Am I Listening to Satan's Temptation to Take the Easy Way Out?

-
There's no question that life can get tough. It's very easy to give up. Jeremiah 20:5 says that Jeremiah temporarily quit. Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 talk about Jesus' temptation. Why both of them had different sequences for the last two temptations isn't explained much except that some assume that one is discussed chronologically and the other is discussed topically. But we know that the relevance of the order is not so important compared to the lesson.

I think about it many times that it's very easy to give in to Satan's temptation to take the easy way out. Satan appeared to Jesus offering the easy way out three times. So what can we learn? Jesus wasn't taking the easy way out. He fasted for 40 days in the desert. Suddenly, Satan appeared. Whether or not Jesus voluntarily suspended His foreknowledge Satan would be there is unknown. But what we know was that Jesus was fully prepared to face the Devil. He was fully surrendered to the will of God the Father!

I try to analyze the three temptations Jesus received from Satan - it was the lust of the flesh (He was hungry), the lust of the eyes (to bow down and worship Satan in exchange for all the wealth of the world) and the pride of life (by displaying His power). He was offering an easy way out. I don't know what words Satan and Jesus had exchanged aside from what Matthew and Luke wrote. But I could imagine Satan may have told Jesus that He should do all these to get the people's needs and to be accepted. But Jesus would have none of that easy way out.

Jesus could have turned the stone into bread and fed the hungry multitude but He chose not to. Jesus could have displayed His marvelous power by jumping off the high pinnacle and live to tell about it - to show everyone He is the long-awaited Messiah but He chose not to. He could have had the glory without the suffering but He chose not to. Jesus took the hard, long road out of perfect obedience to the Father so men could be saved. If He chose the road of suffering on Earth so why am I thinking of taking the easy way out?

I always fear that Satan or his demons are tempting me to take the easy way out. I could list a couple of temptations that I feel every day that I address to God to how Satan or his demons tempt me to take the easy way out and this but a few of the many struggles that I face:
  • To get revenge is easier than to love my enemies. Taking revenge doesn't only please the lust of the flesh but also the pride of life. I always feel I want to punish someone for falsely accusing me in every horrible way possible.
  • To calm down instead of getting angry when insulted for whatever reason. Jesus commanded to turn the other cheek to insults. It's not very easy to respond especially when one is plagued by the pride of life. This can happen especially when shunned for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • To give in to the crowd even they are wrong. It's all about the pride of life that I don't want to be singled out by the sinful crowd.
  • To quit when things get tough and rough for me to take. It's all about the lust of the flesh. I sometimes feel like that it's not worth living for Jesus until the Holy Spirit convicts me to get back on track. It's very easy to quit when things aren't going my way - never mind it's all about God's Way and that He is there in every trial. 
  • To forego giving to missions and to my local New Testament church. It's all because if I have lots of money to show off then I can definitely fulfill my lust of the eyes (buy all what I want to don't need), the lust of the flesh (get some wanton women and gluttony) and the pride of life (to show off to others the work of my hands). 
  • To give in to the temptation of the opposite gender. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are all connected. It's all about thinking that I should give in because I want to satisfy my lusts and to brag to everyone about it.

But here's my comfort about it. Jesus overcame it and I can trust Him to help me overcome it. If I'm in temptation then I can rely on Jesus and the Holy Spirit to convict me of sin before I get into deeper sin. When I trust myself I can expect myself to slide into Satan's easy way out promise. Although I can't lose my salvation from sin but I can certainly lose my testimony. Once it's gone it's hard to recover it. David fell into the temptation with Bathsheba and he was soon a laughingstock (2 Samuel 16:13). Likewise, I can't trust myself because it's not my might or power but by the Holy Spirit to overcome the temptation sent by Satan and his demons (Zechariah 4:6).

See also: