warfare. The first Adam peaceful garden had been invaded by Satan striving in as a serpent. The second Adam takes the battle to the father of lies in the barren wilderness where he dwells. Learn from this that we don’t seek to fight Satan on our own terms, we follow the Holy Spirit leading us in the Faith through the Word of Christ.
Jesus is fully human - God in our skin - (vs.2) He fasts for 40 days, eating no food, He is hungry. Christians may fast during lent, forgoing a meal, to devote the time to prayer and feasting on God’s Word. When we skip a meal, or even fast for a blood test, we realize how we are ruled by our stomachs. Jesus carrying the burden of all my temptations, all of yours, all of the worlds - yet without sin - is constantly attacked by Satan with these three temptations for 40 days - His body is weakened by hunger.
Now Satan, unmasks himself. (Vs.3) The devil doesn’t masquerade as a serpent, he comes to Jesus as an “angel of light.” He seeks to steal God’s Word away. “Has God indeed said, You are My beloved Son?” Forget His Word sealed to you in baptism. The Tempter hisses, “God helps those who help themselves, command the stones to become bread.” “Do things your way...use your power for your stomach!”
The Second Adam stands winning you the victory. (Vs.4) Moses, taught this Word of Christ to the second generation of the freed children of Israel before they entered the promised land. Forty years the God the Father fed them bread from heaven. The bread didn’t give them life, but God’s Word alone sustained them. Life flows not from ourselves, our desires, our appetites - it flows from the Word of God speaking creation into existence. The Word of God reviving you in Holy Baptism. The Word of God - made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary - the Word of God - Jesus who still dwells among us.
Satan isn’t easily defeated. He is a liar and excels as a white devil - a religious liar. (Vs.5-6) He takes Jesus to a holy place, the Temple at Jerusalem. He sets Jesus on the heights, a pinnacle of the Temple. He even speaks God’s Word from Psalm 91. Beware of people building temples, and knocking on your doors misquoting God’s Word, tempting you to trust a burning in your bosom. The first Adam listened to Satan’s lying word spoken through his wife. They were in a holy place - the midst of the garden - the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil before them. Trusting in their own feelings, sight, and wisdom they plunged all of creation into sin and death.
Behold your Victor! (Vs.7) The children of Israel complained against God’s means of satisfying their thirst in the wilderness at Massah. The Lord told Moses to speak to the rock and it would yield water. Moses took things into his own hands, lost his temper, and said, “Do we have to get water for you!” Then striking the rock twice it flooded forth. The Lord God told Moses for this rebellion he would not enter the promised land. Satan tempts us to trust in our own works and ways - as the white devil he whispers that it is up to us to do, to choose, to build, to plant - to grow the church. Like our father Adam we fall - pursing a false religion of doing, rather than trusting salvation is accomplished for us in Jesus.
Finally, Satan lays out his trump card. (Vs.8,9) He gives Jesus a mountaintop experience. Shows Him all the glitz and glitter of the world, all that we glory in as our great technology. He promises Jesus that He can have all these things if only He falls down and worships him. Satan owns nothing, but he is a thief who enslaves men by his ill gotten treasures. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, teaches us through Solomon, Pro 29:23-25 A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. (24) Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing. (25) The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.” Pride, wanting what is not given us by God - partnering with thieves - the chief thief Satan - fearing man’s opinions above God’s Word. All these things trap us. How often Satan chokes out the Word of God planted in our hearts in holy baptism, watered through catechetical instruction, and with His very living blood at His Table - with the thorns and thistles of the cares and pleasures of this life. Our father Adam fell and paradise was stolen! Beware!
Behold your Victor! (Vs.10) Moses instructed the children of Israel, before his death on Mount Nebo, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve!” He takes them back to the first commandment - which flows from God’s work of deliverance: Exo 20:1-3 And God spoke all these words, saying: (2) "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (3) "You shall have no other gods before Me.
It was the Lord who freed them from Egyptian slavery. He Shepherded them to Sinai, and now He preached His Word into their very ears. He isn’t a God far away - He is with us - Emmanuel - God in the Flesh - Your Brother - He has borne your illnesses, your sin, your iniquity, and paid your price in full once for all. He has brought you back to His Father, to your Father - to His God, to your God.
The devil, the world, yes, even your own sinful flesh will tempt you to despair, false belief, other great shame and vice - you will be attacked by these things - pray through your Victor Jesus to your Heavenly Father to be strengthened by His Holy Spirit. (Vs.11) The Lord sent His holy angels - His heavenly messengers to minister to Jesus. He sends His servants, His messengers to you - through them He baptized you, forgave you, preached to you, prayed with you, and now invites you to the Tree of Life. Take eat! Take drink! - Christ’s victory is fed you! Hear His promise, Psa 91:15-16 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. (16) With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." Amen.
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