“Worship God alone”

Read Luke 4:5-8

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The devil is also known as Satan (5; Job 1:6-12, Zech.3:1-2). The word means adversary or accuser. He is a real and powerful rival to God, whose authority is threatened by Jesus inaugurating the coming of God’s kingdom (Mt.12:25-28; Mt.13:19,39). So this temptation is the crunch test, for the mission of Jesus was to reclaim the kingdoms of the world from the devil, “the prince of this world” (John 12:31).

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By his obedience to death “all authority in heaven and on earth” would be given to Jesus (Mt.28:18; Ph.2:8-11; Dan.7:14). So the devil tested him by offering him an easy route to kingship, avoiding the cross (5-7). The Israelites were likewise tempted to compromise when they entered the promised land (Deut.6:10-15) and so Jesus here quoted from that passage, insisting that it is God alone who must be worshipped and obeyed (8; Dt.6:13). 

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In each instance Jesus countered Satan’s temptations by using scripture – “it is written” (4:4,8,10) – and that’s our own best defence when we are tested (Eph.6:16). But use verses in context, just as Jesus did here. The context for all three verses he quoted is Deut.6-8, in contrast to the wilderness test which Israel had failed.