Portrait Mode: Gameplanning Against Temptation

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Following his baptism, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (Matthew 4:1). There, he faces three temptations that engage the whole human person. First, Jesus is tempted in his body—the pull toward immediate physical satisfaction. Next, he is tempted in his mind—the subtle twisting of Scripture and the rationalizing of disobedience. Finally, he is tempted in his heart—offered a good and even noble end, authority over the world, but through the wrong means: worshiping something other than God.

Each temptation strikes at Jesus’ identity: “If you are the Son of God…” Yet Jesus does not respond with sheer willpower or clever debate. Instead, he draws from a deeply formed way of life. He is fueled by the Word of God, grounded in God’s truth, and steadfastly committed to worship and service of God alone. When temptation presses on his body, mind, and heart, Jesus remains rooted in loving God fully—with heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).

This portrait of Jesus shows us not only how temptation works but also how it can be resisted. We live inside this same “dome of temptation”—in our marriages, parenting, relationships, work, habits, and even within our thoughts. 

Temptation is inevitable. But because of Jesus, victory is possible.