84
Selected Messages Book 1
It was enough. Satan could go no further. Angels ministered to the
Saviour. Angels brought Him food. The severity of this conflict no
human mind can compass. The welfare of the whole human family and
of Christ Himself was at stake. One admission from Christ, one word
of concession, and the world would be claimed by Satan as his; and he,
the prince of the power of darkness, would, he supposed, commence
his rule. There appeared unto Christ an angel from heaven; for the
conflict ended. Human power was ready to fail. But all heaven sang
the song of eternal victory.
The human family have all the help that Christ had in their conflicts
with Satan. They need not be overcome. They may be more than
conquerors through Him who has loved them and given His life for
them. “Ye are bought with a price” (
1 Corinthians 6:20
). And what
a price! The Son of God in His humanity wrestled with the very
same fierce, apparently overwhelming temptations that assail men—
temptations to indulgence of appetite, to presumptuous venturing
where God has not led them, and to the worship of the God of this
world, to sacrifice an eternity of bliss for the fascinating pleasures of
this life. Everyone will be tempted, but the Word declares that we shall
not be tempted above our ability to bear. We may resist and defeat the
wily foe.
[96]
A Heaven to Win
Every soul has a heaven to win, and a hell to shun. And the angelic
agencies are all ready to come to the help of the tried and tempted
soul. He, the Son of the infinite God, endured the test and trial in our
behalf. The cross of Calvary stands vividly before every soul. When
the cases of all are judged, and they [the lost] are delivered to suffer
for their contempt for God and their disregard of His honor in their
disobedience, not one will have an excuse, not one will need to have
perished. It was left to their own choice who should be their prince,
Christ or Satan. All the help Christ received, every man may receive
in the great trial. The cross stands as a pledge that not one need be
lost, that abundant help is provided for every soul. We can conquer the
satanic agencies, or we can join ourselves with the powers that seek to
counterwork the work of God in our world