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Written by Paul J Bucknell on June, 26, 2024

Matthew 4:1-11 The Three Ifs and Temptation

How to Understand and Overcome the Devil’s Snares

The Temptation Account in Matthew 4:1-11

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ temptation by Satan offers valuable insights into how Satan tempts humanity. The Tempter doesn’t need to be as cautious with us because we easily “fall” for his deceptive schemes, triggered by the first tempting picture or words. The devil skillfully crafted his most effective traps for Jesus, as shown in Matthew 4:1-11.

The Deceiver first deceived himself (Ezekiel 28), pridefully thinking of his beauty and powers, and confused himself, the created, with the Creator. He then persuaded many angels to join him and now incite rebellion among mankind against their Creator. The Spirit of God launched Jesus into ministry after His baptism and a forty-day fast, and then led Him into the wilderness to be tempted. This temptation passage records Jesus’ victory over three temptations presented by the evil one.

There are several ways to teach these verses.

We could compare Jesus’ temptations to the original temptations when the serpent beguiled Eve in Genesis 3, where he successfully sought their ill to gain authority.
We can also examine the ways the devil tries to tempt us by looking at our human weaknesses and situations. For example, being hungry, Satan tempted Jesus with food.
We could also contrast Jesus, the Son of Man’s success, with Adam’s failure, both representatives of mankind. Jesus won a strategic battle and threw Satan down from His lofty position.
We must also examine how the devil and Jesus used God’s Word, each having mastered the holy Scriptures.

This article examines the three ‘ifs’ Satan uses to set up his intricate temptations. The devil creates leading statements to steer Jesus’ thoughts. His suggestive words lead to thoughts, and these thoughts demand responses. Although the words seem innocent, his malicious purposes, like barbs, are hidden. This is only visible through Jesus’ sharp responses. While the devil is not all-powerful, he is clever enough to put himself and us in compromising situations by using convincing and trapping statements.

After familiarizing ourselves with the passage, we will increase discernment by observing the devil’s three ‘ifs.’

The Text: Matthew 4:1-11

¹ Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. ³ And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” ⁴ But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

⁵ Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ 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, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” ⁷ Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

⁸ Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; ⁹ and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” ¹¹ Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him. (Mat 4:1-11, NASB)

An Overview of Matthew 4:1-11

Before looking at why Satan used ‘if’ statements, let’s first observe how he crafted them. Each ‘if’ is in bold print.

“And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” (Mat 4:3)

“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, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” (Mat 4:6)

“And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” (Mat 4:9)

Satan tempts him three times with an “if” clause. Only after Jesus resisted a third time did the devil leave Him (11). The evil one stayed close to Jesus throughout His ministry but appeared more boldly toward the end, which we will discuss later.

The First Two ‘Ifs’

The first two ‘if’ clauses linked to the initial temptations highlight Jesus’ exalted status as the Son of God. Satan doesn’t deny His name or role but tries to disconnect Jesus’ faithful service to His Father. Lofty titles, positions, and designations are linked to our higher roles and responsibilities. Satan aimed to confuse Jesus with thoughts of His glorious title and role, making it easy to downplay His related duties. The pride in titles, whether earned or not, tempts us to boast in their honor and abuse their privileges. That’s why the devil tempts the rich and powerful leaders to “forget God” (Jud 3:7; 1 Sam 12:9; Ps 106:21) and lead their societies astray.

The title Son of God appears 43 times in the Bible, all in the New Testament. ‘Son’ points to His expected allegiance to His Father as well as His shared nature. ‘God’ refers to the Creator God from whom all life has come: “The Lord (i.e., Yahweh), the God of your fathers” (Ex 3:15-16). The evil tempter immediately recognized Jesus’ divine origin, but he did not honor Him; instead, he tested Him to steal His authority, as he did with Adam.

The devil (verse 1) crafted these scenarios to throw Jesus off balance. On one hand, he used flattery to occupy Jesus’ thoughts, pretending to respect His spiritual authority and love for God’s will by quoting God’s Word. The devil did not lie by claiming that He was the Son of God but aimed to make Him think about His position so that Jesus would act out of character, misusing His responsibility by turning stones into bread for Himself.

However, Jesus spotted how the devil ill-used God’s Word without considering God’s purpose and glory. Jesus refused to follow the misleading suggestion and rejected the evil one’s temptation by correctly using God’s Word to affirm His Father’s will and delight in doing only His will.

Jesus dismissed the flattery in a very business-like way, revealing the evil one’s false attempt to honor God and the devil’s wicked plans.

He waited for His Father to care for His ravaging hunger rather than do a miracle without His Father’s beckoning. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Mat 4:3).
He ignored the temptation to prove His trust in His Father, claiming, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Mat 4:7).

In His rebuke, Jesus quoted God’s words and affirmed His purpose and desire to serve His Father faithfully.

The Third ‘If’ (Mat 4:9-11)

“And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” (Mat 4:9)

Although stemming from the same malicious intent, this third temptation is different from the first two. The devil uses the ‘if’ to make his deal clear. He no longer hides his words with politeness and pretense but removes all subtlety to offer his best deal.

The first two ifs were assumptive, prompting Jesus to validate Himself by obeying the devil instead of the Father. “If this is true…, then prove it by ….”

Here, the ‘if’ functions as a conditional. “I will do this for you, if you do…” The devil understands what Jesus came for, claiming His rightful authority over the world and mankind, and thus makes a ‘holy’ offer to do God’s will.

The subtle condition to close the deal is stated upfront. The devil’s appearance and demeanor change drastically. Though he claims God’s holy purpose for His Son to rule the world, this temptation bypasses the difficult path to achieve it. Jesus must struggle through a tough time to fulfill the Father’s will. The easy option to rule under Satan negates the need for His death, which is God’s chosen way to bring redemption. His offer would undoubtedly haunt Jesus throughout His ministry, especially as the cross drew nearer. After all, Jesus could fulfill God’s plan for ruling over mankind without suffering!

“Take the easier way!”
“You don’t need to suffer a bit if you do it my way.”
“You can have all the power without the pain. No pain, all gain!”
More subtly, “The Father’s way of the cross doesn’t befit your title, the Son of God. There’s a better way!”

Jesus withstood this temptation, but its extreme difficulty—the temptation—was not fully understood until the night before the cross when Jesus wrestled with the suffering coming the next day. Later, however, Jesus stated, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Mat 26:42).

The Nature of Temptation

Four times, the tempter is identified as the devil. Matthew gives his readers no option but to catch the Accuser’s sinister purpose. The word for diabolical comes from the Greek form of the devil (Greek: diabolos).

The root word “tempt” is used twice early in this passage, exposing the devil’s purpose.

4:1 “To be tempted by the devil”

4:3 “And the tempter came and said to Him.”

Temptation is a test designed to cause someone to fall. It shows how people scheme to bring others down. God’s justice and righteousness detest this unprincipled attack on individuals, confusing people into feeling guilty, not to mention the assault on His only Son.

God does not tempt but tests. Let me carefully differentiate between them. James says that God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God” (James 1:13).” God tests His chosen ones to increase their success. The famous scene of God testing Abraham comes to mind: “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham” (Gen 22:1). Similarly, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested. God wanted His Son to succeed. The devil, acting selfishly, however, sought His worst.

Temptation involves making choices. This highlights the issue of freedom and privilege. Satan tempts us when we feel authorized or tempted to act without consulting God and His word. This is the core of temptation—making decisions without God's guidance. We follow our desires and understanding, but this is spiritually wrong.

Temptation and Our Lives

The evil one seeks to expose our most vulnerable spots and plans to overthrow our faithful service, just as he did with our Master. The devil will leave but return when we least expect him! We must always stay alert. “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mat 26:41).

The devil tempts God’s people to undermine His ways and pursue their selfish goals. His subtle and sometimes obvious proposals always oppose God’s will. If you're confused, it’s not the time to make decisions. Delay and pray.

The first two “ifs” are flattering temptations that cause us to focus excessively on our role, position, and title, urging us to take special privileges. Because I can, I do. How many men wrongly use their strength and position to threaten their wives? We can use our positions to illegally trade in the markets. High positions and leadership roles set us up for these temptations. Our ability to do something does not mean God’s freedom to do it. We must resist temptation. We can ask, for instance, “Why did God give me this position?” It is always to serve, not to be served. The biblical way to respond is to mimic Jesus’ response. Jesus reframed His thoughts within the context of God’s purposes and ways by using God’s word. The Son of God purposed to do the Father’s will; it didn’t matter what He wanted, felt, or preferred. Life is often difficult, but obedience always leads to God’s preferred ways.

Sometimes, as in the third ‘if,’ Satan comes roaring in with an “in your face” temptation. The circumstances will vary, but the devil’s evil purpose will always be to hinder you from doing God’s work in His way. Respond by saying, “Even if what God wants will cost me this or that, I will seek what He desires.” He has greater purposes for the trials we face. His will is more important than our comfort.

Proverbs 15:33 and Temptation

“The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility” (Proverbs 15:33).

As I reflected on temptation and flattery, I encountered Proverbs 15:33, which states, “Before honor comes humility.” Humility is a crucial character trait that helps us remain alert to temptation. Without practicing humility, the honor that comes with a high position or title can lead us to forget our God-given responsibilities. Looking at Jesus, we see His willingness to humbly fulfill His ongoing duty to His Father, which is why He was sent. We can safeguard ourselves by embracing humility and remembering that everything we have is from the Lord and intended for a purpose greater than ourselves.

The Three if statements in Matthew 4:1-11, the temptation account

Bible Study Questions on Matthew 4:1-11

When did Matthew say that these temptations occurred? Why then?
How many times does the word ‘devil’ occur in Matthew 4:1-11? What does “devil” mean?
If you knew someone nicknamed “Tempter,” how would this shape your necessary times near him?
How many times is the word “if” used in this passage? Find them.
How are the first two usages of “if” similar?
Do you think temptation can be seen as a choice without accountability? Discuss.
What does the Son of God mean? Why might the devil have used the term?
How does Satan use “if” for the third time to tempt Jesus? What does He offer? What would the offer be conditional upon?
How does Satan tempt you? Why do you think he so tempts you?
Does the evil one’s every advance with you seek to bring you down? Explain.
How does God’s testing differ from Satan’s tempting (James 1:13; Gen 22:1)?