In his book The Me I Want to Be, John Ortberg tells about the first time he and his wife went fly fishing.

Their guide explained, “To catch a fish, you have to think like a fish.” To a fish, life is about the maximum gratification of appetite with the minimum expenditure of energy. Fish don’t stop to reflect on danger or recognize the lure hiding a deadly hook.

Ortberg observed:

“You’d think fish would wise up and notice the hook or see the line. You’d think fish would look around at all their fish friends who go for a lure, fly off into space, and never return. But they don’t. It is ironic. We say fish swim together in a school, but they never learn.”

Then he asked, “Aren’t you glad we’re smarter?”

Perhaps. But when Satan dangles temptation before us, we don’t always act much wiser than the fish. We often fail to recognize the hook hidden beneath the bait.

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ temptation begins this way: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matt. 4:1). From this familiar story, I learn several important lessons about temptation.

#1 Temptation Often Comes After Spiritual Highs

Jesus had just been baptized. The Father declared that He was “well pleased” with His “beloved Son.” The Holy Spirit descended upon Him. Then came the Tempter.

Don’t be surprised when your spiritual victories are followed by spiritual battles. It may be at such a time that we feel secure and spiritually satisfied when suddenly Satan appears with bait designed especially for us.

Satan often follows God’s blessings with his bait. Don’t mistake yesterday’s spiritual victory for today’s immunity from temptation.

#2 Temptation Is Not a Sin

The Bible says Jesus was tempted “in every respect” (Heb. 4:15), yet without sin. In this text, Satan tempted Him in much the same way he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden—through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, the very categories John later identifies in 1 John 2:16.

But Jesus didn’t bite. He didn’t give in. Yet He was genuinely tempted.

Too many Christians confuse temptation with failure. Some feel guilty simply because they are tempted, imagining that if they were more spiritual, the temptation would disappear.

Not so.

If Jesus was tempted, surely we will be as well. Being tempted isn’t a sin. Yielding to temptation is.

#3 Temptation Comes from Satan

Matthew simply says, “The tempter came.” Not the Father.

James affirms, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone” (Jas. 1:13).

Don’t blame God for your sinful impulses or for succumbing to temptation. Every temptation to sin bears Satan’s fingerprints. He is our adversary, our arch-enemy, who delights in luring us away from God’s will.

#4 Temptation May Be Greater When I’m Alone

Jesus was alone in the wilderness. No adoring crowds listened to His sermons. No disciples walked beside Him. No friends were there to encourage Him.

For many people, those lonely moments become moments of greater vulnerability.

Alone on a business trip. Away from family, friends, and fellow Christians. Alone late at night. Alone with nothing but an iPhone or computer screen glowing. A notification appears. A pop-up flashes. An inappropriate image surfaces. A thought enters the mind. An emotion is stirred. If we’re not careful, temptation grows and eventually gives birth to sin.

Yet Jesus was never truly alone. The Father was with Him.

He is with us as well. In those lonely moments when temptation lurks, lean on the Lord. Draw strength from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

#5 Temptation Can Be Overcome

The text tells us that Jesus overcame temptation. He confronted the devil’s lies with Scripture—those three familiar words: “It is written.”

Notice that Jesus never argued with Satan. He never negotiated, rationalized, or debated. He simply answered every temptation with the Word of God.

David reminds us of its power in Psalm 119:11: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

When hurricanes are predicted to strike the Florida coast, we’re instructed to store up food, water, and other necessities before the storm arrives. In the same way, we need to read, study, meditate on, and store God’s Word in our hearts before the Tempter strikes.

Jesus overcame temptation, and through His example, so can we. He successfully resisted every assault of the evil one, showing us that victory is possible when we depend on God and stand firmly on His Word.

His advice to the disciples serves us just as well today: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41).

Like the unsuspecting fish, Satan still hides a hook beneath attractive bait. But Jesus shows us how to recognize the danger, resist the lure, and remain faithful to God. The next time the Tempter casts his line in your direction, remember Jesus’ example.

Don’t bite.

—Ken Weliever, The Preacherman