Though presented with dramatic power and pathos, the temptations that Jesus faces in the wilderness do not focus on his power, but on a counter-intuitive dependence. Just so, his victories help us to face our own wilderness realities: the daily tests and temptations that don't feel anywhere near as dramatic, but which can derail our lives. In and through Christ--that is, as we learn to depend on Christ's Spirit and Christ's Spirit in each other, we are taught the "weakness" of trust, a trust that becomes, through God's help, our salvation.
