Dealing with Temptations

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There are seasons in life where you are actually doing the right things — trusting God, praying, waiting, showing up — but it still feels like nothing is happening. You’re obeying, but it feels quiet. And the longer it stretches, the more you start to ask questions you thought you already settled: “Did I miss something?” “Is God even still in this with me?” “Why does this feel so hard if I’m doing what He asked me to do?”

Luke 4:2 – “…for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.”

Jesus understands that feeling more than we often realize. Luke 4:2 tells us that He was in the wilderness for forty days. And for those days, He was tempted by the devil. He didn’t eat. He was isolated. There were no crowds, no miracles, nothing… Just Him, the silence, and the pressure.

Temptations, in this context, are not necessarily just about sin. It is about the pressure to move ahead of God.

To prove something, force an answer, lower your standards, take matters into your own hands, question your identity and worth, or choose what is easy over what is right. It is subtle, and that’s what makes it dangerous.

That is exactly what Satan was trying to do to Jesus:

“If You are the Son of God…” (trying to make Him doubt who He already was),

“Turn these stones to bread…” (trying to make Him use power to satisfy Himself),

“Bow and I’ll give you all this…” (offering Him shortcuts to things that were already His through obedience).

Jesus was tempted during those forty days, not when He was strongest, but when He was physically at His weakest. That is when the enemy often comes.

Dealing with Temptations

Not when you are busy and everything is going well. But when things are quiet, when you are tired of waiting, when nothing seems to be changing, or when it feels like God is slow or silent.

So, what can you do while you’re in that season?

Start by being honest about where the pressure is showing up. Are you feeling the urge to settle for what’s available instead of waiting for what’s right? Are you starting to question your worth or rush ahead because you’re tired of being still? Recognizing those feelings is not weakness — it’s wisdom.

Next, hold onto what you know is true. That’s what Jesus did. He answered every pressure point with, “It is written…” He didn’t argue with feelings. He stood on what God had already said. Find Scriptures that speak to your identity and your season, and let those become your grounding point when your emotions are loud.

Also, be careful not to equate God’s faithfulness with speed. God was just as present with Jesus in that empty desert as He was when the miracles started. Your “quiet” season isn’t proof of God’s absence. It might be where He’s doing His deepest work. Don’t rush it just because it’s uncomfortable.

And lastly, instead of just praying for this season to end, try praying for the strength to walk through it well. Ask for clarity. Ask for peace. Ask for endurance. This isn’t just about getting through — it’s about who you become on the other side.

Dealing with Temptations