“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Matthew 4:1)
Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit. God the Father had spoken. Jesus’ identity and mission had been announced publicly. That was the moment when the devil came to tempt Him. He understood very well that Jesus’ salvation work would be the ultimate turning point in history, resulting in God’s triumph and the devil’s final downfall. He tried whatever he could to prevent that from happening.
When the first humans were created, they easily gave in to the devil’s temptation. They rebelled against God, which was exactly what the devil tried to achieve. But with Jesus, he didn’t have any success. Three times Satan tried, but every single time Jesus responded by quoting God’s Word. He did not give in. Finally, the devil was sent away (verses 10-11). He had lost the battle. Jesus Christ had triumphed.
This story is an example of the larger story line as recorded in the Bible. Jesus Christ has conquered the devil. He has triumphed over him. Whoever believes in Jesus as his/her Savior, shares in His victory.
Do you consider yourself a winner? In which respects?