Bible Bites - Rise & Pray - Luke 22:46
In Luke 22:46 Jesus instructs His sleeping disciples to rise up and pray that they not fall into temptation.
For context, this is where Jesus and his disciples went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. Judas was already in motion to betray Jesus with a kiss. It was late at night and Jesus had asked his disciples to pray. However, each time he went to check on them, they had fallen asleep. Not only was it the hour of Jesus’ betrayal, it was also their hour or testing. The disciples seemed to be caught completely off-guard. Not long before this Peter boasted that all the other disciples might deny Jesus, but he never would.
It was the second time the disciples were instructed to pray to avoid falling into temptation. However, they were too weary in this late hour to continue praying.
This scripture isn’t merely for a historical account; it has real-world application for this exact time. In these last days, this late hour, the world grows darker and distractions and temptations seem to be everywhere! We too need to rise up and pray we don’t enter into temptation!
The instruction of Jesus to rise up and pray calls back to when Jesus taught the disciples how to pray. Towards the end of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says to pray to our Heavenly Father to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
It ought to be part of our daily prayer habit to come to our Father in prayer, asking that we don’t fall into temptation. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we are told of God’s faithfulness, that He will let us not be tempted beyond our ability and that He will provide a way of escape that we might endure it.
How great is that?! Our Father will ALWAYS make a way of escape from temptation. As comforting as that is, it also brings a sobering thought, if God does not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to handle it and gives us a way of escape, we have no excuse at all for sinning and falling to temptation!
Though Jesus was fully God, He walked this earth fully man. He NEVER fell to sin, not because He was God, but because He learned to fully obey His Father and take every way out of temptation that was provided. There are some great, informative examples in the Bible that show us exactly HOW to avoid temptation and take the way of escape, how to resist the devil and see him flee!
The most famous example is in Matthew 4:1-11. In this scripture we see three of Satan’s temptations and how Jesus took the way out that was provided.
Satan said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Again, Satan tried tempt Jesus to sin when He brought Him to the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus was ready and replied, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
We read of one more temptation by the devil. The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and said to Him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” This time Jesus replied, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, “’You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and the angels came to minister to Jesus.
The way out has already been provided! Did you catch it?
Jesus found his triumph in the Word of God! God’s Word gives us the way out of EVERY temptation! He even gave us help to recall His Word in Holy Spirit!
The way out of every temptation is in knowing the Word of God in scripture. Paul explains it further in Ephesians 6:10-18 as he’s talking about the Armor of God. In particular he mentions the Shield of Faith, with which you can “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Faith is directly linked to the Word of God. In Romans 10:17 we read, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God.”
In short, the way to overcome temptation and sin is by knowing the Bible. When we know and follow what the Bible says, our faith is built, and we have a shield that extinguishes the temptations and attacks of the devil. Holy Spirit will help us recall the Word of God, but we have to read it first! We can’t recall what we’ve not read.
As we read and study the Bible, we invite God to open our hearts to understand and receive His Word with His wisdom and understanding. I guarantee that if you are a child of God and you earnestly seek to know Him and understand His Word, God will open His Word to you and you will have more understanding every time you read it! Your wisdom and faith will be built and you will know the way out of temptation that has been provided, just like Jesus did - Answering every temptation with the Word of God.
Let's Pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of prayer, and the examples of Christ, living as a man, showing us how to live and how to take the way out of every temptation. We saw how Jesus used scripture to defend Himself from the temptations of Satan. Help us also to read your Word, blessing us with wisdom and understanding as we do. Help us to hear and respond to your promptings and reminders of your Word through Holy Spirit. Help us to rise up and pray too that we may not fall into temptation, that we will be fully equipped in the Armor of God, taking up our shield of faith which extinguishes all the flaming arrows of the evil one. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen!