Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Genesis 3:1-21
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
To be baptized is to be born again, or more precisely, to be born from above. This new birth is not symbolic, not optional, not an enhancement of what you already were. It is necessary. For your first birth was already corrupted by sin and death, inherited from your parents and from our First Parents long before you committed a single sin of your own. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and the flesh must die.
But that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. In Holy Baptism your old sinful man has been drowned and died, and a new man has been raised within you, a man who desires holiness, righteousness, and obedience to God. Yet this new life does not erase the old struggle. Your spirit is willing, but your flesh remains weak, still subject to temptation, still drawn toward rebellion.
And so the Christian life unfolds in tension. Until the resurrection of the body, you live in contested territory. Though redeemed and justified, you still carry Adam’s corrupted flesh. You must resist temptation. You must remain faithful.
But you cannot do this on your own. For if Adam and Eve, created righteous and holy, were overcome in Paradise, what confidence can you place in your own strength? How often the good your spirit desires you fail to do. How often the evil you despise you find yourself committing. Who will save you from this body of death?
The answer, of course, is Jesus. Jesus did for you, and in your place, what you could never do for yourself. He perfectly feared, loved, and trusted in His Father. He fulfilled the Law without fault. He bore your guilt, suffered your punishment, died your death, and was raised for your justification. All of this He did according to His Father’s will, and the benefits of His obedience, death, and resurrection are given to you through Baptism and received by Spirit-created faith.
Yet Baptism does not bring peace with Satan. It marks you as his enemy. We confess this plainly in the baptismal liturgy: we are by nature under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own. That is why the Church speaks so directly, why the pastor commands, “Depart, you unclean spirit.” This is no mere metaphor. Scripture warns of the danger of an empty house. An exorcised dwelling left unoccupied invites greater ruin. The Christian is not delivered into neutrality. The Christian must be filled, filled with Christ, filled with His Word, filled with His gifts. And therefore Baptism is followed by conflict.
Jesus Himself reveals this pattern. No sooner had He been baptized than He was driven into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The heavens opened, the Father declared His pleasure, and immediately the battle began. So it is for you. Temptation is not evidence of God’s absence. It is evidence that you belong to Christ.
Make no mistake: Jesus was not tempted merely to provide an example. Such a view is far too shallow, and dangerous. The devil knows the Scriptures. He twists them. He deceives with terrifying skill. He did so in the Garden. He does so still. No, Christ’s temptation was substitutionary. Where Adam failed, Christ prevailed. The wilderness stands where Eden collapsed. Jesus resists not for His own sake, but for yours.
Consider Satan’s attacks. First, he urges Jesus to use divine power for self-preservation. Bread for hunger. Relief without suffering. But yielding would have been a denial of trust in the Father’s provision. Christ answers with the Word: Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word from God. Second, Satan urges Him to demand proof of God’s protection. Throw Yourself down. Force the miracle. But faith does not manipulate God. Christ answers again: You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. Third, Satan offers glory without the cross. Authority without obedience. A kingdom without suffering. But Christ’s reign is not of this world. “Be gone, Satan.” For this is always Satan’s aim.
In the Garden he began not with defiance, but with doubt: “Did God really say…?” He has not changed his strategy. He still calls God’s Word into question. He still distorts truth. He still flatters the flesh. To Eve he suggested God was withholding good. To Jesus he suggested the cross was unnecessary. To you he suggests sin is trivial, repentance can wait, obedience is negotiable. The shape of temptation has not changed. Your flesh still craves comfort without sacrifice. Your reason still seeks certainty without trust. Your heart still desires glory without the cross.
Genesis 3 is not distant history. It is your daily experience. Like Adam, you listen. Like Eve, you rationalize. Like them both, you hide. Yet the Lord still comes walking. He still calls. He still seeks. He still speaks. And here is your comfort: where Adam fell, Christ stood firm. Where Adam grasped, Christ refused. Where Adam brought death, Christ brought life. Not for Himself, but for you.
Christ is not merely your example. He is your victory. His obedience is yours. His righteousness is yours. His triumph is yours. Which means your confidence in temptation rests not in your resolve, but in Him. When Satan accuses, Christ answers. When Satan condemns, Christ absolves. When Satan tempts, Christ intercedes.
And where does this living Christ meet you now? Not in your own strength. Not in your feelings. But in His appointed means. In His Word, which silences the liar. In Absolution, which destroys accusation. In His Body and Blood, which strengthen faith. The Christian life cannot be sustained apart from these gifts. The devil rejoices when believers neglect them. But where Christ’s Word is heard, Satan is driven back. Where Christ’s Sacrament is received, faith is fortified.
Dear baptized believers, do not despair over your weakness. Your salvation rests not upon your victory, but Christ’s. Return, then, to what is certain. Return to the Word. Return to Absolution. Return to the Supper. For there your Lord still declares: “I forgive you.” “I strengthen you.” “I am with you.” The wilderness has been conquered. The serpent’s head has been crushed. Your Savior has prevailed.
In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.
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