Come, Follow Me

Matthew 4; Luke 4

How Can We Resist Temptation?

Jesus being tempted by Satan

The Three Temptations, by Gary E. Smith © 1982

Every accountable person on earth is tempted. Even the Savior was tempted. But was He capable of sinning? President Howard W. Hunter (1907–95) taught: “Had there been no possibility of his yielding to the enticement of Satan, there would have been no real test, no genuine victory in the result. … He was perfect and sinless, not because he had to be, but rather because he clearly and determinedly wanted to be” (“The Temptations of Christ,” Ensign, Nov. 1976, 19).

See what you might learn from the following Church leaders’ teachings on how the Savior resisted temptation.

Draw Strength from the Scriptures

“When confronted by the great tempter himself, Jesus ‘[yielded] not to the temptation’ (Mosiah 15:5). He countered with scripture: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4). Gospel commandments and standards are our protection also, and like the Savior, we may draw strength from the scriptures to resist temptation.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Let Us Be Men,” Liahona, Nov. 2006, 48.

Strengthen Yourself First

“He positively and promptly closed the discussion, and commanded: ‘Get thee hence, Satan,’ meaning, likely, ‘Get out of my sight—get out of my presence—I will not listen—I will have nothing to do with you.’ Then, we read, ‘the devil leaveth him.’ [Matthew 4:10–11.]

“This is our proper pattern, if we would prevent sin rather than be faced with the much more difficult task of curing it. As I study the story of the Redeemer and his temptations, I am certain he spent his energies fortifying himself against temptation rather than battling with it to conquer it.”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball (2006), 108.

Discussion

Consider the types of temptations (appetite, pride, and power) described in Matthew 4. What are some ways to strengthen yourself spiritually for those types of temptation?