Three Arenas

We'll take a closer look at the specific arenas in which he attempts to operate.

1) The Physical

2) The Spiritual

3) The Vocational

The Physical

This is the first and most accessible area of satan's attack. His only way initially is through pathways that appeal to the flesh. This was how he first approached Jesus in the wilderness: “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (Matthew 4:3).

He knew Jesus had been fasting for forty days and that the supposed "Son of God" would be vulnerable. Just think about how your behavior changes when you're hungry? When your stomach gets uncomfortable enough, you'll do anything to conquer it like changing routes to drive by a restaurant. Eating things you know are unhealthy for the sake of convenience. The list could go on and on. And we're not even talking about going forty days without food.

The devil is keenly aware that the weak place in our armor is the flesh - the physical - the temporary. The lusts of the flesh refer to strong desires for physical pleasure and material possessions. These desires can manifest in various forms, such as sexual desires, food cravings, and a longing for wealth and status.

While it is natural for humans to have physical needs and wants, the Bible teaches that when these desires become excessive or uncontrollable, they can lead to sin. We can become enslaved to the flesh when we prioritize our physical desires over our spiritual well-being.

The Bible teaches that God created the physical world and our bodies, which is good. Only when these desires become a form of idolatry, taking precedence over God in our lives, do they become sinful.

It is vital to develop self-control and discipline to overcome the lusts of the flesh. This can be achieved through prayer, focusing on spiritual pursuits, and building a deeper relationship with God which can help redirect our desires toward what is eternal.

It is also important to remember that overcoming the lusts of the flesh is a lifelong process, and it cannot be accomplished overnight. With God's help and guidance, we can learn to control our desires and live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Sadly, this tactic of satan has been quite successful, so he begins here when tempting Jesus. It worked with Eve as she saw the fruit was good for food. It worked when Achan took forbidden spoil from Jericho and cursed all of Israel (Joshua 7). It worked with King David as he spied Bathsheba bathing and lusted after her (2 Samuel 11). It worked when Judas was presented with a handful of silver to betray Jesus.

We can be led away by the simplest things if we're not careful. It doesn't have to be terribly sinful, either. Anything that comes between us and The Lord's perfect will for our lives can be detrimental.

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak.”

Matthew 26:41 (Emphasis mine)

When Jesus warned Peter and the other disciples against the temptation of the flesh, He wasn't worried about them falling into pornography or drugs. Instead, he needed them to stay alert to the eternal plan in front of them.

How have you been tempted and possibly led astray by your flesh?

The Spiritual 

Having failed to appeal to Jesus' flesh, he now moves to attack the spiritual. This takes things to an entirely new level. And, as we saw in chapter 1, in satan's conversation with Eve, he attempts to undermine trust in God.

“If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

Matthew 4:6

Our adversary is very deceiving. He will even manipulate Scripture to get his way. When Jesus responded with God's Word the first time, the devil fired back the second time with his own interpretation of Scripture by quoting Psalm 91:11 & 12.

“Trusting God is a journey that takes time and effort, but it is worth it because He will lead us to the abundant life He has for us.”

As satan moves from the physical to the spiritual arena, he digs in with greater intensity. Essentially, he said, "Do you trust The Father?" Giving in to the flesh may have repercussions, but failing in the spiritual can have even more severe consequences. When we lose our trust in our Savior, we significantly affect our relationship with Him. And how can we walk in faith if we can not trust? How can we have victory if we doubt God's promises?

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

Amos 3:3

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

2 Peter 1:4

Trusting God means having faith in His sovereignty and plan for our lives. It means recognizing that He is in control and His ways are higher than our own. Trusting God requires surrendering our desires and dreams to Him and believing He will lead us in the best direction.

One way to strengthen our trust in God is to pray and read the Bible. When we study the Word of God, we can see how He has been faithful to His people throughout history. We can also see how He has a plan for our lives to give us hope and a blessed future. This can give us the strength to trust Him even when facing difficulties.

Another way to build trust in God is to practice obedience. When we obey God, even when it is difficult or goes against our desires, we show Him that we trust Him. As we continue to follow Him, we will find that our trust in Him grows more potent. Trusting God is a journey that takes time and effort, but it is worth it because He will lead us to the abundant life He has for us.

The Vocational

“⁸Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; ⁹And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. ¹⁰Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Matthew 4:8-10

 The third and final arena is that of our eternal purpose and calling. The adversary of our souls moves from physical to spiritual and finally to the vocational.

The old serpent needed Jesus to detour from fulfilling His heavenly calling. If Jesus forfeited His allegiance to His Father, we, in turn, would be left without hope as well. Mankind required restoration and reconciliation, and someone had to recover what Adam lost, and that someone also had to be completely sinless.

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Romans 5:10

 “¹⁸And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.”

Colossians 1:20

 Our Vocation 

What exactly do I mean by the word vocation? It describes a particular occupation or profession. It also means a divine invitation. God Himself has invited us to serve as His representatives on the earth. We are employed in and for His cause. We sometimes refer to this as God's will. Consider the following verses.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Romans 8:29

To be conformed into the image of His Son. This is the ultimate will of God for each of us. To be like Jesus. The longer we walk with Him, the more conformed to Him we become. Everything God desires to do in our lives is tied to this.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Romans 12:2

This gives us a quick glimpse into what this vocation looks like. Jesus, in John 14, said that if we've seen Him, we've seen the Father. God the Father was represented on earth by His Son Jesus.

 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”

1 John 4:17 (Emphasis mine)

Then, our vocation is to be His representative as Jesus was the Father's. That is why satan fights so hard against our calling. He does not want an accurate representation of Christ to be displayed because Jesus is The Truth, and satan is the father of lies (John 8:44 & 14:6).