THEME: WINNING THROUGH SEASONS.

TOPIC: WINNING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS.

TEXT: LUKE 4:1-14.

For every man who will become an instrument worthy of use in the hand of God, there is always a process, a
season of dealing that the Lord take his people through in order to prepare his vessel, God must pass his
instrument through the process of making, with God there is always a process, a season of trial, a season where
we pass through the wilderness, for to test, try and to equip his instrument, we go through the wilderness as
individuals, corporately as a Church, the body of Christ, this is why we must learn the skills, attitude and
wisdom needed to secure our victory as we walk through the wilderness.

WHAT IS THE WILDERNESS?

The wilderness is an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region. To the modern day believer, the
wilderness does not necessary mean a physical geographical location we have to walk or pass through, it simply
means a night time, a season of trial, a season of test, it is a season where the Lord try and equip his instrument.
That’s why the scripture says my brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience (James 1:2-3). The wilderness journey is also the medium the
Lord uses to cut all the ties of this world from our soul. John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you:
for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. When the Lord brings us out of Egypt, he must
bring Egypt out of us, and how he intends to do this is our journey through the wilderness, it implies that when
the Lord bring us out of the world, he must also bring the world out of us. Romans 12:2 KJV And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. God needs to purge us of this world because all that is in the
world is lust, 1 John 2:15-16 KJV Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world, and he that love the world is an
enemy of God, James 4:4 KJV Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

The wilderness experience of one man is different from that of another, based on the level of conformity to the
image of Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, and based on the
God’s purpose for every man for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
(Philippians 2:13), no favourism in God Then Peter opened his mouth, and said; Of a truth I perceive that
God is no respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34), it is in the wilderness that the Lord teaches and trains us for the
future; it is in the wilderness that the lord teaches our hand to war and our fingers to fight. Psalm 144:1 KJV
Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.

Amidst the teachings, dealing and training of God in the wilderness, the devil, our adversary is also in the
wilderness trying to deceive and bring us out of the promises and purposes of God for our lives, 2 Corinthians
2:11 KJV Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. He also tried to
tempt Jesus out of the will of God for his life, he suggested to Jesus an illegitimate way to solve a legitimate
need. Luke 4:3-4. If the devil could tempt Jesus during his days in the wilderness, with Jesus being the patterned
man, we will not be exempted from temptations. This is why we must learn the skill to win in the wilderness.

HOW TO WIN THROUGH THE WILDERNESS

1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a
way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Our time or season in the wilderness is not particular to us alone but as the scriptures says it is common to every
man, if we will win through the wilderness, we must therefore learn from men who have gone through the
wilderness, there are lot of examples of men who went through the wilderness; Abraham, the father of faith,
David, Joseph, Paul, the apostle, John, the Baptist and even Jesus Christ our Lord. With Jesus being the
patterned man, we will be examining Jesus’ time in the wilderness and how he overcame in the wilderness.
Luke 4:1-14. Here are some secrets extracted from the life of Jesus during his time in the wilderness.

 FAITH IN GOD.
For everyone who will win in their night time, in the time of trial, must have total faith in God. Jesus had faith,
total belief in the pronouncement of God for his life. When God pronounce him as the beloved son, in whom he
is well pleased, Luke 3:21-22 KJV Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also
being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a
dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well
pleased., and he was led immediately to the wilderness, he didn’t doubt the speaking of God for his life, and
that is why he was able to overcome the first temptation of the devil, which has to do with his identity in God,
he didn’t have a need to prove that he was the son of God. The devil only comes to tempt and deceive us based
on what God has told us as he did to Eve, Genesis 3:1-4 KJV Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast
of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not
eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of
the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of
it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.
As a man in the season of trial, there is need to have total faith, trust and belief in the promises of God for your
life. Remember, James 1:6-8 KJV But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a
wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of
the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Don’t allow the devil make you doubt God’s
promise for your life, though the vision may tarry, wait for it, it shall surely come to pass. Habakkuk 2:3.

 THE WORD.
Jesus himself being the word (John 1:1), had to learn the word, he spoke the word to the adversary. One of the
tools Jesus used to overcome the devil during his wilderness journey was the word, he understood the word and
that was why all the answers he gave to the temptations of the devil came from the written word of God. The
answer to the first temptation was from the scripture. Deuteronomy 8:3 KJV And he humbled thee, and
suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that
he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of the LORD doth man live. And as men and women who are walking after the pattern of Christ Jesus,
we are encouraged to study the scriptures and speak the word at all times, Joshua 1:8 KJV This book of the law
shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to
do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt
have good success. In Colossians 3:16, the scriptures says Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. We are commanded to study the word, 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV Study to shew
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. We
must know that if we will not fall into temptations of the adversary, we must know the scripture and let the
word of God abide in us. Matthew 22:29 KJV Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the
scriptures, nor the power of God. The word of God is the power of God, Ecclesiastes 8:4 KJV Where the word
of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

 PRAYERS.
Jesus understood that if he was going to overcome in the wilderness he has to employ the power of prayer. The
scriptures says in Luke 4:1-2 KJV And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led
by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing:
and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. He was not commanded to fast and pray, he was led in to
the wilderness to be tried and tempted, but he knew he had to include prayer and fasting, in those days he did
eat nothing. Prayer increases our strength, Isaiah 40:31 KJV But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall
walk, and not faint. It is also important that we know that the way to stand firm against the temptations of the
adversary is prayer, Matthew 26:41 KJV Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak. That is why Jesus encourages us to always pray, Luke 18:1 KJV And he spake a
parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. When we are not praying
which in turn increases our strength, we are fainting, the opposite of prayerlessness according to Luke 18:1, is
fainting, prayer coverts lights to might, to strength, which strengthens our faith. Proverbs 24:10 KJV If thou
faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. To win the face of adversity, in the time of trial, in our time
of wilderness, we must keep and live a lifestyle of prayer, 1 Peter 5:8 KJV Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

 LIGHT (SIGHT OR UNDERSTANDING).

To win in the day of adversity, you must have access to light, which can also mean sight or understanding. Jesus
in his time in the wilderness had light which made him an overcomer; he understood fully well that, the devil
was not in doubt of his identity, because the pronouncement of God upon his life at the rivers of Jordan was a
public one, but he knew the devil was trying to take him out of the purpose and will of God for his life. Satan
was only offering him an easy way to accomplish that which he was sent to do, trying to divert him from dying
on the cross, but Jesus had full import of the plan and purpose of God for his life and he could overcome the
devil. As believer we cannot function in light if we don’t fellowship with the father of light in the study of the
word and in prayers. Psalm 18:28-29 KJV For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my
darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. We need light
that brings us to the counsel God. Job 29:3 KJV When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light
I walked through darkness. It is light that strengthens our faith, strength comes from light. Ephesians 1:17-18
KJV That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

Beloved, I like you to know that there is a glorious destiny after the wilderness, if a you fail in the wilderness
you cannot get to the land that flow with milk and honey, after Jesus time in the wilderness, he returned with
power, Luke 4:14 KJV And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame
of him through all the region round about. So gird up your loins and refuse to be defeated by the devil, we do
not go into the wilderness ignorant of the fact that our victory has been secured, Romans 8:37 KJV Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us, we know the end result even from the
beginning of the war. See you at the top. Peace!