〉 Chapter 12—The Wilderness Temptation
Chapter 12—The Wilderness Temptation
This chapter is based on Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-13. (HLv 69)
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward He was hungry.” RSV. (HLv 69.1)
Jesus did not invite temptation. He went to the wilderness to be alone, to contemplate His mission. By fasting and prayer He was to brace Himself for the bloodstained path He must travel. But Satan thought this the best time to approach Him. (HLv 69.2)
Mighty issues were at stake. Satan claimed the earth as his and styled himself “the prince of this world.” He declared that men had chosen him as their sovereign; through men he held dominion over the world. Christ had come to disprove Satan’s claim. As the Son of man, Christ would stand loyal to God. Thus it would be shown that Satan had not gained complete control of the human race, and that his claim to the world was false. All who desired deliverance from his power would be set free. (HLv 69.3)
Satan had known that he did not hold absolute sway over the world. There was seen in men a power that withstood his dominion. See Genesis 3:15. In the sacrifices offered by Adam and his sons he discerned a symbol of communion between earth and heaven. He set himself to intercept this communion. He misrepresented God and misinterpreted the rites that pointed to the Saviour. Men were led to fear God as one who delighted in their destruction. The sacrifices that should have revealed His love were offered only to appease His wrath. (HLv 69.4)
When God’s written word was given, Satan studied the prophecies. From generation to generation he worked to blind the people that they might reject Christ at His coming. (HLv 70.1)
At the birth of Jesus, Satan knew that One had come to dispute his dominion. That the Son of God should come to this earth as a man filled him with apprehension. His selfish soul could not understand such love. Since he had lost heaven, he was determined to cause others to share his fall. He would cause them to undervalue heavenly things, and set the heart upon things of earth. (HLv 70.2)
From the time when the Commander of heaven was a babe in Bethlehem, He was continually assailed by the evil one. In the councils of Satan it was determined that He should be overcome. (HLv 70.3)
The forces of evil were set upon His track to engage in warfare against Him, and if possible to prevail over Him. (HLv 70.4)
At the Saviour’s baptism, Satan heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the divinity of Jesus. Now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Now it was manifest that the connection between God and man had been restored. (HLv 70.5)
Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered. All the energies of apostasy were rallied against Christ. (HLv 70.6)
Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no special bearing on their own life. But within every human heart it is repeated. The enticements Christ resisted were those we find so difficult to withstand. With the weight of the sins of the world upon Him, Christ withstood the test on appetite, on the love of the world, and on that love of display which leads to presumption. These were the temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily overcome us. (HLv 70.7)
Satan had pointed to Adam’s sin as proof that God’s law could not be obeyed. In our humanity, Christ was to redeem Adam’s failure. But when Adam was assailed by the tempter, none of the effects of sin were upon him. He stood in the strength of perfect manhood, possessing full vigor of mind and body. Surrounded with the glories of Eden, he was in daily communion with heavenly beings. (HLv 71.1)
It was not thus with Jesus when He entered the wilderness to cope with Satan. For 4000 years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity. Only thus could He rescue man from the lowest depths of his degradation. (HLv 71.2)
Many claim that it was impossible for Christ to be overcome by temptation. Then He could not have been placed in Adam’s position, nor have gained the victory that Adam failed to gain. If we have in any sense a more trying conflict than had Christ, then He would not be able to succor us. But our Saviour took humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear which He has not endured. (HLv 71.3)
With Christ, as with the holy pair in Eden, appetite was the ground of the first great temptation. “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” (HLv 71.4)
These first words betrayed his character. “If Thou be the Son of God.” Here was the insinuation of distrust. If Jesus should do what Satan suggested, it would be an acceptance of the doubt. Satan sought to instill into the mind of Eve the thought that withholding such beautiful fruit was a contradiction of God’s love for man. So now the tempter sought to inspire Christ with his own sentiments. “If Thou be the Son of God.” In his voice was an expression of utter incredulity. Would God treat His own Son thus, leaving Him in the desert with wild beasts, without food, without companions, without comfort? He insinuated that God never meant His Son to be in such a state as this. “If Thou be the Son of God,” show Thy power. Command that this stone be made bread. (HLv 71.5)
The words from heaven, “This is My beloved Son,” were still sounding in the ears of Satan. But he was determined to make Christ disbelieve this testimony. The word of God was Christ’s assurance of His divine mission; the word declared His connection with heaven. Satan purposed to cause Him to doubt that word. If Christ’s confidence in God could be shaken, Satan knew that he could overcome Jesus. He hoped that under the force of despondency and hunger, Christ would lose faith in His Father and work a miracle in His own behalf. Had He done this, the plan of salvation would have been broken. (HLv 72.1)
Satan made the most of his supposed advantage. One of the most powerful of the angels, he said, had been banished from heaven. The appearance of Jesus indicated that He was that fallen angel, forsaken by God and deserted by man. A divine being would sustain his claim by working a miracle: “If Thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.” Such an act of creative power, urged the tempter, would be conclusive evidence of divinity. It would bring the controversy to an end. (HLv 72.2)
But the Son of God was not to prove His divinity to Satan. Had Christ complied with the suggestion of the enemy, Satan would still have said, Show me a sign that I may believe you to be the Son of God. And Christ was not to exercise divine power for His own benefit. He had come to bear trial as we must, leaving us an example. His wonderful works were all for the good of others. Strengthened with the memory of the voice from heaven, Jesus rested in His Father’s love. (HLv 72.3)
Jesus met Satan with Scripture. “It is written,” He said. The weapon of His warfare was the Word of God. Satan demanded of Christ a miracle. But that which is greater than all miracles, a firm reliance on a “Thus saith the Lord,” was a sign that could not be controverted. As Christ held to this position, the tempter could gain no advantage. (HLv 73.1)
In the time of greatest weakness Christ was assailed by the fiercest temptations. Thus Satan has taken advantage of the weakness of humanity. See Numbers 20:1-13; 1 Kings 19:1-14. When one is perplexed or afflicted by poverty or distress, Satan is at hand to tempt, to attack our weak points of character, to shake our confidence in God. Often the tempter comes as he came to Christ, arraying before us our weakness. He hopes to discourage the soul and break our hold on God. But if we would meet him as Jesus did, we would escape many a defeat. (HLv 73.2)
Christ said to the tempter, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” In the wilderness more than fourteen hundred years before, God sent His people a constant supply of manna from heaven. This was to teach them that while they trusted in God and walked in His ways He would not forsake them. By the word of God succor had been given to the Hebrew host, and by the same word it had been given to Jesus. He awaited God’s time to bring relief. He would not obtain food by following the suggestions of Satan. It is a less calamity to suffer whatever may befall than to depart in any manner from the will of God. (HLv 73.3)
Often the follower of Christ is brought where it appears that obedience to some plain requirement of God will cut off his means of support. Satan would make him believe he must sacrifice his conscientious convictions. But the only thing on which we can rely is the Word of God. See Matthew 6:33. When we learn the power of His Word, we shall not follow the suggestions of Satan in order to obtain food or save our lives. We shall obey God’s command and trust His promise. (HLv 73.4)
In the last great conflict with Satan those loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law, they will be forbidden to buy or sell. See Revelation 13:11-17. But to the obedient is given the promise, “He shall dwell on high: ... his bread shall be given him; his water shall be sure.” Isaiah 33:16. When the earth shall be wasted with famine, he shall be fed. See Psalm 37:19. (HLv 74.1)
In all ages, temptations appealing to the physical nature have been most effectual in corrupting mankind. Through intemperance, Satan works to destroy the mental and moral powers. Thus it becomes impossible for men to appreciate things of eternal worth. Through sensual indulgence Satan seeks to blot from the soul every trace of likeness to God. (HLv 74.2)
Christ declares that before His second coming the condition of the world will be as in the days before the Flood, and as in Sodom and Gomorrah. To us should come home the lesson of the Saviour’s fast. Only by the inexpressible anguish Christ endured can we estimate the evil of unrestrained indulgence. Our only hope of eternal life is through bringing our appetites and passions into subjection to the will of God. (HLv 74.3)
In our own strength it is impossible to deny the clamors of our fallen nature. But by passing over the ground man must travel, our Lord has prepared the way for us to overcome. He would not have us intimidated and discouraged. “Be of good cheer,” He says; “I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. (HLv 74.4)
Let him who is struggling against the power of appetite look to the Saviour in the wilderness of temptation. See Him in His agony upon the cross, as He exclaimed, “I thirst.” His victory is ours. (HLv 74.5)
“The prince of this world cometh,” said Jesus, “and hath nothing in Me.” John 14:30. Nothing in Him responded to Satan’s sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us. Christ’s humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold on the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character. (HLv 75.1)
How this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did Christ overcome Satan? By the Word of God. “It is written,” He said. And every promise in God’s Word is ours. See 2 Peter 1:4. When assailed by temptation, look to the power of the Word. All its strength is yours. See Psalms 119:11; 17:4. (HLv 75.2)