Invocavit Sunday (Lent 1) – Pr. Anderson Sermon
St. Matthew 4:1-11 “Jesus is Victorious Over Satan”
February 22, 2026 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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Lord God, heavenly Father, inasmuch as the adversary does continually afflict us, and as a roaring lion walks about, seeking to devour us: We beseech You for the sake of the suffering and death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, to help us by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and to strengthen our hearts by Your Word, that our enemy may not prevail over us, but that we may evermore abide in Your grace, and be preserved unto everlasting life; through the same, Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, by Veit Dietrich, p. 152)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)
The sermon text for today is taken from the 4th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. We read selected verses in Jesus’ name:
And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘“He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘“On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”’ Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall 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 glory. And he said to him, “All these things I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”’
These are Your words, heavenly Father. Sanctify us by Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen. (Joh. 17:17)
In Christ Jesus, who beat back all the temptations that we face in this life, who fights the devil for us, dear fellow redeemed:
The battle of good versus evil is pretty much in every single script for any superhero and action movie. The only way these movies or TV shows succeed is if you have a humble yet powerful superhero who the viewers will love, take on the evil character. The movie usually has the hero finding himself throughout the story. This then leads to the climax that happens at the end. To add a little flavor, sometimes the hero will have already fought and lost to the bad guy. Here is where all these movies and TV shows find their origin. Jesus has begun his public ministry and as soon as He starts, He is going head-to-head with the prince of this world. This is the first climax and Satan is not hiding behind his punches. What Satan thinks is a cat and mouse game, it is a boxing match that Jesus intends to not lose. Our text gives you a front row seat as the Adversary takes on your Savior and the Adversary is the one outmatched.
Jesus after being baptized by John, is led into the wilderness. Satan thinks he is ready for the showdown. He strikes when it seems that Jesus is most vulnerable. Jesus had just fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Most people cannot go this long without food. Here comes Satan when Jesus is weak with hunger, and he tells Jesus to turn these stones into bread. Satan is always armed with his half-truths, hoping to get Jesus to trip up. He tempts Jesus with food that can only provide comfort for a little while. He shows Jesus’ ways in which He can give up on living this earthly life. This life is hard, why should Jesus have to make sacrifices, especially for sinners? He flaunts Jesus with the pleasures of the world to get him to give up. Satan shows his knowledge of Scripture, misinterpreting passages to use against Jesus. Jesus must trust the Father’s plan of salvation, and it will not be easy.
The surgical strikes that Satan uses against Jesus are the same strikes that are used against us. These heat seeking missiles hit their mark. He tempts us with the power that we think we can use to change our outcomes. He often uses the temptations of wealth and social status. We see that with social media platforms. To have power, we must look better than the competition. To be better than our friends, we must know the latest gossip and must share it. We are very quick to compare our accomplishments with others. We are quick to look on with lust over what someone else has. The devil also deliberately uses God’s Word against us the same way in which he used it against Christ. He twists the meaning of passages that apply to society saying, “Did God really say that you can’t do that?” The same temptation used in the Garden.
We test God when we throw ourselves into danger. We hear and know the ten commandments. We know what God expects from us. Yet we test God by breaking every single one. Satan waves the sin in front of us. We see that juicy fruit that is pleasing to the eye and good for the taste. Once we taste the fruit, there is no going back, and the consequences of our sins are in front of us. Like us, Jesus is also exhausted after the constant bombardment of temptations. The problem is that we give in to temptation. Repeatedly.
That is what sets us apart from Jesus. We see as clear as day that we are children of Adam and Eve. Their first sin has been passed down the family tree all the way down to us. There is no earthly cure for our sinful nature. Satan has our number. The temptations are dangled in front of us like the forbidden fruit that it is, and we take a bite almost every time.
Jesus takes every attack that Satan has to offer and deflects them all with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Jesus points Satan to the Law demonstrating how He will keep it to perfection. He points out that we live by God. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” He says, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” There is no reason to doubt what God can do since He is with us. Finally, He says, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”’ There is no room for Satan and his lies. Jesus is victorious over Satan!
This battle gives us joy because in all the temptations that we fall into, Christ did not give in one inch because our souls were on the line. Our whole lives consist of us failing and falling into temptation. When we are close to despair, it is Jesus who not only beat the temptations perfectly His whole life, but He also took the punishment for what we have done. Jesus withstood what we cannot. The Gospel shows us that we are saved because of what Christ has done for us. Our sins have been wiped away. Satan wants us to despair. He is the accuser who tells God that since we have given into his temptation, that we should be his. Jesus tells Satan to “Be gone,” he cannot accuse what Jesus has redeemed.
Jesus fights for us through the His Word and Sacraments. His Word is where He defends us, comforts us, and He sends the devil away. We are not wielding the sword. Christ is the sword who does all the work as it is His power that causes Satan to flee. In our baptism we are clothed with Christ. Our old Adam was drowned, and the new man arises.
Jesus contends for you and fights for you each week in the Divine Service. When Satan tempts you and wins, you confess to God what you have done and that you are sorry for your sins. Then Jesus speaks His absolution to you through the mouth of the pastor. You hear these precious words spoken to you, hearing that as you admit that you have given in to the devil and his temptations, your Savior confirms to you that He has borne all your sins on the tree. They will not be remembered in the sight of God.
The sermon is Jesus’ own Word to you, where He teaches you what He has done for you, warns you about the devil’s temptations, and proclaims to you the power of the Gospel. The Gospel comes through clearly revealing that Christ came into the world, suffered everything that you suffer in this life, and He did it all perfectly and willingly in your place. Christ has beaten Satan. Then Jesus meets you in Holy Communion.
Holy Communion is the true body and blood of Christ. The precious body and blood of your Savior is placed on your tongue confirming that the sins that you have given into have been wiped away by Christ’s blood, shed on the cross for you and for many for the remission of sins. He fights the battles within you and keeps you close to him. You can’t get closer to your Savior than in His Word and Sacraments.
By the end of the service, you know that there is only One who you put all your hope and faith in, Jesus Christ your Savior. He is the same yesterday and today. He is your armor, your sword and shield against the enemy. He protects you, guides you, and brings forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, not because you earned it. But because He has beaten the devil for you. When you are weak, He is strong. He is the Hero of all heroes, the One who cannot be overcome.
Satan thought that He could get Jesus. He thought that Jesus was weak. Satan underestimated what Jesus is capable of. Jesus is the Son of God. Satan’s temptations were no match for Jesus. He should have known this as he was told this would happen in the Garden of Eden. Satan won with tempting Adam and Eve, but God delivers to him the ultimate blow. He promised that the woman’s seed would come and crush his head. Jesus is that seed. He came into the world as a humble infant. He humbly lived a life like ours, perfectly keeping God’s Law. And then He went to the cross sacrificing Himself for us, destroying the works of the devil. Jesus is victorious over Satan and always will be. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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