Satan Shows Jesus the Kingdoms of the Worldby CBPepper
4:7Luke 4:7
If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world with their power, glory and riches on the condition that He fall down and worship him as superior and acknowledge his supremacy. The offer came in the wilderness after His baptism and forty days of fasting in weakness and hunger, as the last and most subtle and overpowering of the three temptations, when Satan displayed the kingdoms in a momentary panoramic view in their most attractive light. Jesus refused the bargain, declaring He would worship and serve God alone and commanding Satan to depart, and by divinity flashing through humanity He put the tempter to flight as a conquered foe without yielding in a single point. To accept would have spared Him sorrow, conflict and death but would have surrendered the victory, joined the rebellion and left the world unredeemed, while by choosing suffering and death He redeemed the kingdoms as a lawful everlasting inheritance and ensured Satan's destruction. Christ gained that victory as man's representative so fallen humanity may conquer in His strength, and Satan still presses the same bargain through worldly honor, riches and pleasure, which can only be met by trusting God's word and never surrendering integrity for earthly advantage.
Setting and Circumstances
The offer belongs to the wilderness temptation that came after the baptism in Jordan and just as the mission was to begin, before the public ministry opened. Led by the Spirit away from busy scenes of life into the desolate wilderness, Jesus bowed on the banks pleading with the Eternal for strength to endure conflict with the fallen foe, the heavens opened with excellent glory attesting His divine character and the Father's voice declaring Him the beloved Son pleasing to Infinite Majesty. He then battled for forty days and forty nights without food or drink, becoming weak and emaciated, hungry and fainting and apparently dying until angels came to strengthen Him, and enduring severe mental suffering and anguish through constant strain. This temptation was endured on humanity's behalf, and His victory shows that in His strength people can resist every assault without being overcome.
It was part of the threefold test borne in behalf of those He came to redeem. It is described as the second temptation, and also as the third and last temptation, pressed with manifold temptations and with all Satan's strength brought to bear. It was the most subtle, alluring, and overpowering temptation, a final effort to decide the destiny of who should be victor. Having failed through every other conceivable temptation to deceive and overthrow Christ as Adam had been overthrown, Satan himself came personally with this offer because his whole empire and authority were at stake and he must either conquer Christ or himself be conquered.
From the top of an exceeding high mountain he presented in a moment a magnificent panoramic view, the most extensive view the eye could rest on, of all the kingdoms of the world with their power and glory, splendor, honor, riches and treasures. He set them forth in the most attractive light as a most dazzling, enchanting spectacle, a beautiful scene that concealed the traces of evil and veiled the world's true ruined condition. The offer sought to unsettle trust in the Father and separate Jesus from God, presenting worship of Satan as idolatry.
At first Satan concealed his real character, coming disguised as an exalted messenger and angel of light, clothed in the livery of heaven as a beautiful young man like a monarch, as a Heaven-sent friend, and even using Scripture while tempting Him. He exploited Christ's great physical suffering and human nature, pressing flattering inducements to bribe Him to yield integrity. He worked through surrounding demons under deceptive pretensions as angels from heaven, using deceiving and artful sophistry, wily insinuations against God, and keeping the mind strained to catch one clue from unspoken thoughts to allure into controversy as with Eve. Then he threw off disguise and openly revealed his character and purpose, yet Christ gave him not one word to lead him on but met each test point by point only with written Scripture.
The one demanding worship was Satan himself, once an honored angel in heaven and the covering cherub, beautiful beyond description and exalted in the heavenly courts. He apostatized from God through ambition and envy because Christ was preferred before him, asserting he should be exalted equal in honor with Christ and should be as God, even higher than the One who created him. He won sympathizing angels to join his rebellion, inducing a third of the heavenly angels to believe him right and unite with him against God and His Son, and fell with them from high and holy estate and was expelled and shut out of heaven. His rebellion did not destroy his powers and make him a beast, but he has grown more artful and turned his mighty strength against the government of heaven.
Satan's Offer and Claim
The condition was plain: if Jesus would fall down and worship Satan and do Him homage as to a superior, acknowledging his supremacy, then all the kingdoms of the world with their power and glory, honor, riches and treasures would become His in one great gift. The offer held out everything the heart could wish, the splendor of the kingdoms presented to draw the mind from allegiance to the Father. It was made as an exchange of worship for dominion, homage rendered to Satan as superior in return for immediate rule.
Satan claimed the earth as his dominion as prince of this world and prince of the power of the air, asserting its power had been delivered to him to give to whomever he chose. He presented himself as rightful and permanent ruler and owner, long in possession of the kingdoms under his dominion. He promised to yield his scepter and dominion at once and make Christ the rightful Ruler without suffering, peril, conflict, or striking a blow, without the sorrow, hardship and conflict that lay before Him. Accepting would have let Jesus escape the suffering and death appointed Him, gaining His object by an easier way than the path of trial He had entered.
That claim is false, presumptuous and usurping, a fearful boast made to the Son of God who made the world. It rests on overcoming Adam and Eve in Eden, when by deceptive temptation they readily threw off allegiance to God, cast aside His Word and accepted the word of the fallen foe. The dominion lost by Adam would be recovered through Christ's loyalty, and Satan knew his claims could not be sustained unless he overcame Christ, for if he succeeded he would remain conqueror and prince of the world.
The demand was worship of Satan as idolatry and disloyalty, a bribe to yield integrity. It sought to unsettle trust in the Father and separate Christ from God, to turn Him from allegiance and draw Him into Satan's service. That service belongs to a kingdom opposed to Christ's kingdom and God's law, so that obeying its bewitching influence is serving the enemy of all righteousness and not God.
Christ's Refusal and Victory
Jesus refused the bargain and would worship and serve the Lord God alone. Satan had offered the kingdoms and their glory, power, honor, riches and treasures in one great gift on condition of falling down, doing homage, and acknowledging his supremacy as rightful and permanent ruler and owner to whom dominion had been delivered to give to whom he would, promising transfer at once and rule without suffering, peril, conflict or striking a blow, and holding out everything the heart could wish. This presumptuous insult stirred indignation, and Jesus commanded him to desist and depart behind Him. At that rebuke divinity flashed through humanity and came to the aid of His humanity, giving evidence of authority and equality with God, so Satan was baffled, conquered, defeated, fled the field, and could say nothing more.
He met the offer only with what is written and gave Satan no word to lead him on. Though weakened by forty days and forty nights of fasting, in severe mental suffering under constant strain, beset by artful sophistry, wily insinuations, seducing attractions, and surrounding demons in deceptive pretension as angels from heaven straining to catch unspoken thoughts and allure into controversy, He answered each test point by point only with inspired Scripture He Himself had given, so the fearful assaults and surely aimed fiery darts found no lodgment or place in Him. His knowledge of the Scriptures put His feet on solid, immovable rock. Arguments and reasons are of no use against Satan; It is written is the only weapon that repulses him, and the lessons of the Word, true in law and prophets and carrying proof in themselves, must be hung in memory's hall to meet him in the same manner every tempted soul may resist.
By rejecting the offer without yielding in a single point He kept His integrity under severe physical suffering while pressed by flattering inducements and bribery clothed in the livery of heaven. In that firm moral power He proved He was indeed the Son of God, with His will submitted to His Father and never yielding to the enemy at any time. Clothed divinity with humanity after laying off kingly crown and royal robe to live as every human being must with its adversaries, sorrows and temptations, and meeting in human weakness one possessing the powers of the higher nature bestowed on the angelic family, He with humanity united with divinity bore all that could be brought against Him and kept His soul untainted by sin by a spotless life from the manger to the cross. Had He been as weak in moral power as man, the salvation of the race would have been lost; His firmness left Satan a conquered foe, filled heaven with joy, and secured from the Father power to give divine grace and strength to overcome through His name.
In resisting He overcame where Adam had failed, stumbled and fallen, enduring the test of the long fast and the wilderness trial on appetite and allegiance. By obedience to God's law and loyalty to the path appointed by His Father He redeemed Adam's fall, failure and disgrace. That victory gives the Christian basis for temperance and makes it possible for people through faith in Him and His name and strength to resist every temptation the tempter brings.
In this temptation He was apparently alone but was surrounded by angels sent to minister to those under the enemy's attacks.
Cosmic Stakes and Redemption
The destiny of who should be victor, the salvation of man, and the mastery of the world were in the balance in the wilderness conflict, and the salvation of man was to be decided by that trial. Satan's whole empire and authority were at stake, so he must either conquer Christ or himself be conquered, bringing all his strength to bear upon this last, most alluring effort because it was to decide his destiny. He regarded success in tempting Christ as victory over the entire human race that would establish his own life and kingdom, while failure made his case hopeless. If Christ was victor then there was a chance for man to overcome, but if Satan gained the victory through his subtlety man would be bound in chains of indulgence which he could not have moral power to break.
Accepting the offer would have let Jesus escape the sorrow, hardship, conflict, suffering and death before Him and become rightful ruler without suffering, peril or striking a blow. It would have meant doing homage as to a superior and acknowledging Satan's supremacy, yielding to Satan and surrendering the victory in the great controversy. It would have meant joining and advancing the rebellion against God, turning from the Father's will, keeping Satan's kingdom and preventing the work of redemption, leaving the world unredeemed. The splendor that concealed evil veiled the world's true ruined condition, and the bribe sought to get Christ to yield His integrity.
Jesus refused to worship any but His Father and chose the suffering and death appointed by His Father as the way to redeem the kingdoms. By that life and death He would become their lawful heir and receive them as an everlasting lawful possession and inheritance to the uttermost parts of the earth. Then Satan's power would end and he would be destroyed and receive retribution, and the kingdoms of the world would finally become Christ's.
Satan knew through prophecy that a Saviour was predicted whose kingdom would not come by earthly triumph, worldly honor and display. He knew ancient prophecies foretold that the Prince of Heaven would establish a kingdom upon the earth embracing all the kingdoms of the world, and that then his power and glory would cease and he would receive retribution for the sin and misery he had caused. He feared his empire over the world he claimed as his dominion would be contested, his right disputed and his power broken, so he sought to keep his empire, prevent the work of redemption, and brought every artifice and force of powerful temptation to allure Christ from allegiance because everything concerning his prosperity hung on overcoming Him in the wilderness.
The offer of the kingdoms for worship was Satan's bid for mastery, and the same conflict comes to its last fearful struggle in Gethsemane. Satan prepared for that final trial during the three years of Christ's ministry, after leaving Him for a season following his defeat in the wilderness where Christ was conqueror. Everything was at stake for Satan there: if he failed his hope of mastery was lost, the kingdoms of the earth would finally become Christ's, and he himself would be overthrown, bound as the strong man and cast out. If Christ could be overcome, the earth would become Satan's kingdom and the human race would remain forever in his power.
Unmasking Satan and Parallels
The demand for worship in exchange for the kingdoms was daring blasphemy and presumption that unmasked the great deceiver and exposed his character during the conflict of Christ's earthly ministry. Nothing so effectually uprooted him from the affections of the heavenly angels and the whole loyal universe as this cruel warfare upon the world's Redeemer. That warfare included carrying Christ to the mountain summit and the pinnacle of the temple, urging Him to cast Himself down from the dizzy height, and hunting Him from place to place by inspiring priests and people to reject His love until they cried for His crucifixion. Together with the worship demand, these acts excited the amazement and indignation of the universe.
The arch-enemy who tempted Jesus in the wilderness to gain worship is the same evil spirit who later confronted Him in the demoniac in the synagogue at Capernaum, though in another form. Jesus conquered the prince of darkness in the wilderness and conquered him again in delivering the captive from his grasp and freeing the possessed man. Satan seeks his object by various devices, working at one time by open possession crying out against Jesus and at another by an air of piety and learning in those who reject Jesus to hide their real motives in refusing the Saviour.
After failing in the wilderness Satan did not give up but turned to strategy, laying plans during Christ's ministry to oppose His mission, blind the Jews, fill them with envy and unbelief, and discourage Jesus. The same fallen Lucifer, the covering cherub once exalted and beautiful beyond description who apostatized thinking he should be as God and higher than his Creator, was present in human form at the cross uttering through priests, rulers, and mob the taunt to prove Himself the Son of God and come down, carrying on rebellion by inspiring religious bigotry to cruelty. The same temptation to forsake humiliation and sacrifice for dominion and earthly glory returned through Peter to turn Jesus from His appointed mission and death. Yielding to save Himself would have meant Satan's agencies triumphed and the world was lost, but Jesus remained faithful to the Father's will.
Christ rebuked the presumptuous tempter and forced him to depart, yet the same claim to worship is still urged through the Church of Rome. After Christ is rejected, allegiance is yielded to the bishop of Rome as Satan's representative in order to secure worldly gains, honors, and earthly favor and support from the great men of earth. The pope as visible head of the universal church claims supreme authority over bishops and pastors everywhere, arrogates the very titles of Deity as Lord God the Pope, assumes infallibility, and demands that all men pay him homage, and vast numbers are ready to yield the homage Christ refused. Satan's constant design is to draw minds from Jesus to man and destroy individual accountability, succeeding better with fallen man by corrupting Christianity, lifting popes and priests into an exalted place to pardon sins instead of leaving each person to look to Christ, and hiding the Bible that would condemn them, so that bowing to them as Christ's representatives is bowing to Satan's representatives and worshiping Satan.
At the final conflict Satan will repeat the temptation by displaying the kingdoms in their glory and promising them to those who worship him, even showing captivating scenes of God's kingdom while falsely claiming they belong to his own. The wilderness episode shows Satan retained great power after his fall and became more artful in bringing temptations to men. His rebellion shut him out of heaven but did not destroy his powers and make him a beast, and he dared to face, tempt, and taunt Christ with real power to take Him in his arms to a pinnacle of the temple and an exceeding high mountain. Since his fall he has turned mighty strength against heaven's government, learned the most successful manner of temptation, will exercise power wonderfully upon the present generation far inferior to Christ in wisdom and almost wholly ignorant of his subtlety and strength, and will in marvelous manner affect the bodies of those inclined to do his bidding. Regarding him as fiction or representing him by some childish illustration or as some animal suits him and leaves minds wholly unprepared for his wisely laid plans so he almost always succeeds, while understanding his power and subtlety prepares minds to resist successfully through Christ the mighty conqueror who rescues and strengthens.
Victory Applied to Believers
Christ's wilderness trial belongs to the conflict in which He was pressed with manifold temptations, and His victory there was gained on humanity's behalf and showed that fallen people could overcome through His victory. That conflict is not a common warfare between two kings with no bearing on human life, but the foundation of the plan of salvation, an infinite victory achieved for fallen man that gives the key whereby in His name he may overcome. As humanity's representative He won an infinite victory and raised humanity's moral value before God, giving an example of self-denial and making overcoming possible through divine power united with humanity. He refused to yield a single point and stood firm in moral power while in great physical suffering, and had He been as weak in moral power as man the salvation of the race would have been lost. Strength is provided in the all-powerful name of the great Conqueror, yet all must for themselves individually overcome, and His priceless victory in behalf of man will not benefit anyone unless he also gains the victory on his own account.
His example shows that those united to Christ by faith can resist temptation and escape sin's dominion by relying on God's word, for He resisted a temptation to sin and did not accept worldly rule in exchange for worship. His victories make it possible for His followers to conquer, and He will give strength to all who seek it. No one can be overcome without his own consent, because the tempter has no power to control the will or to force the soul to sin. He may distress but he cannot contaminate, he can cause agony but not defilement. The same temptation to worship in exchange for the kingdoms cannot overcome those who look to Jesus and accept by faith the virtues of the sinless Christ, and through His power and grace they can resist sin and overcome, while His conquering of the test Adam failed makes it possible for people to overcome through faith in Him.
When called to meet an opponent there is little success in spending time answering every objection, which takes ground with Satan, and instead strength comes by keeping to the affirmative, quoting the promises, and presenting the light and salvation given in the Word, where there is reason, light, and power. He met the bargain with divinity coming to the aid of His humanity, commanding with divine authority for Satan to depart and holding to what is written that the Lord God alone is to be worshiped and served, and Satan was baffled by the constant affirmative of the Word and left the field defeated, unable to say anything more. His knowledge of the Scriptures put His feet on solid, immovable rock, and arguments and reasons are of no use against Satan. It is written is the only weapon that repulses him, so the lessons of the Word must be hung in memory's hall to be ready to meet him, for all things written in the law and in the prophets are true and carry the proof of it in themselves. Memorizing Scripture gives the same defense, so that temptations can be met with words of Scripture, the great enemy can be baffled, timely words can be spoken to others, believers become strengthened, and character is perfected for transfer to future immortal life where there will be no danger of being overcome.
The wilderness temptations show appetite, love of the world, and presumption as leading temptations, and the offer of worldly prospects can entice people to depart from principle and sacrifice integrity and Christian honor for the approval of the ungodly. The great trial on the point of appetite was to leave man an example of self-denial, and the long fast was to convict men of the sinfulness of the things in which professed Christians indulge. If Christ was victor on the point of appetite, then there was a chance for man to overcome, but if Satan gained the victory through his subtlety, man would be bound by the power of appetite in chains of indulgence which he could not have moral power to break. His humanity alone could never have endured this test, but His divine power combined with humanity gained in behalf of man an infinite victory, and that life is the true standard and the only safe pattern to copy in order to overcome as He overcame. His denying appetite and overcoming its power shows appetite can be resisted, teaches self-denial and temperance in food and drink and every part of life, and through His name, strength, and merits those enslaved to liquor and tobacco can break slavery of habit and become victors, giving no sanction to socials, festivals, picnics that tempt appetite to over-indulgence nor to amusements leading to levity and forgetfulness of God.
Satan still works the same way, adapting his temptations to circumstances and always presenting some bribe, an apparent good to be gained in exchange for worship, and in Christ's name complete victory can be gained over his devices. He does not always openly demand homage but dazzles minds with worldly attractions, money, property, power, honor, riches, pleasure, business success, and praise, which can become a snare and must not draw people away from Christ or heavenly things. When they surrender integrity and give themselves to worldly interests, they yield the devotion he seeks and open the way to further sins. Such worldly advantage gained by dishonoring God must be refused in faithfulness rather than yielding to the enemy's device, for people seduced into serving wealth rather than God thereby lose their souls. He cannot truly give what he offers and worldly rewards will soon be taken from him, while accepting his offer blunts conscience, dethrones God from the heart, surrenders devotion, serves self and Satan, darkens others, and loses claim to God's inheritance.
Integrity and principle must never be surrendered for earthly advantage, for power and riches gained dishonestly or at the cost of honesty become a curse. He resisted ambition for power and rejected the kingdoms' pomp rather than disobey God's commandments, refusing to gain the kingdoms through disloyalty to God. His will remained submitted to His Father and He did not yield at any time, showing His followers must submit their wills to God rather than let Satan govern them. Yielding to such a temptation can involve a decisive choice that fixes a person's condition, so the offer must be considered before taking another step. The same temptation draws people toward worldly gain where success can make them greedy, weaken love for truth, and eclipse the view of Jesus' love and the immortal inheritance, and those who worship Satan for freedom to practice dishonesty in business pursue riches by that same bargain. The call is therefore to self-denial, cross-bearing, repentance, faith, enduring toil for imperishable treasure, submitting the will to God, and rejecting Satan's suggestions and the world's methods, including dishonest business, pursuit of wealth, rank and position, and worldly enterprises by ministers.
As He was tempted in the wilderness so every son and daughter of Adam is tempted, with faith tested, motives proved, and principles tried. Satan still presents temptations in attractive ways, appealing to reason, imagination, and affection, and can deceive those not protected by divine power. His power over man was not weakened by his failure to overcome Christ, the same adversary remains to the end of time, and all are personally exposed to the very same temptations Christ overcame. Without a daily living experience in knowledge of the truth and of Jesus Christ the Sent of God they will be led away from steadfastness into error, and without being armed with the written word they will be led into error. His victory showed the power of God's word, and its failure to change lives comes from choice to disobey, not from lack of power in the word.
Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world with their power, glory and riches on the condition that He fall down and worship him as superior and acknowledge his supremacy. The offer came in the wilderness after His baptism and forty days of fasting in weakness and hunger, as the last and most subtle and overpowering of the three temptations, when Satan displayed the kingdoms in a momentary panoramic view in their most attractive light. Jesus refused the bargain, declaring He would worship and serve God alone and commanding Satan to depart, and by divinity flashing through humanity He put the tempter to flight as a conquered foe without yielding in a single point. To accept would have spared Him sorrow, conflict and death but would have surrendered the victory, joined the rebellion and left the world unredeemed, while by choosing suffering and death He redeemed the kingdoms as a lawful everlasting inheritance and ensured Satan's destruction. Christ gained that victory as man's representative so fallen humanity may conquer in His strength, and Satan still presses the same bargain through worldly honor, riches and pleasure, which can only be met by trusting God's word and never surrendering integrity for earthly advantage.
Setting and Circumstances
The offer belongs to the wilderness temptation that came after the baptism in Jordan and just as the mission was to begin, before the public ministry opened. Led by the Spirit away from busy scenes of life into the desolate wilderness, Jesus bowed on the banks pleading with the Eternal for strength to endure conflict with the fallen foe, the heavens opened with excellent glory attesting His divine character and the Father's voice declaring Him the beloved Son pleasing to Infinite Majesty. He then battled for forty days and forty nights without food or drink, becoming weak and emaciated, hungry and fainting and apparently dying until angels came to strengthen Him, and enduring severe mental suffering and anguish through constant strain. This temptation was endured on humanity's behalf, and His victory shows that in His strength people can resist every assault without being overcome.
It was part of the threefold test borne in behalf of those He came to redeem. It is described as the second temptation, and also as the third and last temptation, pressed with manifold temptations and with all Satan's strength brought to bear. It was the most subtle, alluring, and overpowering temptation, a final effort to decide the destiny of who should be victor. Having failed through every other conceivable temptation to deceive and overthrow Christ as Adam had been overthrown, Satan himself came personally with this offer because his whole empire and authority were at stake and he must either conquer Christ or himself be conquered.
From the top of an exceeding high mountain he presented in a moment a magnificent panoramic view, the most extensive view the eye could rest on, of all the kingdoms of the world with their power and glory, splendor, honor, riches and treasures. He set them forth in the most attractive light as a most dazzling, enchanting spectacle, a beautiful scene that concealed the traces of evil and veiled the world's true ruined condition. The offer sought to unsettle trust in the Father and separate Jesus from God, presenting worship of Satan as idolatry.
At first Satan concealed his real character, coming disguised as an exalted messenger and angel of light, clothed in the livery of heaven as a beautiful young man like a monarch, as a Heaven-sent friend, and even using Scripture while tempting Him. He exploited Christ's great physical suffering and human nature, pressing flattering inducements to bribe Him to yield integrity. He worked through surrounding demons under deceptive pretensions as angels from heaven, using deceiving and artful sophistry, wily insinuations against God, and keeping the mind strained to catch one clue from unspoken thoughts to allure into controversy as with Eve. Then he threw off disguise and openly revealed his character and purpose, yet Christ gave him not one word to lead him on but met each test point by point only with written Scripture.
The one demanding worship was Satan himself, once an honored angel in heaven and the covering cherub, beautiful beyond description and exalted in the heavenly courts. He apostatized from God through ambition and envy because Christ was preferred before him, asserting he should be exalted equal in honor with Christ and should be as God, even higher than the One who created him. He won sympathizing angels to join his rebellion, inducing a third of the heavenly angels to believe him right and unite with him against God and His Son, and fell with them from high and holy estate and was expelled and shut out of heaven. His rebellion did not destroy his powers and make him a beast, but he has grown more artful and turned his mighty strength against the government of heaven.
Satan's Offer and Claim
The condition was plain: if Jesus would fall down and worship Satan and do Him homage as to a superior, acknowledging his supremacy, then all the kingdoms of the world with their power and glory, honor, riches and treasures would become His in one great gift. The offer held out everything the heart could wish, the splendor of the kingdoms presented to draw the mind from allegiance to the Father. It was made as an exchange of worship for dominion, homage rendered to Satan as superior in return for immediate rule.
Satan claimed the earth as his dominion as prince of this world and prince of the power of the air, asserting its power had been delivered to him to give to whomever he chose. He presented himself as rightful and permanent ruler and owner, long in possession of the kingdoms under his dominion. He promised to yield his scepter and dominion at once and make Christ the rightful Ruler without suffering, peril, conflict, or striking a blow, without the sorrow, hardship and conflict that lay before Him. Accepting would have let Jesus escape the suffering and death appointed Him, gaining His object by an easier way than the path of trial He had entered.
That claim is false, presumptuous and usurping, a fearful boast made to the Son of God who made the world. It rests on overcoming Adam and Eve in Eden, when by deceptive temptation they readily threw off allegiance to God, cast aside His Word and accepted the word of the fallen foe. The dominion lost by Adam would be recovered through Christ's loyalty, and Satan knew his claims could not be sustained unless he overcame Christ, for if he succeeded he would remain conqueror and prince of the world.
The demand was worship of Satan as idolatry and disloyalty, a bribe to yield integrity. It sought to unsettle trust in the Father and separate Christ from God, to turn Him from allegiance and draw Him into Satan's service. That service belongs to a kingdom opposed to Christ's kingdom and God's law, so that obeying its bewitching influence is serving the enemy of all righteousness and not God.
Christ's Refusal and Victory
Jesus refused the bargain and would worship and serve the Lord God alone. Satan had offered the kingdoms and their glory, power, honor, riches and treasures in one great gift on condition of falling down, doing homage, and acknowledging his supremacy as rightful and permanent ruler and owner to whom dominion had been delivered to give to whom he would, promising transfer at once and rule without suffering, peril, conflict or striking a blow, and holding out everything the heart could wish. This presumptuous insult stirred indignation, and Jesus commanded him to desist and depart behind Him. At that rebuke divinity flashed through humanity and came to the aid of His humanity, giving evidence of authority and equality with God, so Satan was baffled, conquered, defeated, fled the field, and could say nothing more.
He met the offer only with what is written and gave Satan no word to lead him on. Though weakened by forty days and forty nights of fasting, in severe mental suffering under constant strain, beset by artful sophistry, wily insinuations, seducing attractions, and surrounding demons in deceptive pretension as angels from heaven straining to catch unspoken thoughts and allure into controversy, He answered each test point by point only with inspired Scripture He Himself had given, so the fearful assaults and surely aimed fiery darts found no lodgment or place in Him. His knowledge of the Scriptures put His feet on solid, immovable rock. Arguments and reasons are of no use against Satan; It is written is the only weapon that repulses him, and the lessons of the Word, true in law and prophets and carrying proof in themselves, must be hung in memory's hall to meet him in the same manner every tempted soul may resist.
By rejecting the offer without yielding in a single point He kept His integrity under severe physical suffering while pressed by flattering inducements and bribery clothed in the livery of heaven. In that firm moral power He proved He was indeed the Son of God, with His will submitted to His Father and never yielding to the enemy at any time. Clothed divinity with humanity after laying off kingly crown and royal robe to live as every human being must with its adversaries, sorrows and temptations, and meeting in human weakness one possessing the powers of the higher nature bestowed on the angelic family, He with humanity united with divinity bore all that could be brought against Him and kept His soul untainted by sin by a spotless life from the manger to the cross. Had He been as weak in moral power as man, the salvation of the race would have been lost; His firmness left Satan a conquered foe, filled heaven with joy, and secured from the Father power to give divine grace and strength to overcome through His name.
In resisting He overcame where Adam had failed, stumbled and fallen, enduring the test of the long fast and the wilderness trial on appetite and allegiance. By obedience to God's law and loyalty to the path appointed by His Father He redeemed Adam's fall, failure and disgrace. That victory gives the Christian basis for temperance and makes it possible for people through faith in Him and His name and strength to resist every temptation the tempter brings.
In this temptation He was apparently alone but was surrounded by angels sent to minister to those under the enemy's attacks.
Cosmic Stakes and Redemption
The destiny of who should be victor, the salvation of man, and the mastery of the world were in the balance in the wilderness conflict, and the salvation of man was to be decided by that trial. Satan's whole empire and authority were at stake, so he must either conquer Christ or himself be conquered, bringing all his strength to bear upon this last, most alluring effort because it was to decide his destiny. He regarded success in tempting Christ as victory over the entire human race that would establish his own life and kingdom, while failure made his case hopeless. If Christ was victor then there was a chance for man to overcome, but if Satan gained the victory through his subtlety man would be bound in chains of indulgence which he could not have moral power to break.
Accepting the offer would have let Jesus escape the sorrow, hardship, conflict, suffering and death before Him and become rightful ruler without suffering, peril or striking a blow. It would have meant doing homage as to a superior and acknowledging Satan's supremacy, yielding to Satan and surrendering the victory in the great controversy. It would have meant joining and advancing the rebellion against God, turning from the Father's will, keeping Satan's kingdom and preventing the work of redemption, leaving the world unredeemed. The splendor that concealed evil veiled the world's true ruined condition, and the bribe sought to get Christ to yield His integrity.
Jesus refused to worship any but His Father and chose the suffering and death appointed by His Father as the way to redeem the kingdoms. By that life and death He would become their lawful heir and receive them as an everlasting lawful possession and inheritance to the uttermost parts of the earth. Then Satan's power would end and he would be destroyed and receive retribution, and the kingdoms of the world would finally become Christ's.
Satan knew through prophecy that a Saviour was predicted whose kingdom would not come by earthly triumph, worldly honor and display. He knew ancient prophecies foretold that the Prince of Heaven would establish a kingdom upon the earth embracing all the kingdoms of the world, and that then his power and glory would cease and he would receive retribution for the sin and misery he had caused. He feared his empire over the world he claimed as his dominion would be contested, his right disputed and his power broken, so he sought to keep his empire, prevent the work of redemption, and brought every artifice and force of powerful temptation to allure Christ from allegiance because everything concerning his prosperity hung on overcoming Him in the wilderness.
The offer of the kingdoms for worship was Satan's bid for mastery, and the same conflict comes to its last fearful struggle in Gethsemane. Satan prepared for that final trial during the three years of Christ's ministry, after leaving Him for a season following his defeat in the wilderness where Christ was conqueror. Everything was at stake for Satan there: if he failed his hope of mastery was lost, the kingdoms of the earth would finally become Christ's, and he himself would be overthrown, bound as the strong man and cast out. If Christ could be overcome, the earth would become Satan's kingdom and the human race would remain forever in his power.
Unmasking Satan and Parallels
The demand for worship in exchange for the kingdoms was daring blasphemy and presumption that unmasked the great deceiver and exposed his character during the conflict of Christ's earthly ministry. Nothing so effectually uprooted him from the affections of the heavenly angels and the whole loyal universe as this cruel warfare upon the world's Redeemer. That warfare included carrying Christ to the mountain summit and the pinnacle of the temple, urging Him to cast Himself down from the dizzy height, and hunting Him from place to place by inspiring priests and people to reject His love until they cried for His crucifixion. Together with the worship demand, these acts excited the amazement and indignation of the universe.
The arch-enemy who tempted Jesus in the wilderness to gain worship is the same evil spirit who later confronted Him in the demoniac in the synagogue at Capernaum, though in another form. Jesus conquered the prince of darkness in the wilderness and conquered him again in delivering the captive from his grasp and freeing the possessed man. Satan seeks his object by various devices, working at one time by open possession crying out against Jesus and at another by an air of piety and learning in those who reject Jesus to hide their real motives in refusing the Saviour.
After failing in the wilderness Satan did not give up but turned to strategy, laying plans during Christ's ministry to oppose His mission, blind the Jews, fill them with envy and unbelief, and discourage Jesus. The same fallen Lucifer, the covering cherub once exalted and beautiful beyond description who apostatized thinking he should be as God and higher than his Creator, was present in human form at the cross uttering through priests, rulers, and mob the taunt to prove Himself the Son of God and come down, carrying on rebellion by inspiring religious bigotry to cruelty. The same temptation to forsake humiliation and sacrifice for dominion and earthly glory returned through Peter to turn Jesus from His appointed mission and death. Yielding to save Himself would have meant Satan's agencies triumphed and the world was lost, but Jesus remained faithful to the Father's will.
Christ rebuked the presumptuous tempter and forced him to depart, yet the same claim to worship is still urged through the Church of Rome. After Christ is rejected, allegiance is yielded to the bishop of Rome as Satan's representative in order to secure worldly gains, honors, and earthly favor and support from the great men of earth. The pope as visible head of the universal church claims supreme authority over bishops and pastors everywhere, arrogates the very titles of Deity as Lord God the Pope, assumes infallibility, and demands that all men pay him homage, and vast numbers are ready to yield the homage Christ refused. Satan's constant design is to draw minds from Jesus to man and destroy individual accountability, succeeding better with fallen man by corrupting Christianity, lifting popes and priests into an exalted place to pardon sins instead of leaving each person to look to Christ, and hiding the Bible that would condemn them, so that bowing to them as Christ's representatives is bowing to Satan's representatives and worshiping Satan.
At the final conflict Satan will repeat the temptation by displaying the kingdoms in their glory and promising them to those who worship him, even showing captivating scenes of God's kingdom while falsely claiming they belong to his own. The wilderness episode shows Satan retained great power after his fall and became more artful in bringing temptations to men. His rebellion shut him out of heaven but did not destroy his powers and make him a beast, and he dared to face, tempt, and taunt Christ with real power to take Him in his arms to a pinnacle of the temple and an exceeding high mountain. Since his fall he has turned mighty strength against heaven's government, learned the most successful manner of temptation, will exercise power wonderfully upon the present generation far inferior to Christ in wisdom and almost wholly ignorant of his subtlety and strength, and will in marvelous manner affect the bodies of those inclined to do his bidding. Regarding him as fiction or representing him by some childish illustration or as some animal suits him and leaves minds wholly unprepared for his wisely laid plans so he almost always succeeds, while understanding his power and subtlety prepares minds to resist successfully through Christ the mighty conqueror who rescues and strengthens.
Victory Applied to Believers
Christ's wilderness trial belongs to the conflict in which He was pressed with manifold temptations, and His victory there was gained on humanity's behalf and showed that fallen people could overcome through His victory. That conflict is not a common warfare between two kings with no bearing on human life, but the foundation of the plan of salvation, an infinite victory achieved for fallen man that gives the key whereby in His name he may overcome. As humanity's representative He won an infinite victory and raised humanity's moral value before God, giving an example of self-denial and making overcoming possible through divine power united with humanity. He refused to yield a single point and stood firm in moral power while in great physical suffering, and had He been as weak in moral power as man the salvation of the race would have been lost. Strength is provided in the all-powerful name of the great Conqueror, yet all must for themselves individually overcome, and His priceless victory in behalf of man will not benefit anyone unless he also gains the victory on his own account.
His example shows that those united to Christ by faith can resist temptation and escape sin's dominion by relying on God's word, for He resisted a temptation to sin and did not accept worldly rule in exchange for worship. His victories make it possible for His followers to conquer, and He will give strength to all who seek it. No one can be overcome without his own consent, because the tempter has no power to control the will or to force the soul to sin. He may distress but he cannot contaminate, he can cause agony but not defilement. The same temptation to worship in exchange for the kingdoms cannot overcome those who look to Jesus and accept by faith the virtues of the sinless Christ, and through His power and grace they can resist sin and overcome, while His conquering of the test Adam failed makes it possible for people to overcome through faith in Him.
When called to meet an opponent there is little success in spending time answering every objection, which takes ground with Satan, and instead strength comes by keeping to the affirmative, quoting the promises, and presenting the light and salvation given in the Word, where there is reason, light, and power. He met the bargain with divinity coming to the aid of His humanity, commanding with divine authority for Satan to depart and holding to what is written that the Lord God alone is to be worshiped and served, and Satan was baffled by the constant affirmative of the Word and left the field defeated, unable to say anything more. His knowledge of the Scriptures put His feet on solid, immovable rock, and arguments and reasons are of no use against Satan. It is written is the only weapon that repulses him, so the lessons of the Word must be hung in memory's hall to be ready to meet him, for all things written in the law and in the prophets are true and carry the proof of it in themselves. Memorizing Scripture gives the same defense, so that temptations can be met with words of Scripture, the great enemy can be baffled, timely words can be spoken to others, believers become strengthened, and character is perfected for transfer to future immortal life where there will be no danger of being overcome.
The wilderness temptations show appetite, love of the world, and presumption as leading temptations, and the offer of worldly prospects can entice people to depart from principle and sacrifice integrity and Christian honor for the approval of the ungodly. The great trial on the point of appetite was to leave man an example of self-denial, and the long fast was to convict men of the sinfulness of the things in which professed Christians indulge. If Christ was victor on the point of appetite, then there was a chance for man to overcome, but if Satan gained the victory through his subtlety, man would be bound by the power of appetite in chains of indulgence which he could not have moral power to break. His humanity alone could never have endured this test, but His divine power combined with humanity gained in behalf of man an infinite victory, and that life is the true standard and the only safe pattern to copy in order to overcome as He overcame. His denying appetite and overcoming its power shows appetite can be resisted, teaches self-denial and temperance in food and drink and every part of life, and through His name, strength, and merits those enslaved to liquor and tobacco can break slavery of habit and become victors, giving no sanction to socials, festivals, picnics that tempt appetite to over-indulgence nor to amusements leading to levity and forgetfulness of God.
Satan still works the same way, adapting his temptations to circumstances and always presenting some bribe, an apparent good to be gained in exchange for worship, and in Christ's name complete victory can be gained over his devices. He does not always openly demand homage but dazzles minds with worldly attractions, money, property, power, honor, riches, pleasure, business success, and praise, which can become a snare and must not draw people away from Christ or heavenly things. When they surrender integrity and give themselves to worldly interests, they yield the devotion he seeks and open the way to further sins. Such worldly advantage gained by dishonoring God must be refused in faithfulness rather than yielding to the enemy's device, for people seduced into serving wealth rather than God thereby lose their souls. He cannot truly give what he offers and worldly rewards will soon be taken from him, while accepting his offer blunts conscience, dethrones God from the heart, surrenders devotion, serves self and Satan, darkens others, and loses claim to God's inheritance.
Integrity and principle must never be surrendered for earthly advantage, for power and riches gained dishonestly or at the cost of honesty become a curse. He resisted ambition for power and rejected the kingdoms' pomp rather than disobey God's commandments, refusing to gain the kingdoms through disloyalty to God. His will remained submitted to His Father and He did not yield at any time, showing His followers must submit their wills to God rather than let Satan govern them. Yielding to such a temptation can involve a decisive choice that fixes a person's condition, so the offer must be considered before taking another step. The same temptation draws people toward worldly gain where success can make them greedy, weaken love for truth, and eclipse the view of Jesus' love and the immortal inheritance, and those who worship Satan for freedom to practice dishonesty in business pursue riches by that same bargain. The call is therefore to self-denial, cross-bearing, repentance, faith, enduring toil for imperishable treasure, submitting the will to God, and rejecting Satan's suggestions and the world's methods, including dishonest business, pursuit of wealth, rank and position, and worldly enterprises by ministers.
As He was tempted in the wilderness so every son and daughter of Adam is tempted, with faith tested, motives proved, and principles tried. Satan still presents temptations in attractive ways, appealing to reason, imagination, and affection, and can deceive those not protected by divine power. His power over man was not weakened by his failure to overcome Christ, the same adversary remains to the end of time, and all are personally exposed to the very same temptations Christ overcame. Without a daily living experience in knowledge of the truth and of Jesus Christ the Sent of God they will be led away from steadfastness into error, and without being armed with the written word they will be led into error. His victory showed the power of God's word, and its failure to change lives comes from choice to disobey, not from lack of power in the word.