If God cannot be tempted, then how was Jesus tempted in Matthew 4:1-11, if he was God in the flesh?

In James 1:13 it says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” If this is true, then how is it that Jesus was tempted by Satan in Matthew 4:1-11?

It is correct that God can not be tempted by Satan. But when Jesus was tempted it was the human nature that was tried. Satan tried to attack Jesus by waving the desires of man in front of Him; power, control, and worship. The Bible teaches that it is impossible for God to sin; in other words, he cannot lie, cheat, or steal. But I believe the temptation of Jesus served multiple purposes.

First, I believe the temptation of Jesus was a way of proving his divinity. By illustrating that he could not be corrupted by sin and other worldly desires, he displayed how he was indeed set apart and different from the rest of humanity. Ever since the fall of mankind, which is written about in Genesis 3, we have had to deal with sin and it’s affects on us. But by rebuking Satan when tempted (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10), Jesus showed his authority over evil and it’s inability to defile Him.

Second, Jesus didn’t use any supernatural power or ability to rebuke the temptations other than the word of God. This goes to show that we too can do what Jesus did, and fight against Satan’s tricks, so long as we use the word of God as our weapon.

The difference between all of humanity and Jesus is found in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22. It is written that “by a man came death,” but “by a man has also come the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” Then if you continue reading through that chapter, you will come across 1 Corinthians 15:47, which states that, “the first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.” Read in context, you will see that the second man, the one from heaven, is Jesus Christ. His performance during his temptation only confirmed what the rest of the Bible teaches about God.