The Devil Leaveth Him
Matthew 4:11
"Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."
If you do anything for the LORD, you can expect to get the Devil's attention. Jesus barely started His ministry on Earth, when the Devil came to tempt Him. You would think the Devil would know better than to tempt Jesus Christ, but he still tried to no avail. When the Devil was done, the Scriptures said that he left Jesus. Wow, that must have been a relief; however, when the Devil left Jesus, he didn't leave Him for long because you find later in the Scriptures that he came back.
Knowing the tactics of the Devil is just as important as knowing how to overcome his attacks. There is nothing fun about having to ward off the attacks of the Devil. The Devil doesn't play by the rules. He is a dirty player. He doesn't care how he gets at you, he is simply out to win. You must be careful in thinking that the Devil is done fighting you when he leaves you. He will come back, and he will come back with a vengeance. Let me give you some thoughts about this truth.
First, just because you won the battle doesn't mean the war is over. The Devil is a sore loser. If you won the battle over one temptation, you can always rest assured that he will come after you with another. One of the mistakes many Christians make is that they become overconfident when they win a battle over the Devil. Many times you will find that the Devil will allow you to win a battle just so he can defeat you with overconfidence. Christian, always remember when you win a battle, the Devil will not be happy about it, and you must beware that you are still in the battle.
Second, you must continue doing after the battle what you did to win the battle. Jesus did not stop His prayer life after He overcame the Devil's temptation; rather, He kept praying because He realized more battles would come. When the Devil leaves you, don't think that you can let up in your walk with God. You are going to need your walk with God to strengthen you for the next time you face the Devil.
Third, the absence of the Devil is temporary. Luke 4:13 says, "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." Notice, it was not a permanent departure, but a temporary one. I point this out because you need to prepare yourself for the next battle with the Devil when he leaves you. You must always remember that everything the Devil does is temporary. The joy he offers from sin is temporary, and the reprieve from the battle is also temporary. When you win a battle, enjoy it for a very short moment, but remember the war is not over and the Devil will return.
Finally, let me encourage those in the battle with the Devil that he will leave you. When you are in the battle, it can become discouraging because you wonder if he is ever going to leave. I can testify that he will leave. You simply need to hang in there and realize that a reprieve is on the way. You may think that you can't take it, but the LORD will step in and will never allow the battle to become greater than you can bear.
The Devil is a fierce opponent. The greatest victory you will achieve in life is overcoming the Devil. But, when you overcome him, always remember he will bounce back. Be ready! Don't let him catch you off guard when he returns.