“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God,” Matthew 4:1-4 (NIV).

THE TEMPTATION COMES WHEN YOU ARE AT YOUR WEAKEST

REMEMBER THE ENEMY ALWAYS ATTACKS YOU AT YOUR WEAKEST POINT IN YOUR FLESH, but it is not the attack that causes you to grow but the way you react to it! We can not use carnal weapons to fight spiritual battles! As Wade Urban always says: “It is like going to a gunfight with a knife.”

THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO REVERT BACK INTO YOUR OLD WAYS OF FIGHTING BUT TO SETTLE DOWN AND FOCUS ON THE STRATEGIES OF THE LORD!

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes,” Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV).

GOD USES TESTS – BUT THE ENEMY TEMPTS

This was a test that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into, but the enemy came to tempt Jesus during the test AFTER HE FASTED AND WAS WEAK Jesus used the word of God ( His spiritual weapon) to overcome the enemy’s temptations and the enemy had to flee! If we do not understand how to use our spiritual weapons it may be why we keep going through the same test over and over. Think about this…. Are you using the weapons that God has given you or are you using carnal weapons? When this test was over for Jesus, He came out in the power of the Spirit and the fame of Him went out all over the region!

TESTS – MEAN THAT GOD WANTS TO PROMOTE YOU

GOD WANTS TO PROMOTE YOU IN THIS TEST. Remember the Spirit led Him there! Remember that, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,” Psalm 37:23. You are going through and the way you pass it is to walk and talk in the word of God making it the final authority in your lives! Yes God wants to promote you but the enemy wants to get you into a carnal fight so that you are not promoted.

The Lord is showing me that many of you are going through these tests right now and YOU ARE ON THE VERGE OF MOVING UP INTO YOUR GREATEST DAYS OF MINISTRY! He is saying to pick up the spiritual weapons that He has given you in the past. His word, praise, forgiveness, etc…

Use these weapons in your wilderness and you will come forth in the power of the Spirit and you will see the Power of God that will come forth out of your life!

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete,” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NIV).

~ by Jo Ellen Stevens
Arise Shine!

Jo Ellen Stevens of TCIC Ministries is a Prophetic speaker, author, worshiper and intercessor. She has ministered with her husband for 23 years and was a worship leader at the Assembly of God for many years. She is an ordained minister (Restoration Ministries) and works with Restoration Ministries in their Ministry Rooms doing prophetic worship with her husband. She has taught many bible studies and have led many intercessory prayer groups.