The Spirit, The Serpent And The Son — Lions, Giants & Bears, But God — Kesean Joseph

Jul 07, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Holy Spirit: Not an It, But a He

The Holy Spirit is a person with will, mind, and voice—not an impersonal force. He cannot be “caught” like a virus but dwells within believers as God’s eternal deposit. This indwelling presence transforms location-based spirituality into a portable, unshakable relationship. Wherever you go, the Spirit’s fire insulates you from drowning in life’s floods or burning in its trials. His personhood means He listens, leads, and loves as a divine companion. [03:01]

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
(Ephesians 1:13–14, NKJV)

Reflection: How does recognizing the Holy Spirit as a “He” rather than an “it” change the way you interact with Him in moments of doubt or decision?

Day 2: Submission Opens Heaven’s Door

Jesus, though sinless, submitted to John’s baptism—a act that triggered divine affirmation. Submission dismantles pride, positioning us for heaven’s breakthroughs. Like a down payment on a car, obedience invites God’s tangible endorsement. When we humble ourselves under authority, God speaks over us publicly, proving His pleasure isn’t earned by achievements but accessed through surrender. [09:58]

“It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
(Mark 1:9–11, NKJV)

Reflection: What area of your life requires submission to God-ordained leadership for heaven’s affirmation to manifest?

Day 3: Loved Before the Work Begins

The Father declared His pleasure over Jesus before miracles, sermons, or the cross. His love isn’t a reward for performance but a gift preceding labor. Like a parent loving a child mid-tantrum, God’s affection isn’t conditional. This grace liberates us from striving, anchoring identity not in what we do but whose we are. [11:56]

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:8, NKJV)

Reflection: Where do you need to stop performing for God’s approval and simply rest in His pre-existing love?

Day 4: Testing Proves What’s Already Credited

God tests to confirm, not condemn. Jesus’ wilderness trial proved His Sonship after the Father’s declaration. Testing exposes hidden strength, like fire revealing gold’s purity. Unlike temptation’s aim to destroy, God’s tests fortify faith, turning declared identity into lived reality. [16:52]

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”
(James 1:12–13, NKJV)

Reflection: What current test is God using to prove the righteousness He’s already credited to you?

Day 5: Wilderness Power Overcomes Carnal Beasts

Jesus faced wild beasts in the desert—symbols of untamed flesh—yet emerged unscathed. The Spirit within us tames our carnal impulses, turning wildernesses into training grounds. Where demons roam, His presence declares dominion. Your environment doesn’t define your destiny; the indwelling Spirit rewrites the narrative. [22:07]

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.”
(Isaiah 43:2, NKJV)

Reflection: What “wild beasts” of fear, lust, or insecurity is the Spirit empowering you to master in your current wilderness?

Sermon Summary

Mark sets Jesus in the waters of Jordan where the heavens tear open, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father names the Son with pleasure. The Spirit then takes center stage. The Holy Ghost is not an it but a he. He has will, mind, and voice. The Father is God above, the Son is God with, and the Spirit is God in. In the new covenant, the Spirit is God’s down payment, the engagement ring that guarantees the inheritance. Because he lives in the believer, location is no longer the limit of God’s presence. So a hard place does not define a child of God. Where someone is is not who that person is.

Jesus models the order of the kingdom by submitting to John. Humility unlocks heaven. God introduces the obedient. The Father’s voice lands before any miracle, cross, or sermon. Pleasure runs ahead of performance. Sonship is credited righteousness. Like a good father loving a child before the first A on a report card, God credits before the works and then calls the child to grow up into what has already been given.

Immediately, the Spirit drives the Son into the wilderness. Grace does not cancel testing. Righteousness is not earned, but it is proven. The devil tempts; God tests. Temptation fishes to see if someone will bite. Testing proves what God already knows is there. Jesus steps into Israel’s old path as the new Moses. He passes through the water and walks into the wild, surrounded by beasts that picture unrestrained flesh. The wilderness is temporary, and so is the pull of sin, but the place and the timing of a temptation often matter as much as the bait itself.

Each temptation aims at self. Make bread now. Take the kingdoms now. Jump for a crowd now. Jesus refuses to get the gift without the Giver. He refuses a crown without a cross. He refuses to use scripture for spectacle. If the devil cannot get a soul to worship him, he will push that soul to worship self. The adversary keeps saying if you are the Son of God because he does not know; only God knows the future. Jesus holds to the word that anchored him at the river. Where he is is not who he is. He beats the serpent on the serpent’s turf so that whatever a saint goes through, that saint can get power over. Refusing self-service opens space for service. Soon after, in a wilderness, bread multiplies for others. Now the indwelling Christ gives the same power to stand. Even in a dry place, rivers can flow out of the belly. The Spirit within is greater than the pressure around.

Key Takeaways

1. The Spirit is God in us The Holy Ghost is personal, not a force, and he indwells as God’s down payment. That presence turns any place into holy ground and guarantees God will finish what he started. The believer is not chasing him; he has taken residence. Where someone stands does not set their status. [04:40]
2. Grace declares sonship before works The Father says “well pleased” before a sermon is preached or a miracle is done. Righteousness is credited, then embodied, like a loved child growing into maturity. Pleasure runs ahead of performance, and obedience grows from being already received. [11:56]
3. God tests; the devil tempts Temptation tries to see if someone will bite; testing proves what God already put inside. The same wilderness can hold both, but heaven’s purpose is confirmation, not sabotage. If God allows a test, he already knows the answers he planted. [16:52]
4. Where you are is not identity The wilderness is real, but it is not a name. The enemy pokes at location to confuse identity, yet the word spoken at the river still stands in the dry place. Passing through hard ground becomes the very place authority is gained. [31:05]
5. Refusing self-worship releases true power If the devil cannot win worship directly, he will sell self as an idol and shortcut as a strategy. Compromise buys influence on credit that must be maintained by more compromise. Saying no to self-serving opens space for God to trust someone with power that serves others. [27:46]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:57] - The Spirit, the Serpent, and the Son
[03:01] - Holy Ghost is personal, not it
[04:40] - Father above, Son with, Spirit in
[09:58] - Submission opens heaven; God introduces
[11:56] - Loved before doing; credited righteousness
[16:52] - Led to wilderness; righteousness proven
[20:19] - New Moses breaks old patterns
[22:22] - Where and when temptation strikes
[24:44] - Provider over provision
[25:59] - Kingdoms offered; compromise binds
[28:49] - Gifts not for spectacle
[31:05] - Identity anchored beyond location
[33:59] - Power follows refusal to self-serve
[36:03] - Living water in dry places

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Mark 1:9-13 (NKJV)
It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

Ephesians 1:14 (NKJV)
The Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

James 1:14 (NKJV)
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

Observation Questions

What three actions occur immediately after Jesus’ baptism in Mark 1:9-13?
According to the sermon, how does the Holy Spirit’s role in the new covenant differ from His role in the Old Testament? [04:40]
What distinction does the sermon make between testing (from God) and temptation (from the devil)? [16:52]
How does Jesus respond to the devil’s challenge to turn stones into bread, and what does the sermon say this reveals about His priorities? [24:44]

Interpretation Questions

Why might the Father declare His pleasure in Jesus before Jesus performs any miracles or ministry (Mark 1:11)? What does this imply about the relationship between identity and action?
The sermon states, “Where you are is not who you are.” How does Jesus’ wilderness experience illustrate this truth, and why does location matter in spiritual battles? [31:05]
The devil tempts Jesus to “worship self” by prioritizing immediate needs (bread, kingdoms, spectacle). Why is self-worship a subtle but dangerous form of idolatry, even for believers? [27:46]
James 1:14 says temptation arises from personal desires. How does this connect to the sermon’s claim that the devil “fishes to see if someone will bite”? [19:20]

Application Questions

The Holy Spirit is called a “down payment” of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14). How might remembering His permanent presence in you change your perspective in a current struggle or dry season?
The Father declared His love for Jesus before His works. What practical step could you take this week to rest in God’s love for you as you are, rather than striving to earn His approval? [11:56]
The sermon says, “Where you are tempted is just as important as what you’re tempted with.” When or where do you feel most vulnerable to temptation? How could you proactively guard your heart in those moments? [22:22]
Jesus refused to use His power for self-service. Is there an area of your life (e.g., relationships, career, ministry) where you’re tempted to prioritize your own comfort or reputation over serving others? How can you shift that focus?
The wilderness is temporary, but it’s where “authority is gained.” What current challenge could you view as an opportunity to grow in reliance on the Spirit rather than resentment? [32:21]
The devil tried to make Jesus doubt His identity by focusing on His location (“If you are the Son of God…”). When have you allowed your circumstances to define your worth? How can God’s declaration over you at baptism (“beloved”) anchor you this week?

Sermon Clips

59s

#LovedBeforeWorks

“Now the timing of this statement is the best part because up until now, the father says, this is my beloved son whom I'm well pleased. Now here's interesting. He says, I'm well pleased with him. But at this point, up until this point, Jesus hasn't done anything ministry wise. He has not preached. He has not healed Lazarus. He hasn't raised any dead people. He hasn't gone anywhere. He he hasn't given his life on the cross. He was a carpenter for those thirty years. He was somewhere making tables and chairs and stuff like that. He hasn't done anything, but the father still looks at him and says, I'm well pleased with you. And this is a demonstration of how God's love and his goodness works toward us. It is not that you do good things and do ministry and all those things and then God decides to love you. You can't earn God's love or God's mercy. It is given to you as a gift. God loves you before you do anything good or not. His love has no beginning or ending. God's love is eternal.”

46s

#GodWillIntroduceYou

“Jesus never has to announce himself. Jesus never has to say, hey, I'm Jesus and you better come follow me. Jesus had doesn't have to make a card, a graphic, a chat, GPT flyer, none of that. The Holy Ghost himself comes and rests upon him in front of everybody, and the father speaks out of heaven and says, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. I wanna tell you, when you follow God and you're obedient and you're submitted to God and following his order and his pathway, God will introduce you. God will speak for you. God will hallelujah. He'll show you favor in front of everybody. He will put you where you need to be at the right place at the right time. God will speak up for you if you humble yourself.”

62s

#WhereYouAreMatters

“the devil does not bother him at the Jordan River where all that water is. He doesn't bother him in front of the crowd. He waits until Jesus is in the wilderness. Here's my next point. Where you are tempted is just as important as what you are tempted with. Okay? Where and and when you are tempted is just as important as what you are tempted with. It is easier to resist the enemy when you're in an elevated place. As I said, when we're in church, we're having a good service, you're having a good time, you're jumping, you're skipping around. Even at home when you're in a good mood and everything is going right, the bills are paid, you got a little money on the side. You know what I'm saying? You everybody's happy and enjoying themselves and just eating and laughing, having a good time, but what happens when you feel like you're facing a drought?”

27s

#GodsSpiritInYou

“you've got his spirit, he's not going to forsake you. If you've got his spirit, he's not gonna leave you by yourself. If you've got his spirit, you won't be overwhelmed or drowned out. God, when he put his spirit in you, he did not pay for you with silver and gold and material things. He gave you the best he had. He gave you his only begotten son, then turned around and put his own spirit on the inside of you. God has made an investment in you when he put the spirit of God in you.”

39s

#ScriptureContextMatters

“Don't believe everybody that know the bible. Y'all don't hear these podcasts, I know I'm getting in trouble. These these people you listening to just because they could quote a scripture out of context and now you done jumped out the window listening to what they told you to do, all kind of be careful because the devil knows the word too, but he can't live it. Glory to God. You don't know how to apply it. I would have said, devil, if you pick it bad, you jump. Glory to God. You jump off this thing. But he's not gonna do it himself, but he's gonna try to get you to do it. And what he's trying to get Jesus to do here, he's trying to get Jesus to use his anointing for entertainment.”

34s

#SubmitAndHeavenOpens

“And the enemy knows that there is power when you submit your gift. Things begin to happen. The Bible says if you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, he will exalt you in due time. The moment Jesus submits himself to John and goes down in the water, heaven opens up. Glory to God. Some of you are wondering why heaven seem like it's locked up. I wanna ask you, have you submitted yourself? If you submit yourself and humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, I guarantee you heaven will start to open up on your behalf. Things will start to change on your behalf. Heaven opened up when he went down.”

65s

#MasterYourFlesh

“The wilderness is a place of testing, isolation. It is believed in ancient times. They believed that demonic spirits roamed, in in there because of the dry places, and the son of God is in the wilderness. And Mark says, he says he is in the presence of wild beasts. That is their habitat. The lions and giants and bears are mine. This is their habitat. Wild beasts represent carnality, unrestrained passion, lack of control, and behavior. It is filled with with beasts of carnality and flesh, and they live and thrive in the wilderness. I need you to understand, brother and sister, if you can't get your flesh under control, you're going to find yourself stuck in the wilderness like those beasts wandering around. If you don't master yourself, you're gonna get stuck in the dry place like the wild beasts. Glory to God. They are stuck there because that is their environment. And when you cannot control yourself, you show that you cannot handle anything but a wild place. So you got to get out of the wilderness.”

30s

#ProveYourLove

“Do do you do you live those lyrics when it's over? Talk about, for your glory, I will do anything. I'll cross the hottest desert. Hallelujah. All that kind of stuff. And you stay home from church because it's raining, and you didn't feel like it. Talk about you'll do anything. Stay home because it's July 4, I ain't coming to church, I'm good, I don't need that. You talking about you'll do anything for his glory. Will you do really do anything for his glory? Do you really love him more than anything? Anything that you say to our God has to be proven.”

65s

#ProviderOverProvision

“Technically, his fast is over. It's after forty days. Jesus can eat if he wants to, but he does not do it not because of the fact that he wants to eat or he's not hungry, but because who is telling him to eat? God have mercy. You've gotta be careful of every don't listen to every voice that's in your ear that's telling you to do something because the devil opens doors too. Don't take every opportunity that you think every thought that comes your mind, you got to entertain it. The devil is alive. You gotta be mindful of what voice is telling you to do what. Jesus does not do it because he says my devotion is to the Lord. And if I follow the devil, if I listen to him, I'll have provision, but I won't have the provider. And it's better, hallelujah, to have the baker than just to have the bread. Because if I had the baker, I could get all the rolls I want. But if I had the bread, I'm stuck by myself. Glory to God. I wanna tell somebody this morning, don't use the provision over the provider. Don't chase the gift instead of the giver. Hold on to God. Follow the Lord, and he will give you everything that you need to have. Then”

45s

#NoCompromiseForPower

“Crazy. He's out of his mind. He tells him, I'll give you all the kingdoms of this world. Adam messed it up. He gave me the keys, so I've got it. So therefore, you can get it from me. All you gotta do is bow down and worship me. And a whole lot of people would have fell right at this moment. You mean, Jesus, I get to have unlimited influence? You mean, I get to have all the followers that I want, all the money that I want? I get to be an influencer, and all I gotta do is bow to the devil. That's all it takes, just a little bit of compromise. But Jesus says, no, I will not worship you nor will I serve you because you don't understand something. But when you make a deal with the devil, it is a long term deal. When you bow one time, you gotta keep on bowing to keep it. When you step outside of the will of God to get something, you gotta stay outside of the will of God to keep it.”

51s

#SubmitToLeadership

“Jesus submits to leadership. Jesus, the son of God submits himself to leadership. It's gonna get tight this morning. That's alright. I I bought amens in my pocket. Glory to God. If Jesus can follow a leader, why can't you? I I I know. I know. See, and and we don't understand. We think that it's holiness. We think that it's it's just us being confident. We say, I don't need a pastor. I don't need nobody to teach me. I don't need nobody. I can read the word by myself. I don't need help. I don't need this one and that one. I don't need to go to church. Praise God. But that is an arrogance and a pride that is reeking out of us. Jesus Christ himself was the word of God. He was God in the flesh and he still found somebody to submit himself to. What is your excuse?”

56s

#TestingProvesYou

“Temptation comes to make you fall for what you might want, but testing comes to prove what you got. And sometimes in the moment of hardship, it can feel like the same thing. But I wanna let you know if God is allowing you to be tested, it's because he already knows you have the right answers to pass the test. Hallelujah. You're not gonna fail because if you fail his test, it will be attempting and not a testing. If God is allowing you to be tested, it's because he knows you're gonna stand fast, you're not gonna backslide, you're not gonna become your old self, you're not gonna mess up because he has already declared from the beginning, you are my beloved son, you are my beloved daughter, I'm well pleased with you, and I'm already pleased with you. I've credited with you with righteousness. I know you've got it, and so therefore, I declare that over you before the devil even showed up. I wanna encourage somebody that's being tempted. I want you to know you got this. Just tell somebody next to tell them you got this. You got this.”

38s

#GraceRightNow

“I need you to know if you are born again as a child of God, you don't have to earn God's love away for him to love you. He is not waiting for you to clean everything up and dot all your eyes and be perfect before he credits you. The Bible says he credits you with grace. He loves you right now where you stand as messed up and jacked up as you are, as high or drunk as you may be. He loves you right where you are, and you gotta stop chasing that love let and his love get behind you and push you into deliverance and push you into breakthrough and push you into holiness. Let his love push you.”

26s

#TemptationVsTesting

“I'm a explain in a second. The devil tempts, but God tests. You see temptation comes from uncertainty. The ideal temptation is to see if you will take the bait, if you will do it, if you will fall for it. The tempter is not sure, that's why it's called tempting. I wanna see if I can get you to fall. But testing comes not out of uncertainty, but testing comes to prove what I know you know how to do.”

48s

#WhereIAmIsNotWhoIAm

“So what he does is he uses temptation to figure out what do you like. Where are you going? He can't see through the blood so he tries to use your flesh. the enemy is asking this because he's trying to figure out if you are the son of God, what are you doing here? Why are you in the wilderness? Why are you going through this? He tells us to all of us, if you so say that you love God, how come you're going through this? If you say you got God and you got the holy spirit, how come this is going on in your life? What's going on with this one and that one? Why aren't you in the temple? Why aren't you sitting on the throne? Why aren't you here and why aren't you there? But Jesus understands something that we've got to remember, where I am is not who I am.”

52s

#PowerThroughTrials

“Whoo. I'm here to talk to somebody this morning. And Jesus is in the wilderness because he has some unfinished business there. Moses fell there, Israel fell there, so Jesus came to whoop the devil on his own turf and let him know that whatever you go through, you get the power over. Can I say that again? Whatever you go through, you get power over. some of you here, God, as you're going through things right now, because once you go through it and come out of it, you get the power over it. You may be going through depression, but God is leading you out of that thing to give you power over it. Maybe going through addiction, but you're about to get power over it. Going through frustration, but you're about to get power over it. Whatever you dare to face and go through, you get the authority over that thing. God is making a ministry out of everything you've gone through.”

56s

#GoFurtherThanYourFathers

“Jesus is led into the wilderness and it's interesting how with his poles it's it's it's but biblically it's like typology. He goes through the water at baptism. Terry at baptism he does that and then he goes out of the water into the wilderness. And so in this way, the gospel is almost showing Jesus as a new Moses. As Moses passed through the Red Sea and then went into the wilderness to be tempted, it is the same thing here. But the difference between Jesus and Moses and the children of Israel is the children of Israel failed their wilderness. Their wilderness was not forty days, it was forty years. But Jesus, because he is filled with the holy spirit in him, is able to change the pattern for a new generation of believers. And I wanna declare over you here this morning, maybe you're going through something. I don't care what your forefathers and ancestors and relatives did and did not do, you're going to go further than your fathers. Glory to God. You're going further than them.”

29s

#LoveWhenNoOneIsWatching

“You got to be proven because talk is cheap. It's easy to say, I love God. Hallelujah. When the music is going and they hitting the right chords and, you know, the the click track is moving and they singing and you just, hallelujah, God. Love you more than anything. Yes, Lord, whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it. In a moment of worship, it's easy to love God and to worship in that moment. But what happens when the music is off and you're by yourself? Do you still love him?”

40s

#GiftsForGodsGlory

“Use your gift for sensationalism, for attraction. Glory to God. And many times, those of us in the ministry especially, we have to be so careful of this. It's a temptation that all of us face. That sometime when people are skeptical, well, you got healing. You have to get the healing. We'll heal this person. Well, you're anointed. You believe in that. Well, how come you don't do this? How come that? How come this and how come that? You got to understand the power of God is never to prove a point. We're not anointed to prove a point. We do all things for the glory of God. If God said go, I'll go. If God said pray, I'll pray. We do everything to the glory and the honor of God. So”

37s

#HolySpiritIsALivingPresence

“And so we often see examples where the bible says that the spirit came mightily upon them. The spirit came mightily upon this person, and they did this. We also see instances where the scripture also says the spirit departed from this person. So you'll see it talk about the spirit being mightily upon a person, but you'll also see it say the spirit departed from a person. And so that's why I don't agree and I don't like when people say that they went to church and they caught the holy ghost. That that's not a that's not an accurate rendering. You don't catch the holy ghost. He's not the common cold. Right? He's not a he's not a bug. He's not a germ. And here's the other issue. If you caught him, that means you can also lose him.”

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The Spirit, The Serpent And The Son — Lions, Giants & Bears, But God — Kesean Joseph

Devotional

Day 1: The Holy Spirit: Not an It, But a He

Day 2: Submission Opens Heaven’s Door

Day 3: Loved Before the Work Begins

Day 4: Testing Proves What’s Already Credited

Day 5: Wilderness Power Overcomes Carnal Beasts

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Spirit, The Serpent And The Son — Lions, Giants & Bears, But God — Kesean Joseph

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