Resist the Devil (from James 4:7) takes a serious look at temptation by studying the temptations of Christ in the wilderness where the Spirit of God led Him after His baptism.

By examining how Jesus resisted these temptations, we can learn how we, too, can resist. Like Jesus, for example, we are tempted to serve our own needs. We may not be able to turn a stone into bread, but we know that we do not live by bread alone, but by the words that come from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

Tom Kingery, a retired United Methodist Pastor who has written more than a dozen books about Christian life, answers questions such as:

What do religious scholars mean when they speak of "the wilderness?"

When are we most likely to be confronted by temptation?

What do our longings, our yearnings, our desires, and our various hungers tell us about ourselves?

The author observes that to be tempted is to be pressured into doing something you otherwise might never do. To be tempted is to be baited, a fishing term. And that sort of bait is often a treat that disguises a hook-a sharp, barbed hook!