Satan knows our weaknesses, not because he is omniscient, but because he sees them in the way we behave. Like a skilled fisherman who knows exactly what lure to use for each type of fish, the enemy will try to entice you with bait suitable for what is most likely to appeal to you.

The devil came to tempt the Lord Jesus in the wilderness after His baptism, but for Christ, there was nothing in Him to appeal to, nothing that could respond to the temptation in a negative way (Mt. 4:1–11). In this account we get some insights into the tactics of the tempter, methods which he also uses on us. He does not come with an outright lie, but with a perversion of the truth—his goal is to instill doubt in what God has said. In the three attempts to tempt Christ, the devil tries to create doubt in God’s provisions, doubt concerning God’s protection, and doubt regarding God’s preeminence.

The devil does not bring bread to offer the Lord, just as he did not offer the fruit to Eve. He seeks to cast doubt on God’s word and implies that God cannot be trusted. He wants to remove the dependence upon God by targeting the person’s ego: “you will be like God” (Gen. 3:5); and “if You are the Son of God” (Mt. 4:6). Christ did not have to prove Himself to Satan, and likewise, we should take to heart that we set self aside and trust God alone.

Christ is seen here as the dependent Man who overcomes the wiles of the enemy, and in doing so brings glory to God. He “committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23), and would ask us to do the same. Having ascended into glory, He is also the One who provides daily help because, “in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:18).