Standing Strong in Your Toughest Moments | Mark 1:12-13 | Pastor Ty Hayes

What do you do when your faith is tested in the wilderness?

In this week’s message from our Voice in the Wilderness series, Pastor Ty Hayes walks through Mark 1:12–13 and unpacks how even Jesus was led into the wilderness—and how He stood strong in His toughest moments.

This powerful sermon will challenge you to see that wilderness seasons aren’t punishment… they’re preparation. When life feels isolating, uncertain, or overwhelming, God is still at work—strengthening your faith, shaping your character, and preparing you for what’s next.

If you’ve been facing pressure, temptation, or spiritual battles, this message will equip you with the mindset and truth you need to stand firm and come out stronger on the other side.

Listen now and discover how to remain faithful, focused, and full of God’s power—even in the wilderness.

Transcript

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With that said, we are continuing our series that we just started last week in the Gospel of Mark. This week we're reading two verses. Mark 1, verses 12 through 13. I'll give you a second to be there. It's the second book of the New Testament. Mark chapter 1, verses 12 through 13. It says this. The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan for 40 days. He was out among wild animals, and angels took care of him. Let's pray. God, right now, I thank you for who you are. I thank you for this time together. I pray as we dive into your word that you would just be in our midst. God, that you would work on our behalf, and that each and every one of us would just walk out here closer and more like Jesus today. We love you. We thank you. In your name, I pray, and everyone said, Amen. Can you think of something that maybe you struggle to overcome? I know for me a lot of it is dieting. I know you wouldn't believe it by this body, but come on, man. I struggle. I love good food, and good food loves me. Every time I go to get on a diet, I don't know what it is, but I just say, today is the day I'm going to start, and I make it about maybe 12 hours before, man, someone wants to go out to dinner, or there's treats, or there's this, or there's that, and I end up saying, you know what? I'll just start the next day. And here's the issue: the next day never comes. And there have been so many times in my life that I've tried to diet, tried to change my life, and man, I just keep falling and falling and falling. Temptation to sin is a lot like that. And let me just ask you, is there an area of your life where you keep losing the fight over and over and over? Today I want to talk to you about how you can fight the most difficult and hardest situations of your life like Jesus did. See, victory over temptation doesn't come from trying harder, it comes from trusting deeper and standing on God's word. So today we want to I want to break down these three temptations Jesus faced and give you three practical steps that Jesus does that we can do so we can be more like him and win our battles against the enemy. The first temptation we face is provision without God. This is where Satan tempts him by saying, I will turn these stones to bread. Jesus had been fasting for 40 days. He had just left one of the most significant experiences of his life, and the Spirit leads him to the desert where he fasts for 40 days and then Satan shows up. See, this temptation is for us to meet our needs our way and not God's way. The modern version of this would be, I'll fix it myself. I don't need to wait on God. Come on, how many of us have been tempted to fix things ourselves? See, Jesus says this instead man does not live on bread alone. Here's a good translation of that. Better to be hungry in God's will than fool outside of his will. Can I get an amen this morning? How many of you guys have phones and you know that every time you try to read your Bible, you try to do something important, you're at work, you're spending time with your kids, whatever it is, you have a notification pop off. Maybe you get that text, you get a Facebook update, you get a up, you get this or that, and man, it starts to pull you away. And next thing you know, you've been scrolling on your phone, it's been 20 minutes, you missed something important, you're not doing what you wanted to do, and you feel stuck. See, temptation rarely, rarely, rarely ever looks evil. It always looks urgent and harmless, just like the stones and the bread. The second temptation we can often face is the need to prove ourselves. This is where Satan brings Jesus to the top of the temple and tells him to jump because God will catch him. And here's what it looks like for us: it's a temptation to force God to show up to perform for us for validation. Here's the modern version. If God is real, he'll prove it by doing this. Or watch me, this will blow up. Can I tell you, many of us are tempted to try to make God prove himself to us, to act like a genie in a bottle, someone there to grant our wishes, to do what we want and not be faithful to what he desires. But here's how Jesus answers this: He says, Do not put the Lord your God to the test. Here's the translation for us: Faith obeys God. It doesn't try to impress people. If we're tempted, we're always, always, always tempted to impress others, to get affirming words, to want to impress and man, be blessed by others. But can I tell you, if you live for people's affirmation, you will die by it also. It is important that we spend our time living on the affirmation of God and not the affirmation of others. And here's our third and final temptation it's to take a shortcut to the process. This is where Jesus is told if he just bow before Satan, that Satan will give him everything and every kingdom in the world. Now, here's what's funny: Jesus is God, Jesus is king, and Jesus was already going to be King of kings and Lord of Lords. He was going to own every kingdom. But what Satan was trying to do is give him a shortcut saying, you don't have to do this ministry, you don't have to give your life, you don't have to be raised from the dead, you don't have to follow God's will, and I'll give it to you. And here's what this temptation looks like to us. We get the promise without going through the process. For us in modern versions, this might look like compromising for success, skipping the hard road to get ahead, or taking influence without integrity. See, this is what Jesus says. This is Jesus' move. Worship the Lord your God and serve him only. This is what this sounds like to us. There are no shortcuts to God's calling, only surrender and submission. I love building towers with my daughter. She loves to build marble towers from her magnetic block. And we always seem to make the same mistake where we want to go as tall as possible, as quickly as possible. So we'll make a single brick and we'll go up and up and up and up and up and up and up, and pretty soon it becomes unstable and begins to fall over from the weight. And when we take our time and we do it and widen it and do it right, it withstands. See, many for us, we we try to do something meaningful with a business, with a ministry, with the influence God gives us, and we have opportunities come and we try to cut corners and we compromise just a little bit, and maybe no one will know, and we'll just grow faster. And guess what? It works, and you grow and it explodes. But here's the hard part eventually it collapses because the foundation was never right. Can I tell you, shortcuts will always steal your future? Jesus refused the shortcuts because the cross was the only way. Where in your life are you tempted to take a shortcut, to try to get there faster, to not trust God, to not surrender, to not be in submission and get what God promised. I think of King David. I think of Abraham, who wanted a son, was promised a son, but could not wait and had Ishmael. Many of our problems are because we don't fully trust and rely on God and try to make things happen with a shortcut. So those are our three temptations. Those are the way that we are tempted to do things our way and not God's way, to walk through a difficult season and take a different direction. Now, when we face this difficult moment, we see what Jesus did. Now, how does that affect us? Now we know our problem, we see what Jesus went through. Now, how do we act like Jesus in this moment? How do we walk through difficult situations? How do we walk through the hardest moments of our life? See, we have three things that Jesus shows us, three ways to fight these battles. Before we get into it, I just want to tell you about the wilderness. See, Jesus had just heard, this is my son whom I love. The very next moment, the Holy Spirit takes him into the wilderness where he is starving and under attack. He's been hungry for 40 days. He's been sitting in the desert for 40 days. And can I tell you, some of us we struggle after 40 minutes? And Jesus is in one of the most difficult moments of his life. And he goes from this spiritual high to this tough battle. And can I tell you it's the same for us? We go through a spiritual high, and it's often followed by a tough, tough battle. Can I tell you, we should not be surprised by spiritual attacks and by fights. We should expect it. So three ways that Jesus shows us how to fight when we are in hard situations, when we are in temptations, when we are struggling. Number one, you fight temptation with identity. See, Satan attacked Jesus by saying, if you are the Son, but God had already said, You are my son. See, we don't fight for identity, we fight from identity. Let's say you go up to a locked door, and you imagine right now that your life is a house. And before Jesus, you live there, and the door was wide open. But after Jesus comes in, you don't own the house anymore. He owns the house. And when temptation comes and it knocks, Jesus answers the door. And he begins to say things like, the guy you're looking for, he doesn't live here anymore. Can I tell you, victory isn't fighting harder, victory is knowing who is in charge of the house. Many of us we fail because we try to fight and fight and fight and we miss it. This last week I was branding with my friend Brett, and he was having me hold this rope as they were roping and dragging the cattle out to be branded. He would have me attach them to this machine that would strap them in, and he's like, hey, hold this rope, let it slide through your hands, and it'll catch and you'll be good. And me being the kind of guy I am decided I didn't want to let the rope slip through my fingers. And I held on as tight as I can. And there goes the horse, there goes the cow, and there goes me getting drugged face first in the dirt. Many of us, the reason why we face things harder than they need to be, is because we're holding on to something we're not called to hold on to. And instead of trusting Jesus who is standing there, we get drug on our face. Guys, don't fight for identity, fight from your identity. The second way we fight, and this is my all-time favorite, you fight temptation with the word of God. See, every time Jesus answers, he answers the devil with scripture. And can I tell you, if you don't know the word of God, you will lose the fight. You don't beat temptation with willpower, you beat it with the truth. Jesus didn't argue with Satan, he didn't negotiate with Satan, he didn't try harder, he answered with the word every single time. Can I tell you? The word strengthens your inner man, the word gives you a script to fight back against the enemy, the word helps you stay aligned to the will of God, and the word shifts the battle from emotion to authority. So many of us, we fight from emotion, we have passion, we feel called this way or that way, but only when we take and put our passion into the authority of the word of God do we stand a chance. So how do we do that practically? What does that look like? See, we we pick our fight, we learn our enemy, we learn our temptation, we learn our weakness, you find your scriptures, you begin to look up. Man, if I'm dealing with this, where in the word of God does it talk about this? You preload your response. You say, Before I even face this temptation, I already know the scripture I'm going to tell myself. You speak it out loud. You don't just let it be etherical, you don't just let it be a thought, you speak the word of God with authority and power. Come on, somebody, and you use it immediately. See, having the word of God in your life is like a gunfight. Temptation pulls up loaded. And most Christians, sadly, they show up empty and they wonder why they lose. See, the word loads your weapon. And if the word isn't in you, it won't come out of you when it matters most. That's why we need to daily be in our word. That's why we need to be fasting and praying and diving into the Bible. It's why we gotta know Jesus, it's why we gotta be at church, it's why we gotta act like Jesus. So when those hard times come and come on, we know they're coming, that we are ready. You don't start training on the day of a run, you train before. You don't start training the day of a fight, you train before. And when temptation comes and the devil's ready to knock you around, you don't come and start training that day, you come training before. It is time that we dive into the word of God. Amen. Number three, our last way to fight is you fight temptation by staying submitted. Jesus never moved outside the Father's will. The other day, me and Thea and my wife are on a drive and we're looking at these mountains, and Thea begins to tell me, she's like, Dad, I want to go hike and climb those mountains. I was like, Oh yeah. She's like, but they're scary, so you got to go with me. And Rachel's like, Are you sure you want to go? And Thea says, You know what? I might slip and fall, but if I'm with Daddy, he will keep me safe. And here's what I want you to know today. If you will stay in close proximity to the Father, he will keep you safe. And no matter when you feel like you're gonna fall or lose your footing or it seems steep or it seems hard, if you will stay connected to the Father, you will be safe. See, power comes from obedience, not independence. It's not about being on your own, it's not about lifting yourself up from your bootstrap, it's not about being a lone wolf, it's about being in close proximity to the father. Think of a fishing lure. Can I tell you a fish never sees the hook? It always sees the bait. The bait looks like a reward, it looks delicious, but it's actually a trap designed to pull it out of its environment. Can I tell you, temptation, it always hides the hook. Sin promises life, it promises fun, it promises excitement, but guess what? It always delivers death. And you sin and it feels fun for a while, but guess what? It causes death. Man, you mess up and it feels fun for a while, but guess what? Then you feel trapped. Oh man, you scare people away and it seems fun for a while until you find yourself all alone. We wander from the presence of God, we wander from his church, we wander from his word, and we find ourselves lost and we wonder what are we going to do when we weren't called to be there in the first place. The word of God is our lamp, it is our light, it is our sword, it is our path. And if we stray away from this word, don't be surprised when temptation and the devil snatch you away. So here comes the real talk. You don't sin because temptation shows up, you sin because there's something inside of you and it makes you respond to it. The Bible calls it our sinful, fallen nature, and it's in every single one of us. But I promise you the good news. Just as the first man Adam brought it into our lives, we're not just connected to Adam anymore. If you're a believer, you're connected to Christ. You're not just stuck in your sinful nature anymore. You have eternity and power in Jesus. Here's your practical application because I want this to stick with you this week. Ask yourself Am I trying to meet this need my way or God's way? And when you feel the pressure, pause and begin to ask. When you feel you need to prove something to yourself, ask, who am I trying to impress? When you when a shortcut shows up in your life, ask yourself, what is going to be the cost to my soul? Because can I tell you, you can get another job, you can get more money, you can get a new car, you can get a new house, but you're only entrusted with one soul. So here's your daily move. Get one scripture in your heart this week. Every day when you wake up, dive into the word, memorize it so that you can stand on the word of God. Because, can I tell you, the same devil that tempted Jesus is coming for you. But the same Jesus that beat him lives in you. See, you're not tempted because you're weak, you're tempted because sin still lives in you, but you're not stuck because Jesus already won the fight and he's waiting to fight with you. Church, can I tell you something today, just to be vulnerable? These last past few weeks have been some of the most beautiful but some of the most painful weeks of my life. And it's easy for me coming from the high of Easter and hitting huge numbers and getting good offerings and doing all these things that we pastors look forward to that builds us up and being excited, and then immediately afterwards facing some of the toughest moments of my life. Can I tell you the same devil that came after Jesus came after me? The same devil that came after me came after Jesus is coming for you. If not now, soon. But the same Jesus, the same Spirit, the same word of God will also fight for you and with you. And so today I want you to know that I'm not just saying this because it's easy to say, I am living this right now. And man, life hits and it hits hard, and life gets challenging, and we can struggle in difficult moments, but the good news of the word of God is we don't struggle alone. That if we're believers, that if we follow Jesus, he sends his spirit, he gives us his word, he gives us his church, and we can stand in authority and victory. Can I get an amen? I want to ask you one final question. Where am I most tempted to take control instead of trusting God? Man, where am I tempted when things get hard to take control instead of trusting God? When things get difficult, do you find it hard to still follow Jesus? When things aren't going your way, do you find it still hard to follow Jesus? When things are hitting you left and right, do you find it hard to follow Jesus? Can I tell you? In those moments where we're truly tested, where life seems like it won't let us loose, those are the moments we decide who we follow. And I just want to encourage you from this word right now that if you will follow Jesus, if you will base your life off his word, if you will follow him and fill your life with his spirit, with prayer, with fasting, with devotion, with daily reading, man, he will fight for you and you will find victory. No matter the opponent, no matter the opposition. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, and it says the angels came and took care of him. God sees you, God loves you. And if you will trust him and not try to fight harder in your own strength, not try to do your own thing, not try to take a shortcut, but you will rely and trust on him and dive into his word. Can I promise you today that he will find you and that he loves you and he will care for you in a supernatural way you would never expect? If I can add everyone, bow your head and close your eyes. I just don't want you to be distracted in this moment. And I want to ask you two questions. First question I ask every single week because it's the most important question in this world are you ready to follow Jesus? Do you not currently follow him? Maybe you used to follow, maybe you've never followed him, but today you hear this and you're ready to base your life on the word of God and follow Jesus. If that's you, I want to give you that opportunity. I'm gonna have you raise your hand on the count of three and repeat a prayer with me in the church. Come on, church. One, this is the most important decision of your life. More important than who you marry, where you live, where you work, your relationship with God is everything. It's everything. Two, don't wait. You might think you have all the time in the world, but can I tell you, don't waste your life. Give your life to Jesus today. Three, if that's you, would you just raise your hand? You want to follow Jesus. God sees your hand, He's trusting you. Take a Bible, follow him today. Church, would you repeat this prayer with me and those that have responded this morning? Say, dear Jesus, thank you for saving me. Help me to be bold, help me to be powerful. Help me to be loving. Help me to follow you all the days of my life. It's in your name we pray. Amen. The second question I have is this Are you here and you're facing a battle? You're facing temptation, you're facing hardships, you feel like you've spent 40 days in the desert, you feel like you've walked from your best to your worst season of life, and you need God to come through like never before. And you're ready to base your life on his word, your identity on who he says you are, and you're ready to fight the way that Jesus fights, and you're ready to have God supernaturally. Meet your needs. If that's you and you'd like for me to pray for you, would you just raise your hand? God, right now, you see these hands and you know these lives. God, I pray for boldness and power and love and the power of God in these people's lives. God, that no matter where we are, whether we're watching in Fort Hall, American Falls, anywhere in Idaho, this nation, this world online, wherever we are, God, that you would allow us to experience your power like never before. That we'd be in a new creation, that we would never be the same. Jesus, we love you and we thank you. It is in your name we pray. Can we all say Amen?