There are a lot of things I admire about Jesus, but one thing that has stuck out to me lately, is how mentally strong Jesus was during His time on earth.

Here is just one example:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Matthew 4:1-11 NIV

Even after 40 days and 40 nights without anything to eat, He was able to withstand this attack on His mind. But how was He able to remain so mentally strong?

I believe it was His remembrance, reliance and knowledge of scripture and His reliance on prayer (Luke 5:16) that allowed Jesus to resist the devil. Everything the tempter tried to get Jesus to do, Jesus had a scripture to combat it with. 

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 NIV

No one could get into Jesus’ head and make Him sway from His purpose – not at His hungriest, not when He was being mocked (Matthew 27), not even when He was being beaten unrecognizable (Matthew 27). Through it all, He was able to remain mentally strong and stay true to His purpose. 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

I pray that we can follow Jesus’ footsteps and sharpen our mind using prayer and the word of God. What scripture will you memorize today? 

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