How does Satan tempt us?

Answer

Satan and his demons are constantly tempting human beings to sin against God, and the Bible gives us many examples. The devil “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan fills people’s hearts with lies (Acts 5:3). He is “the tempter” (1 Thessalonians 3:5).

In Satan’s temptation of Eve in Genesis 3 and in his temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4, we see the tactics he used and still uses with us. While varied in their details, most temptations fall into one of three categories listed in 1 John 2:16: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

In Satan’s first temptation of Jesus, he appealed to the lust of the flesh. Jesus was hungry, and Satan tempted Him to use His power to make bread for Himself (Matthew 4:1–3). Jesus resisted the temptation, but the encounter shows that Satan does not play fair. He exploits our physical weaknesses and kicks us when we’re down. He knows the weak places in our flesh and looks for opportunities to stir illicit passions inside our hearts.

When Satan tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, he suggested that the Lord was keeping something from her that “was good for food” (Genesis 3:6). When he tempts us with the lust of the flesh, he points to a natural desire and suggests that we should meet it in our own selfish way. Eve’s natural desire for food was not wrong, but Satan exploited it. That desire became sin when she fulfilled it in an ungodly way. The same principle often leads to sexual immorality, which begins with a natural desire for intimacy. But, if we have not allowed Jesus to become a greater passion, the tempter may convince us that we should meet the need for intimacy our own way.

The second way Satan tempts us is through the lust of the eyes. Eve’s eyes rebelled against God’s commandment when she “saw that the fruit of the tree was . . . pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6). Our eyes play a major role in our decision-making. We see something we want, and our flesh agrees that we must have it. In this age of visual overstimulation, our eyes take in millions of bits of information through the day, and, unless we filter that information through a pure heart (Matthew 5:8; Psalm 24:4), our eyes will lead us into sin.

Samson’s downhill slide started with the lust of the eyes. Judges 14—16 details Samson’s flirtation with sin and the tragic results. As God’s chosen leader, Samson had no business hanging out in Philistine territory, much less flirting with their women. But his eyes led him into sin: “Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw. . . one of the daughters of the Philistines. So he came back and told his father and mother, ‘I * sawa woman. . . . Get her for me, for * she looks good to me’” (Judges 14:1–3, NASB, emphasis added).

When Satan tempted Jesus, he tried to get the Son of God to lust with His eyes, showing the Lord all the kingdoms of the world and offering to give Him everything—without having to endure the cross. Jesus defeated Satan’s temptation with the Word of God (Luke 4:8; cf. Deuteronomy 6:13). Jesus would not be swayed by what His eyes saw. He looked past the glories of the world’s kingdoms, and, “because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame” (Hebrews 12:2, NLT). In Jesus’ case, Satan’s appeal to the lust of the eyes fell flat.

The pride of life is another weakness we all succumb to at times. Satan tempts us with the desire to be our own gods, and he is adept at stroking our ego. Eve’s desire to be made wise led her to sin in Genesis 3. In her pride of life, she rejected the Lord’s right to rule over her and chose instead to make her own decisions. In essence, she became her own god. Christians can play into Satan’s hands when they fail to fully surrender to the lordship of Jesus. The pride of life shows itself whenever we give more consideration to pleasing people than to pleasing God. When we say we’re open to God’s will yet retain “veto power” over His decisions, we are displaying the pride of life.

Satan tempted Jesus with the pride of life in Luke 4:9–11. He gave Jesus an opportunity to “show off” and publicly prove that He was the Son of God. The act would involve a spectacular miracle, the Father’s care, and many angels. Jesus’ response to Satan’s third temptation was to again quote Scripture (Luke 4:12; cf. Deuteronomy 6:16). In “being made in human likeness . . . , he humbled himself” (Philippians 2:7–8). The Lord had no pride that could be exploited.

Satan tempts us in many ways, but “we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11). We know he masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), trying to make evil look good. We know he manipulates with false guilt, exploits natural weaknesses, and twists Scripture. We know he deceives and distracts and destroys. He has many fiery darts, but they are all quenched with the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16). We can overcome the temptations of Satan, because “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Satan tempts us through the lust of the flesh, but we “do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4). Satan tempts us through the lust of the eyes, but our prayer is, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word” (Psalm 119:37). Satan tempts us through the pride of life, but we humble ourselves continually before the Lord (1 Peter 5:6; James 4:10).