He said that He should turn the stones into bread if He was hungry. The lust of the flesh.
That he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world. The lust of the eyes.
That if He jumped off the tower, all would worship Him. The pride of life.
Extenuating circumstances notwithstanding, the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is God, and God cannot be tempted to a point of falling into any temptation, these three incidences of our Savior in the wilderness were as all temptations are, common to man.
“And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.” (Luke 4:13)
Weak, tired, hungry, upset, frustrated, angry, every conceivable negative emotional state is when we are the most susceptible to the wiles of the devil, notwithstanding of course those moments of elation, when positive emotions roll over us, then pride is the best tool in his arsenal.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1st Cor. 10:13)
The verse says no temptation, that every temptation is common amongst all mankind, throughout the ages. What Baalam taught Balik, the money to Judas Iscariot, the pride of Korah, the desires of Job, the man who wanted to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit, all are common. But now I must bring this verse to your attention, for it is worthy of our contemplation.
“But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.” (1st Sam. 16:14)
It is not amazing or astounding that our Father in heaven can command devils, there is nothing that is not under His complete and total power, all things have and always will obey the will of the Almighty. Why He decided to send that evil spirit, that one who once stood in His presence and glorified Him, yet chose to be deceived by Lucifer, is completely up to Him, but it raises a question in regard to that previous verse about all temptations being common to all of us.
It seems, to my finite mind, an extraordinary event, not common, but specific to a certain end.
Far too many I believe who profess the Lord Jesus Christ seem to believe that every temptation that assails them is a direct result of either Satan or one that was cast out with him, in a sense believing that a devil, and I am not sure if this is the proper way to phrase this, but that an emissary of evil, a fallen angel, has been assigned to them, follows them around continuously in an attempt to coerce them to sin.
“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2nd Cor. 2:11)
The verse is true, all temptations are common to all who have ever been born, saved, lost or wicked. And so, once again in my finite mind, when the Almighty sent that devil to vex Saul, that was not common temptation, but specific to Saul.
All that has been written here is for this singular contemplation point, does the Most High still do that?
If you have been noticed by our adversary, if he has asked specifically to be able to vex you in some uncommon manner, does the Lord still grant those requests? Those thoughts that you hate, that keep returning, incidences in your life that defy explanation, has a devil been assigned to you for a season, to allow your faith to be tested?
“And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.” (Job 2:6)
Do parts of the lives of Saul and Job prove this to be true? Have you been noticed, or are all your temptations common?