Learning to say "go"

 This week's verses are Matthew 4:8-11:

 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur. And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.

 Temptation can often come in the guise of a harmless shortcut. We don't always think about it. In this week's verses, Jesus shows us that it pays to stand our ground.

Satan starts by offering Jesus a shortcut to something that is already promised to him. We often don't see temptations for what they are because we convince ourselves they're the intended path. We innocently think "maybe this is how God planned to give me the thing I was promised." And we fall into a trap.

Jesus responds to Satan with truth (scripture): Worship is for God alone. He identifies his enemy by name and commands him to go, making it clear who is the boss of whom. There is no negotiation or consideration of Satan's offer. The truth is the truth and there is no room for anything else.

The devil is compelled to leave. And when he does, angels arrive to minister to Jesus' needs. It's interesting that the angels don't come to the rescue at the moment Satan appears and chase Satan away. Jesus' word does that. Jesus draws the line.

There are three lessons we can draw from this:

1. Not every path to the promised land is the one God has for us. Sometimes the devil has a toll booth or an ambush planned for us. If you're not sure, ask God for direction.

2. We have to be decisive and stand our ground in the face of temptation. We have to tell the devil to go. There is no "let's see what happens" or "did God really say no?"

3. We have to know the truth if we're going to stand our ground. This is why we should read the Bible often and remind ourselves of what God has said to us. How are we going to recognize what's wrong when we don't know what's right?

Take a look at your life lately. Are there any false paths being offered to you that are actually compromises? Is there a recurring temptation you have not yet banished from your life? Learn to say "no" by learning to say "go" and banish both tempter and temptation from your life.