Devil Not Today
The Serpent-Crusher
A guided reading of Matthew 4:1–11, Psalm 91, and Ephesians 6:10–20.
Welcome
Last Session Review
Genesis 1–3 lays the foundation of the Christian worldview. We explored what really happened in the garden, but there still remained many mysteries. Did an animal lead the entire humanity astray from God? Or was there a spiritual force behind the talking snake? In this session, we will enter into a wilderness, where the familiar whisper appears again…
“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
— Tim Keller
Opening Question
- The Bible records two temptation encounters—one in a garden, one in a wilderness. After reading Matthew 4:1–11 this week, how did Jesus respond differently?
Opening story
An Enemy Did This
Matthew 13:24–30
He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. The landowner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ “‘An enemy did this,’ he told them. “‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up?’ the servants asked him. “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’”
Scripture
Key Passages
Matthew 4:1–11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
Continue to read Matthew 4:1–11
and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:
He will give his angels orders concerning you,
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.
Psalm 91
The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust:
He himself will rescue you from the bird trap, from the destructive plague.
He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.
You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day,
Continue to read Psalm 91
the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon.
Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you.
You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord—my refuge, the Most High—your dwelling place,
no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent.
For he will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.
They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent.
Because he has his heart set on me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name.
When he calls out to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor.
I will satisfy him with a long life and show him my salvation.
Ephesians 6:10–20
Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.
Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest,
Continue to read Ephesians 6:10–20
and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.
In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.
Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.
For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.
Key Verse
For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. (Ephesians 6:13 (opens in a new tab))
Explore
Observation What does the text say?
Read Matthew 3:16–4:11 slowly. As a group, capture what you notice.
- Setting: Who leads Jesus into the wilderness? Why forty days? What is His condition (4:1–2)?
- First test: What has the Father just said about Jesus (3:17)? How do the tempter’s first words compare (4:3)?
- Answers: What words does Jesus repeat? Where do His answers come from?
- Second test: What does the devil do that surprises you (4:6)? What happens if you keep reading Psalm 91 past verse 12?
- Third test: What is offered, and at what price (4:8–9)? What does Jesus finally call the tempter? Who shows up at the end?
Teaching
Dive Deeper What does it mean?
1. The Pattern 1 John 2:16
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.” (1 John 2:16)
| The Tempter | The Desire of the Flesh | The Desire of the Eyes | The Pride of Life |
|---|---|---|---|
| To Eve | “The woman saw that the tree was good for food…” (Genesis 3:6) | “…delightful to look at…” (Genesis 3:6) | “…desirable for obtaining wisdom.” (Genesis 3:6) |
| To Jesus | “…tell these stones to become bread.” (Matthew 4:3) | “…showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” (Matthew 4:8) | “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:9) |
The enemy has no new tricks. He is creative, but he is not original. He cannot create anything, good or bad; he can only take what God made for good and bend it toward evil. Bread is good. Beauty is good. Wisdom is good. Temptation rarely offers us something evil; it offers us something good in the wrong order, by the wrong road, at the wrong time.
And look closely at what the devil offers Jesus: “all the kingdoms of the world.” But the Father had already promised the nations to His Son (Psalm 2:8). The same thing happened in the garden. The serpent promised, “You will be like God,” to two people who had already been made in the image of God. The enemy’s oldest trick is to sell us what God has already given us. He offers a shortcut to the crown, as long as we bow to him on the way.
2. The Father of Lies John 8:44
“(The devil) was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
“A thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy…” (John 10:10a)
“…the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night…” (Revelation 12:10)
Even his names tell the story. The Hebrew satan means “adversary” or “opposer,” the accuser who stands against someone in a courtroom. The Greek diabolos, from which we get “devil,” means “slanderer.” He slanders God to us, and then he slanders us to God.
Notice the two-step strategy. Before we sin, he is a manipulator; after we sin, he becomes an accuser. Before sin, it’s “It’s no big deal.” After sin, it’s “It’s too big for God.” Both are lies. But he does not get the last word: the accuser “has been thrown down” (Revelation 12:10), and “there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
3. Battle vs War Ephesians 6:12
During World War II, D-Day marked a decisive turning point in the Allied fight against Nazi Germany, but the war did not end that day. Battles continued until V-Day, when victory was finally declared. In the same way, we are living in the middle of a spiritual war. Our enemy is not flesh and blood, but the spiritual forces of evil at work in this broken world (Ephesians 6:12). The decisive victory has been won, but the war is not over.
Here is the Good News: we do not fight for victory; we fight from Jesus’ victory. Where Adam and Eve fell for the serpent’s lies, Jesus stood firm in God’s truth. His victory in the wilderness was a glimpse of something far greater still to come.
Though the enemy continues to fight, his final defeat is certain. Until then, we are called to stand firm in God’s truth, resist the enemy’s lies, and remember that we never fight alone.
The theologian Oscar Cullmann used this very picture to describe the time we live in: the decisive battle has been fought, even though the final victory day is still ahead. That means the coworker who annoys us and the neighbor who disagrees with us are not the enemy. Knowing who the enemy is keeps us from fighting the wrong battles.
4. Stand in Victory Ephesians 6:13
“For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)
“…don’t give the devil an opportunity.” (Ephesians 4:27)
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
Read Ephesians 6:10–14, and you will hear the word “stand” again and again. The Christian is not called to chase the devil around, but to hold the ground Christ has already won. And look at the armor: the belt of truth, and “the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:14, 17). It is the very weapon Jesus wielded in the wilderness.
The Greek word for “opportunity” (topos) literally means “a place.” The enemy rarely kicks down the door; he waits to be offered a seat. And notice the context: Paul is talking about unresolved anger (Ephesians 4:26). Bitterness left overnight is an open chair at the table. None of this depends on our willpower. Not through our strength, but through Him; not because we are strong, but because we are loved. Victory is not something we achieve; it is something we receive and then stand in.
Locate the story
Inhabit the Story How does this connect to the whole Bible?
The enmity between the offspring of the woman and the offspring of the serpent unfolds throughout the Bible. From Cain and Abel to Israel and Egypt, from David and Goliath to God’s people and the surrounding nations, behind these visible struggles lies an invisible spiritual war. Yet even God’s chosen people fall into the serpent’s ways of deception and rebellion. Revelation 12:9 reveals that the ancient serpent is none other than the devil and Satan. But where humanity repeatedly falls for his lies, Jesus, the promised Serpent-Crusher, stands firm in God’s truth. The struggle continues, but God’s promise remains: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). We are part of this unfolding story, called to stand firm in Jesus’ victory until the final victory comes.
So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him. (Revelation 12:9)
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (Romans 16:20)
Bridge forward
Next session, we’ll explore how our stories of brokenness and transformation point to His greater Story.
Respond
Worship & Prayer
Song: The Stand — Hillsong UNITED
Watch The Stand on YouTube ↗ (opens in a new tab)
“The Stand” words and music by Joel Houston. © 2005 Hillsong Music Publishing. CCLI Song # 4705248.
Prayer Prompts
- Thank Jesus for standing where we fell (“You stood before my failure”).
- Confess where you have reached for good gifts in the wrong order, or listened to the whisper.
- Ask God for ears to recognize the Father’s voice, and courage to answer with truth.
- Pray for those who hear the accuser louder than the Father.
- Lift open hands in surrender: the battle is the Lord’s (1 Samuel 17:47).
Devil, Not Today
When the whisper comes again, may you answer with confidence: Devil, not today. For I belong to Jesus. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Carry it forward
Homework & Book Club
Homework
This session, we learned the victorious story of Jesus, the faithful Son who stood firm in God’s truth against the enemy’s lies. Next session, we’ll explore how our stories of brokenness and transformation point to His greater Story. For next session, prepare a 5-minute testimony to share with the group.
Reflection
As you reflect on your journey, consider these questions:
- Before: What did your life look like before you encountered Jesus?
- Encounter: How did Jesus meet you in your brokenness and reveal his grace and truth?
- Becoming: How is Jesus transforming your life today?
Your story doesn’t need to be dramatic or perfect. It’s still being written! The goal is not to make much of ourselves, but to make much of Jesus—the One who brings life out of death and beauty out of brokenness. Your story is part of His Story.
Weekly Practice
Write down one whisper you hear often. Beside it, write the truth God has spoken, read in context (start with Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:16; 6:13). Each time it returns, answer, “It is written…” Then pray James 4:7.
Recommended Reading
Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table by Louie Giglio
Next week → Session 5: A Seed Must Die
Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.