Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Luke 4:13
Giulio Douhet (1869-1930) was an Italian Army general who became known as the “father of strategic air power” due to his theories concerning the maximal use of the newly minted air powers of the time. His theories became a core part of aerial battle tactics, proving his leadership skills and keen instincts. One of his most famous quotes proves applicable to the principle we ponder today, the need to be vigilant in trying to preempt our adversary’s schemes. In this vein, Douhet said, “Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the changes in the character of war, not upon those who wait to adapt themselves after the changes occur.”
In Luke 4:1-13, we read of the temptation of Jesus following His baptism by John. After defeating each of Satan’s three temptations, Jesus stood victorious in the wilderness. Satan, recognizing he would not be celebrating victory on this day departed from Jesus. This is just as James said would happen when facing the devil’s temptations. Jesus had submitted to God, resisted the devil, and the devil had no choice but to move along (James 4:7). However, he was not going away for good. The final phrase of Luke 4:13 is a sobering reminder for us never to let our guard down in this battle for our souls. The devil departed from Jesus “until an opportune time.”
Jesus had taken his best shots on this day and soundly defeated him with the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). It would have been easy for Jesus to feel the calm in the aftermath and assume this was the last He would be hearing from the devil. Thankfully for all of us, He knew not to do this even for a moment. As in every facet of life, we must strive to imitate Jesus, never becoming lax in our defense against the adversary. A host of passages speak to this necessity, often combining the notion of sober minds and vigilance (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8).
Though the full-frontal assaults present us with many temptations and threats to our faith, one must wonder if the quiet seasons are an even greater threat to our spiritual welfare. When the devil seems to have left us alone, when we are enjoying peace, when things seem to be just routine, do we find ourselves slipping into spiritual slumber? Could this be a factor in Paul’s terrifying warning in 1 Corinthians 10:12 to the one who thinks he stands? Would we be more likely to stand guard if a lion approached (1 Peter 5:8) or if we saw a beautiful, luminous angel come our way (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)? I imagine more of us are susceptible to the subtle temptations than the obtuse.
Yes, it is often those times of seeming spiritual quiet that leave us most in danger. We must make up our minds not to give the devil such a strategic advantage. We must remain vigilant, always seeking to anticipate the changes in tactics our adversary will deploy in our next engagement, so that he cannot catch us slipping and trap us before we can respond. If we currently find ourselves in a time where Satan has “departed” from us, we must know that he is only gone to await “an opportune time” to return and try again. Let’s be diligent together.