"Anyone who travels the 'spiritual path' of sanctification- being conformed to the image of Christ- will ultimately discover something known as the wilderness experience" (Dr. D. W. Ekstrand). Jesus, despite being the Son of God, was not exempted from the wilderness experience as depicted in Matthew 4:1-11. This confirms the position that believers, rather than being surprised by such seasons, should actually expect such experiences and count it joy that God has counted them worthy to teach and test them in the 'school of suffering'. If the Son of God learned obedience from what He suffered (Hebrews 5:7-10), how much more are believers in need of such refining through suffering?The text in Matthew chapter 4 thus serves well to give us valuable lessons about the wilderness experience from our greatest role model, Jesus Christ. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness/ desert. While Jesus was led to an actual desert, the wilderness/ desert in this passage is also an imagery that describes times of scarcity, hardship, distress, doubt, affliction and alienation. Please note that it is the Spirit of God and not Satan that led Jesus, the Son of God, into the desert.
Many believers interpret wilderness seasons to mean that they have fallen away from God and are subsequently under punishment. Worse still, there are those who interpret such a season to mean that God has forsaken them and therefore allow their hearts to brew anger and bitterness against God. The seasons of our lives are in God's hands (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) and through all seasons, He upholds His promise towards us: "I will never leave you nor forsake you"- Hebrews 13:5. Even in the desert, God is Emmanuel, God together with us. He is to us a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, directing us in His divine plan and into His victory!
Believers whose lives are submitted to the leadership of the Spirit are like dhows whose sails are driven by the wind of the Spirit to wherever God wills. John 3:8 states, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." Seasons of financial distress, joblessness, loneliness, rejection, sickness, marital difficulties, loss of loved ones, are some of the seasons that many, if not all believers, will have to go through in their journey of faith. These seasons, just like the seasons of victory, abundance, increase and joy, form part of God's grander plan for our lives. Quit looking for a quick exit from your situation. Instead, ask God for grace to fully go through your desert experience, learning as much as there is to learn and in submission, allow God to refine you and conform you to His image.
The word "led" as stated in the phrase, "The Spirit of God led Jesus", is derived from the Greek word "drove" which has a nuance of compulsion. Our human nature loves not suffering and hardships, thus the 'wilderness' is not a season that we look forward to, and yet the benefits are immense. In the wilderness, faith and character are built up. Romans 5:3-4 states, "...we also rejoice in our suffering because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." If we who are fallen in sin know how to prepare our sons and daughters for life by working on their character, how much more God whose love for us is incomprehensibly deep?
Jesus had just been baptised in water by John the Baptist in Matthew chapter 3, and had received much encouragement, as He witnessed the heavens open, the Spirit of God lighting on Him, and God the Father testifying, "This is my Son, whom I am love; with him I am well pleased." This was an awesome experience where Jesus was anointed for ministry. African Bible Commentary makes a pertinent observation that, "It may seem strange that the first port of call [for Jesus] after being anointed for ministry should be the wilderness." Just like Jesus' experience, it is in the wilderness that temptations on lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life abound. There in the wilderness, as we submit to God and resist the devil, our character is molded and our eternal hope in God becomes so vivid and real.
John 12:24 states, "I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." God desires us to die. In the wilderness, such death is more easily achieved because our hearts are broken and contrite before God, and in earnest prayers, we look to God for divine intervention and grace. The magnitude of our weaknesses and sinfulness become so clear, that we realize the full extent of our fallibility and need for God. Dr. D. W. Ekstrand states that sifted saints understand the value of the process that takes them from the heights of self-sufficiency to the awareness of God's firm hand in conforming them to His image.
In the wilderness, God reveals Himself to us in a very personal way. Hosea 2:14b and16 states, "... I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. ... In that day, declares the Lord, you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master'." A significant number of the revelations I have of who God is, have been received while I went through a wilderness experience. Such knowings ceased to be mere head knowledge and became strong convictions that I am willing to pay a high price for, perhaps even my very own life. Such personal revelations may be compared to hidden treasures and fine pearls that a man discovers, and for which he joyfully sells everything to keep (Matthew 13:44-45). No wonder Paul could consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8).
The wilderness is a place of 'religious detox'. We are emptied of our religious baggage and we set out on a new beginning (William Barclay). We are emptied of ourselves and all our securities- human wisdom, self-reliance on our abilities- and are made into new wine skins which can contain new wine. Matthew 9:17 states that men do not pour new wine into old wine skins, because if they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wine skins will be ruined. God desires to preserve us through His refining process, so that we can contain His new wine- His anointing.
In fact, the wilderness is a sign of new beginnings! There are numerous biblical examples that ascertain this. For example, the children of Israel, prior to entering the promised land went through the wilderness. Hosea 2:14 highlights that God, in His restoration work upon the Children of Israel, would lead them to the desert. John the Baptist, who was God's prophetic voice after a four hundred years silence, preached repentance in the desert of Judea. Apostle Paul started his ministry in the Arabian wilderness. It is no wonder that Jesus' wilderness experience in Matthew 4:1-11 is followed by commencement of His ministry in Matthew 4:12-17. I hope that these examples serve to encourage you that the wilderness is not the end of the road for you, but instead, a sign of a new beginning!
In the desert, we are vulnerable to sin, thus temptations linger. Dr. D. W. Ekstrand states that, "the very power of the devil lies in the fact that he breaches our defenses and attacks us from within, and he finds his allies and his weapons in our own inmost thoughts and desires." Thus, the proper response when we are led to the wilderness by the Spirit, is to intentionally seek to abide in God's presence, through prayer and fasting. The devil attacks us when we are most weak. In the wilderness, our physical man often becomes weary, but we must vigilantly guard against spiritual slumber and weariness. Cognizant of the spiritual intensity of the season in which He was, Jesus prayed and fasted (Matthew 4:2a). Paul refers to the prayer and fasting discipline as "pommeling the body and making it your slave" (1st Corinthians 9:27).
For emphasis sake, allow me to reiterate that many wilderness seasons, require that believers soak themselves in prayer and fasting. It is during these quiet moments in the secret place with the Lord that our inner man is strengthened, our spiritual eyes are enlightened to see Him and Know Him a new, and our spiritual ears made alert to His still small voice. 1st Kings 19 narrates Elija's wilderness experience, as he ran away from Jezebel. In Elija's distress and disappointment, God appeared to him and instructed him to stand on a mountain. As the Lord passed by, there was a great wind that tore the mountains apart and shattered the rock; then there was an earthquake and thereafter a fire. God was however not found in all these drammatic happenings. Instead, He was in the gentle whisper. In the wilderness, it is not only imperative to be at the mountain of the Lord where His presence abounds; but to also be still to hear His gentle whispers.
God commands us to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). This is only possible if we choose to focus on Him and Him alone. During a wilderness experience, focus on the goodness of the Lord. Proclaim of His goodness and ascribe Him the praise due His name. Praise shifts our perspective and we gain God's eye view for our circumstance. Praise is a lethal spiritual weapon that among other things, brings down Jericho walls as well as sends confusion into the enemy's camp. It silences the foe and the avenger (Psalms 8:2).
Declare God's word to whatever confronts you during a wilderness experience. It is the deception of the devil that makes some believers think that they can adequately deal with things in the physical without addressing the spiritual aspects of such things. Christ countered the devil's deception with God's word and not with eloquent words of human reasoning. God's word is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, and cuts to the division of the soul and the spirit, the bone and the marrow (Hebrews 4:12). Exercise your spiritual authority by prophesying God's word into your situation and counter the devil's schemes to lure you into sin with God's word.
Jon Courson states that the devil will question God's word upon your life to create doubt. For example, in Matthew 4:3, Satan told Jesus, "If you are the the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Satan was question what God had earlier said about Jesus in Matthew 3:17. The same scheme was used to create doubt in Eve at the garden of Eden. Jesus countered all the three temptations with God's word. Also noteworthy, Courson states that quoting/ reciting God's word does not scare the devil away. Being submitted to that word is what makes the devil tremble.
In the three temptations directed to Jesus, Satan questioned God's provision, protection and promise. Also the three corruptions of the soul (1 John 2:16 - lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life) were tested. No wonder Hebrews 4:15 states that Christ has been tempted in all things, yet is without sin. In this regard, He is a compassionate High priest and is able to help us when we are tempted. You are not alone! Christ's victory over sin is upon you for where sin abounds, grace abounds more (Romans 5:20).
For fourty days and fourty nights, Jesus spent time in the desert (Matthew 4:2). Fourty is frequently used in scripture in the context of testing, chastening and probation. For example, During Noah's time, it rained for fourty days and fourty nights; Moses was in the wilderness for fourty years in Midian being prepared to lead Israel from Egypt to Canaan; The children of Israel were in the desert for fourty years; Moses was on Mt. Sinai for fourty days and fourty nights to receive the law; Elija travelled in the desert for fourty days and fourty nights until he reached Mount Horeb where God revealed Himself in a gentle whisper; Goliath taunted Israel's army for fourty days; and Ninevites were given fourty days to repent. The truth is that our wilderness experiences will vary in duration. However the fundamental issue is whether we submit ourselves to God for Him to accomplish His purpose in us, or not.
God is not ignorant of what we go through during a wilderness experience. He is not numb to our sufferings, tears, pains, struggles and fears. He cares; He understands. That is why God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear (1st Corinthians 10:13). He understands the intensity of your season and in the darkest hour, He is with you though you may not perceive of Him. Just like in the case of Jesus, God sends angels to minister to us and comfort us after wilderness experiences. Hosea 2:15-16 states, "There I will give her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth ...."
Matthew 4:11 marks the end of the narration of Jesus' wilderness experience. While in such an experience, time may seem stagnant; a person can easily resign to their circumstance and loose sight of God's greater purpose. You ought to always remember that a wilderness experience is a season; it is temporary. Notwithstanding, it is not a one off event that comes once in a believer's journey of faith. On the contrary, believers can expect to go through more than one "wilderness experiences" in their journey of faith. Our comfort is in God's word that preserves us!
2nd Corinthians 4:8-11 states, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body." The refiners' fire that we go through will only make our faith as pure gold and not destroy us, to the praise and glory of His name. Nothing shall separate us from God's love- no trouble, hardship or persecution; no famine, nakedness, danger or sword; not life nor death; not angels nor demons; not the present nor the future; no power nor principality; no height nor depth!
