2026
Tempted by the Devil
Passage: Luke 3:23, 38; 4:1-13
“Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations, and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen!”
—Book of Common Prayer
Philosopher Carl Jung once said, “Hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil.”
Missionary Jim Elliott wrote, “I think the devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry, crowds.”
Pastor John Ortberg wrote, “For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.”
OUTLINE:
1.One Question
2.Three Temptations
3.Two Commands
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
German theologian Karl Barth wrote, “It is necessary for us to know that the Devil exists, but then we must hasten to get away from him.” What are the challenges to both parts of this quote – the necessity of knowing the devil exists and also that we must urgently get away from him? In our culture today, do you think one part of this quote is harder than the other? Or in your own life experience, have you wrestled with one part more than the other?
Read Luke 4:1-13. What does this passage show you about God’s character and about being his follower? What challenges, encourages, or sparks questions for you in this passage?
Three times Jesus is tempted and three times Jesus resists. What is distorted in each of these temptations (what is Jesus being tempted with)?
Satan is not physically pictured in this passage, but mainly heard. Every time Satan begins with something good and distorts the good for his purposes. How can being aware of this pattern of deception and temptation help us resist? Consider how Jesus resisted.
What good things have been prone to be distorted into temptation for you? In the sermon, three societal temptations were given: comfort culture, hustle culture, and grumble culture. All of these turn our attention to ourselves and away from God. All of these require our effort and control. All of these enslave us to unsatisfiable demands. Which of these is most challenging to you? In what ways can you “keep your guard up” to resist the devil? See 1 Peter 5:8; James 4:7.
PRAYER
Share with your group how they can be praying for you: what is weighing on you from this past week? What are you praising God for from this past week?
Luke 3:22, “And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'”