The 40-Day Reckoning: Power, Illusion, and the War Within
What if you could though?
For 40 days and 40 nights, a man wandered alone through the desert without supplies—starving, exhausted, and hunted.
Not by wild animals, but by something far more dangerous.
He hadn’t signed up for a retreat.
This wasn’t a self-discovery hike.
It was war.
At the center of the man’s journey was a question that still lingers today:
Who truly holds power over this world?
What happened in that wilderness wasn’t just about Him—it’s about all of us.
It’s about struggle.
It’s about identity.
It’s about the illusions we cling to and the ones we are forced to confront.
Before He became a teacher, before crowds gathered to hear His words, before His name became a movement, Jesus had to endure something that every human faces at some point: The battle for their soul.
Most people refuse to fight that battle.
They let other people make their choices for them.
They let their conditions and fears dictate what’s possible for them.
They seek comfort over transformation— embracing lies that righteousness is about appearances and compliance, and that is exactly what keeps them enslaved.
Jesus’ Initiation: His Battle With Himself
Jesus did not go into the wilderness to be tested by an outside force.
He went there in order to test Himself.
He had faith. He didn’t doubt God, but He was fully human.
And to fully step into His purpose, He had to strip Himself of all distractions and face what was left.
His own thoughts.
The devil does not live in some separate dimension. The devil is in each and every live being.
When you are alone, when there is nothing left but hunger and exhaustion, your mind turns on you.
Every illusion, every instinct, every primal fear rises to the surface.
Could He survive?
Was He truly strong enough?
What kind of leader could He be?
What would have to be sacrificed to authentically claim His power?
This wasn’t a test of righteousness. It was His reckoning.
He had to see what He was really made of.
Because if He could not master Himself, how could He master everything else.
This is what most people refuse to do.
They don’t want to sit in the silence.
They don’t want to confront their shadows.
They don’t want to see what they are capable of when no one is watching.
But that is where true transformation happens. That is what only the few are willing to do.
The wilderness was not a punishment. It was a choice.
The Three Temptations: Wrestling With Darkness
At His weakest moment, Jesus was faced with three choices—not from an external enemy, but from His own human inclinations.
1. Self-Preservation vs. Higher Purpose
After 40 days without food, His body was shutting down. The first thought?
“If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.”
A simple idea. A survival instinct. A chance to prove His power.
But He refused.
Because if you build a kingdom only to serve your own needs, it will collapse in on itself.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
2. Ego vs. Integrity
Next, another thought: What if I make a show of it?
“Throw yourself from this height. If you’re divine, the angels will catch you.”
This is the test of arrogance.
The demand to be seen.
The desire to be validated.
The accepted idea that if you do the right things, you should be rewarded immediately and visibly.
He refused.
Faith does not demand signs. People do.
And true authority does not need an audience.
“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
3. Control vs. Truth
Finally, the thought that seduces nearly everyone:
“All this can be yours—the world, the kingdoms, the influence. Just bow.”
Take the shortcut.
Submit to a leader.
Avoid the suffering.
Sound familiar?
“Compromise a little. Play the game. Just do what’s necessary and then claim your glory.”
This is the test of pragmatism over principle.
But any power that bypasses eternal truth is a lie.
“You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
And with that reminder, the battle ended.
The National Illusion: A Nation That Worships Itself
Jesus faced Himself directly in the desert.
We refuse to do the same.
We justify our hunger for control.
We justify our obsession with appearances.
We justify our willingness to take the well worn path—the tried and tested way.
We call it righteousness.
This is exactly what Isaiah called out:
“Why do we fast, and You do not see it?”
“Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits and drive all your laborers.”
Translation?
You perform devotion.
You display morality.
You announce your goodness.
You expect accolades.
But when the test actually comes?
You choose self-interest. You demand recognition. You justify corruption.
God is not interested in appearances.
“The fasting I desire is to release those bound unjustly, to free the oppressed, to share your bread with the hungry, to shelter the homeless, to clothe the naked.”
That is real righteousness.
That is supreme devotion.
That is what actually changes the world.
So let’s be real:
America does not worship God.
America worships itself.
It worships comfort.
It worships control.
It worships the illusion of righteousness.
People claim they are blessed while hoarding wealth.
They claim they are moral while exploiting the vulnerable.
They claim they are free while enslaving themselves to systems of power and control that do not care about them.
And then they wonder why they feel empty.
The Four Principles That Guide My Life
I have never claimed to be a saint.
I’ve made mistakes, taken missteps, and wrestle with my own illusions.
But what I have come to understand through conscious observation, suffering, and surrender is this:
1. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Not out of politeness, but out of integrity.
Extend respect and consideration to all others—regardless of the color of their skin, ethnic origin, mental capacity, religion, sexual orientation, clothing, class, smell, or any other differentiating factor.
There is no room for pride or prejudice when you live by compassion. That is God’s unconditional grace.
2. Do no harm.
Not just physically, but also through judgment, neglect, and indifference.
Your choices have consequences, though they are often indirect.
3. Do your work honestly.
Not performatively, but in a way that aligns with the most high.
Let your proof of product and conduct speak for itself.
4. Own your failures.
Not through unprocessed guilt, but through accountability.
Repentance is not about punishment. It is about understanding.
Because what we do in the quiet, what we choose in the desert, it shapes the world we create.
The Real Test of Power
The 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness were not about proving something to God.
They were about becoming undeniably, unshakably whole.
Jesus and His disciples didn’t just preach transformation. They became it.
Most people will never be called to that level of devotion, and that’s fair.
But everyone is called to live in accordance with God’s truth.
You were born and still exist for some divine purpose.
And that’s the real battle.
To know it.