Welcome to Leading the Way Audio. Featuring Pastor Author International Bible teacher and evangelist. Dr. Michael Yousaf. Celebrating more than 35 years of ministry impact around the world.
Now, if you're walking with Christ, God has placed a unique calling on you and your life. Equipping you with the proper skills and tools to to chase and fulfill it. And Satan knows it. He and his demons are constantly attempting to trip you into a place of defeat. and today on leading the way, doctor Youssef reveals tactics for winning the Invisible War.
Listen now, as Dr. Yussef takes you to the pages of Matthew's Gospel. Specifically, the moments when Jesus is completing a lengthy fast when he sought the heart of his heavenly Father. It is just one portion of Dr. Yosef's series called Winning the Invisible War.
Matthew 4 Verse 1 says, The Holy Spirit, that's the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit. took him into the wilderness. Mm-hmm. Led him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. That was planned.
This was the start of conflict. which went on all the way to the cross where Jesus rendered Satan toothless. Look at verse 2. 4, 2, Matthew 4, 2. You'll discover this first one here.
First of all, it tells you that after 40 days, Now I'm not gonna speculate, okay? But after 40 days, it was getting close. It may be the 39 days, probably just at the end of the 39 days, I don't know, but it's toward the end. Is getting so close. I'm telling you this for a reason, because that's part of the deal here.
After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. If you have your own Bible, underline the word hungry. Verse 3. And the tempter came to him and said, It's the first of the three. If you are the Son of God, actually.
Since you are the Son of God is more accurate translation. Command these stones to become loaves of bread. After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, This is what you call starving to death.
Now, we always kind of use it in figure of speech. I'm starving to death.
Now, this is really starving to death. And the prospect of bread to someone who fasted for so long is beyond enticing. Beyond enticing. As the divine Son of God. Jesus said to the disciples, In John chapter 4, when he is was meeting with a Samaritan woman.
When they brought him food, he said, I have food. that you do not know of. He's basically saying them to them, my obedience to the Father. sustains me in ways you will not understand. Obedience to the Father is my food.
as the divine Son of God. But as Man As the Son of Man, He shared our needs. Our longing. Our pain, our suffering, in every way, he suffered like us.
So when the devil came to Jesus It was at the very end of his fast. If you miss this, you miss the whole point. It's at the very end of his fast, he was almost ready to eat, but not quite. It could be hours. Could be ours, I don't know.
Because I don't want you to miss, this is an incredible subtlety of the enemy. The enemy is so subtle, and if you're not alert to it, you can easily miss it. Satan never questioned Jesus' divinity. He never questioned Jesus' pre-existence with the Father before all worlds. In fact, Satan really make the the this sound very clearly to me.
that Jesus and Satan share this kind of Secret, they both know a secret. As if to say to him, Hey, you know, and I know, you're God's Son. Hey, you know and I know. that you can turn these stones into bread instantly. What's stopping you?
What is stopping you? And you think, wait, wait a minute, but that's very reasonable, isn't it? You agree? Yeah. It's very reasonable.
Jesus is hungry. He has the power to make bread. His father gave him that authority. Could raise the dead. heal the sick, do all these kinds of things.
He surely could bring Grid out of stone. He could supply his needs. What's harm in it? What harm can come out of it, right? When you really think about it from a human point, does it qualify as a temptation?
It simply makes good sense. Listen, our whole society. Whole churches think that way. If it feels good, do it. If you need it, take it.
If it satisfies you, go for it. Sex out of marriage, no problem. You have needs. Put your hand in the tail. Everybody does it.
You work hard and you need to numb your brains. You deserve it. It goes on and on and on and on. What was the problem? What is the problem?
First of all, the problem Is not whether hunger should be satisfied or not. Don't get distracted. That's not the problem, that's not the issue. What is the issue here? The issue is.
Should Jesus break his fast before the Father's timing. That's the question. If you miss this, you miss the whole point. Beloved. For Jesus.
This is a serious breach of faith with the Father. Are you with me? This is going back. on his vow to the Father. Just like unfaithfulness in marriage.
is a breaking of our prior commitment to your spouse. I want you to watch this. Watch this, please. Jesus is not saying that bread is not important. He's not saying that.
Jesus is not saying, I don't need bread. Yeah. Jesus Did not say Fasting is not fun, but I've got to do it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no.
He said, my obedience to the Father. My commitment to the Father. My waiting for the Father's timing It's far more important. Look at verse 4. Matthew 4, 4.
Jesus responds and said, it is written. That man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes Out of the mouth of God. My beloved friends, the secret of Jesus' victory is the secret of your victory and mine. When Satan tries to bring you down from your high grounds by appealing. to your desires and your appetites, all of your appetites.
Use the scripture. Use the scripture? It is written. Satan doesn't get sweaty, he goes a second area. He moves on after failed.
to get Jesus to satisfy his appetite before it's time. before the father's timing. He goes to boost his ego. Listen, don't let anybody fool you. We all have egos.
We all have egos. You got that? Yes.
Some of us daily trying to sanctify our egos. Others are not.
So he goes from the lust of the flesh to the lust of the eye. How is that?
Well look at it. You see, Satan knows If he can get you to see it, If he can get you to see it. Ha ha ha. Mm-hmm. If you can get you to feel it.
If he can get you to experience it, If he can get you to taste it, He knows. The rest is history. In Matthew 4, 5 and 6, Satan takes Jesus To the highest spot in the city, the highest. They couldn't get any higher. And he says to him, Jump.
Jump. He's not suggesting suicide, by the way. No, he knows better than that. There's some people give Satan too much credit and some give him very little credit.
So be realistic. Suicide is out of the question. This is a very clever Tactical switch. Satan realized that Jesus, unlike Esau, who sold his birthright for a pot of soup when he was hungry. That Jesus would not dishonor the Father to satisfy his appetite.
So he goes for the Ego. Satisfy his ego. And it explained that to you. Remember this. Jesus yet has not commenced his ministry.
He has not started the ministry yet. And so Satan was telling him. Start your ministry. With a spectacular stunt. Remember this.
Jesus knows God's promises. Right? Jesus knows that the Father would have delivered him had he jumped, right? Jesus knows Had he jumped? Angels Bodyguards would have come out of thin air.
to save him. Right? And He would have gone from being a nobody. to being an overnight sensation. Yeah.
Everybody wants to be an overnight sensation. Don't ever forget, Satan knows the scripture backwards and forwards. Satan knows the scripture better than most theologians. In fact, Satan does something that most theologians do not do. He trembles at the word of God.
Oh, that we would tremble. At the Word of God.
So please, please, please be very wary. Of Satan's followers, these false teachers and false preachers, though, there's so many of them now. They will produce a verse from here and a verse from there. and support their arguments for immorality. Be very wary.
of those who claim that they have discovered a new way of interpreting the Bible. Be very wary of those who say Isn't God love? Therefore, love is God. By that they mean any perverse love.
So they make God out of love and their worship. False gods. The whole advertising industry. is built on this area of the lust of the eye, isn't it? All these images.
are designed to appeal to the lust of the eye. In fact, That is how Satan Lead. misled Eve. He got her to watch the shopping network. And it was all over.
It was all over. Genesis 3.6. And when the woman saw See that? Saw. And the lion saw a new Bible.
That the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to what? The eyes. And the law in the eyes. and desirable to make one wise. She took.
You see, seeing doesn't stop. The next thing is I took. Ecclesiastes 1.8 says, The eye is not satisfied with seeing. Has to take Proverbs 27:20 says, Never satisfied are the eyes of man. Look at Jesus' response, please, verse 7, Matthew 4, 7.
Again, it is written, you shall write. shall not put the Lord your God to the test. The lust of the flesh. The lust of the eye. Thirdly, the pride of life.
Well, we know what pride is, but we don't know what the pride of life is. What is that pride of life? See, when Satan could not get Jesus through the door of fulfilling his bodily needs. His bodily appetite The wrong way. He tried to entice him through the eye gate.
And when that failed too, Satan says You can have it all now. You can have it all now. That's the pride of life. That's the pride of life. You can have it all now.
Does it matter? How you get it. I was reading an article not long ago actually, that certain percentage of young people. Who are actually saying they want everything that their parents had. Their parents worked for decades to accomplish wherever they are.
They want it now. They're the only way. Satan does this with Jesus. on a much, much, much, much higher. Higher level.
Third temptation. Satan completely change tactics. It's a complete change of tactics. Emacs A very Critical Concession. Make no mistake about it, Satan is making a concession here.
And this one really needs an explanation. When God created the earth, planet earth, He handed the deeds of planet Earth to Adam. He said, Adam. You are my deputy. Adam.
You are in charge of planet Earth. I'm making you in charge. You are my steward. You are, and I'm giving you authority. And when Adam fell for Satan's Deception.
He handed that deeds Of Creation. Planet Earth. to Satan. Satan tried a coup, remember from the very first message. He tried a coup d'état in heaven and failed, and he got thrown out of heaven.
But he succeeds through The subterfuge And stilts. to deceive Adam. and usurp. The authority over the earth. That's why the Bible calls Satan the God of this world.
He rules it. It belongs to him. His demons have garrisoned cities. of the earth. Why?
Why are they doing this? Because they impose a rule. Impossible. Satan knows that his takeover of planet Earth is going to be challenged. It's going to be challenging.
Less than three years is going to be challenged.
So what does he do? He says, let's make a deal. Let's make a deal. Let's make a deal. Jesus, let's make a deal.
It's always been God's purpose and Satan knew it. It's always been God's purpose to wrest back the scepter from Satan and give it to his son Jesus. Ah But not until after the cross and the resurrection. And here's what happened. The demonic equivalents of the CIA.
Do you know that the demonic forces have their own DIA? They really do. They have their demonic intelligence agency.
Well, they examined all of the pages of the Old Testament and realized that there is a second David coming, there is a second Adam coming, that there is a new covenant coming, that there is a new heart going to be received by the followers of the Son of God. They knew that Jesus is about to destroy the power of Satan, fear, and death.
So what does Satan do? He offers him friendship. Isn't that sweet? He offers him friendship. As if to say to Jesus, Although I know And you know why you're here.
Although I know That you're going to take it back and you're going to take the deeds of creation back from me. I know also that you are powerful. Why don't we just settle this amicably? Just let's settle amicably. I'll turn everything to you.
I'll give it to you now. I'll turn it over. You're looking for the deeds of Pandora and the creation? I give it to you. I return everything.
That I took from God. Everything is yours and I will sign My name on the dotted line. Yeah. Oh Please, please, please, please notice there is something strangely modern about this. Strangely modern.
The allure of the shortcuts. The avoidance of conflict. the thrill of instant gratification. The avoidance of unpleasantness. The avoidance of pain and suffering.
Listen to me. Satan is offering Jesus victory. on the easiest possible terms. On the face of it.
Now going to get into the spiritual and maybe in the historic. On the face of it.
Taking this deal from Satan It appeared that Jesus will accomplish His mission, right? He came to do this? He's got it. When you think about it, The average person today The average person today would look at this, He said, man, let's go for it. What's wrong with that?
what do you call it in the business world A win-win deal. Right? Maybe you can, business. Not in the spiritual warfare. Ah, because You have to read the small print.
You have to read the small print. The problem is always with the small tent. There's a tiny Teeny weenie. Little Attachment. But it's deadly.
It's deadly. Utterly destructive items In that offer. All this I give you. All you need to do Not much. Just bow to me.
Bad to me. Sure, Jesus would have gotten everything he came for, right? But he would have submitted his will to Satan's will. Satan would have allowed everything that happens in local churches today, everything that's happening today, he would have allowed it just as if nothing changed. Including preaching.
And singing. He wouldn't allow it all that. As long as they change the name of the enterprise to To Satan and Company. What's wrong with it? Ah.
we would have still being separated from the Father. we would still be separated from the Father. Most local churches would have Look just look today. Except Satan owns it. Question?
Are you sufficiently forewarned? He will offer you the most generous bargain. Beloved. Whenever You are tempted. To do or fall for any of those three temptations.
Ask yourself the question. I've done that many times. I wish I could say that I've done that every time. No. Which one of those three areas?
Is he tempting me? Is he appealing to satisfy my appetites, all kinds of my appetites, in an illegitimate way? Is he appealing to satisfy My selfish desires. My ego. Or is he trying to get me to do my will and not the will of God.
I always ask those three questions. Every temptation comes under one of those three areas.
So my appeal to you and to me. is to occupy the high places and stay there. Stay there. Don't let him entice you to come down. Above all, Never Never Never Never Never Never, never forget.
that his days are numbered and he will soon be vanquished. and Jesus glorified. A challenge from Dr. Michael Youssef. to stand toe to toe with Satan's temptations.
Holding your ground through the power of God's Word. Thank you for joining listeners worldwide for leading the way. And as we begin to close out this episode, Allow me to share the story of one leading-the-way listener, whose story I think you'll find encouraging. Let me summarize. As a Muslim in the Middle East, Hussein never had the opportunity to learn about the true Christ.
but Christian friends shared the difference between Christ of the Koran and the Christ of the Bible, which prompted him to listen to leading the way to learn more. Then, hearing the gospel from Dr. Yousf, led him to initiate a conversation with the leading the way field team. Through this encounter Hussein prayed to receive Jesus as the Saviour of his soul. He now experiences peace even though life around him continues to hold uncertainty and tension.
Hussein is just one example of a life changed by Jesus, and we're so thankful that leading the way has a part in his story. Friends, if you would like to stand with Dr. Youssef and stand with the teams worldwide so that more people like Hussein can experience the peace of the gospel. Please consider participating in the Open Door campaign. Your generosity equips leading the way to reach many with the gospel.
while the doors are still open. Get details when you call and speak with a ministry representative at 866-2666-6666. Six two six. Four three five six. Or ltw.org.
L T W. Yeah. And you can write to us as well at LeadingThe Way, Post Office Box 20100, Atlanta, Georgia. three zero three two five. When Dr.
Youssef began the ministry of leading the way, he committed to using the latest cutting-edge technologies to proclaim the truth of the gospel. Dr. Youssef leveraged the power of media, radio, television, and satellite.
Now as digital technologies rapidly transform the face of our world, Dr. Yousev is, once again, leveraging the newest technologies to passionately proclaim uncompromising truth. My Faith Assistant is a platform ready to provide you with answers to your faith questions, rooted in God's Word and the trusted teaching of Dr. Michael A. Youssef.
Visit ltw.org or LeadingThe Way's mobile app today and explore your questions with My Faith Assistant. This program is furnished by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Yusa. passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth around the world. Mm-hmm.
