A Warning to New Christians

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” -Matthew 4:1

Right before this chapter in Matthew, Jesus was baptized, and God was heard saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” As soon as God declared Jesus’ identity, Jesus was sent off by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan.

Doesn’t that seem weird? Isn’t God supposed to not let us get tempted? Well, that’s not really necessarily the case. Are you a new Christian? Let me warn you of something. When you accept Christ, you are a new creation. God speaks into your identity. You are now a child of God, pure, righteous, and creative. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit and a representation of God on earth. What happened when Jesus’ identity was made known? He was tempted by Satan.

You should expect to be tempted, tried, and attacked when you become a Christian. This is natural, and does not mean you are not saved. In fact, if you hold fast to God with the help of other believers, you will come out stronger on the other side, and your faith will be more valuable.

Be encouraged. You are not alone! Jesus was tempted just like you, and Jesus was a human just like you. Know God’s Word; that’s what Jesus used to counter the Devil’s schemes. Get other believers to help you and hold you up. Temptation will come, but strength is on the other side. Fight on!