Day 12: Victory Through Fasting

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and at the end of them he was hungry.” (Luke 4:1–2 NIV)

Before Jesus entered His public ministry, there were two critical experiences through which He passed. The first was when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and He was endued with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit for His ministry. But, Jesus still did not immediately go out and begin to minister.

The second experience was forty days of fasting in the desert. He abstained from food and focused on the spiritual. Apparently, in that time, He had a direct, person-to-person conflict with Satan. Through His fasting, He emerged victorious from that first conflict with Satan.

Notice the result of fasting in the life of Jesus. Luke 4:14 states:

“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.” (Luke 4:14 - NIV)

There is a very significant difference in the two phrases used. When Jesus went into the desert, the Gospel says He was ‘full of the Holy Spirit.’ But when He returned from the desert after forty days of fasting it says He went ‘in the power of the Spirit.’