A Familiar Game Plan

I'm a sports guy, so I use a lot of sports analogies. When a football coach scouts his opponent, he watches what type of plays they run and tries to determine what their game plan might look like. The successful coach is often the one who notices familiar patterns in play-calling and prepares accordingly.

In the spiritual battles we face, our enemy may be formidable and relentless, but his game plan is all too familiar. Time to do a little scouting. In Matthew 4, notice how Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. First, to satisfy his hunger, he tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread (v.2-3). Next, he tempted him to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple to allow the angels to rescue him (v, 5-6). And finally, Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he would bow down and worship him (v.8-9). The enemy challenged Jesus to misuse his divine authority by saying "If you are the Son of God" (v. 3, 6).

After all of these years, Satan still calls the same plays. He tempts us to rely on ourselves rather than God. He tempts us to take ungodly actions and then expect God to bless them. He tempts us to take our eyes of the Lord and worship him and the things of the world. He tempts us with promises that he can't deliver so that we will buy into his lies and ignore God's truth. He tempts us to accept cheap imitations rather than the blessings that God wants to give us, which are always His best.

Our Savior's response (v. 4, 7, 10) should be our response--complete and total reliance on the Word of God. Then, our enemy's familiar game plan will once again bring about a familiar result--his defeat.