The Temptation to Prove Who You Are

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God.  Matthew 4:3

Virtually every day we will all face temptations to prove who we are.  The temptations might go something like this, “If you are a talented employee, why don’t you have the more distinguished position, if you are a good and nurturing person, why are your children rebellious or why aren’t you a parent, or if there is nothing wrong with you, why aren’t you married?”  These are not simply thoughts but a temptation by the enemy for us to go and accomplish these things in our own strength when God wants to accomplish them by His Spirit.  The enemy knows that if we try to attain these things in our strength and of our own volition that the promotion, child, or marriage that is right around the corner will be delayed.  What you initially believed for will be delayed or even forfeited because then you may begin to believe for a promotion or marriage that is not God’s best and remember that the Bible says that “a double minded man is unstable in all his ways” and “let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord” (James 1:7-8).  

It is interesting that in today’s verse of Scripture, Satan questioned Jesus and tried to make Him doubt who He was in God by saying “if thou be the Son of God.”  Just moments earlier in Matthew 3:17, God had said that “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  The heart of the temptation in Matthew 4 was Satan trying to cast doubt on who Jesus was and attempting to get Him to prove who He was by doing things in His own strength.  This is the same temptation he still attempts to use with us today.  Notice that when Jesus resisted this temptation to prove who He was that God supplied supernatural assistance to help Him.  The Bible notes, “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him” (Matthew 4:11).  Jesus knew He was the Son of God and did not feel the need to prove it to Satan or anyone else.  The same is true in your life as well.  You must know who you are in God.  As you understand your identity and position in Christ and rely on God’s Spirit, Word, and angelic assistance, what God has promised will manifest in your life as well!