Chapter 154—Incomparable Temptations
The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
John 14:30
.
From the moment that Christ entered the world, the whole confederacy
of Satanic agencies was set at work to deceive and overthrow Him as Adam
had been deceived and overthrown....
When Christ was born in Bethlehem, the angels of God appeared to
the shepherds, who were watching their flocks by night, and gave divine
credentials of the authority of the newborn babe. Satan knew that One had
come to the earth with a divine commission to dispute his authority. He
heard the angel declare: “... Unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord...” (
Luke 2:10, 11
).
The heavenly heralds aroused all the wrath of the synagogue of Satan.
He followed the steps of those who had charge of the infant Jesus. He heard
the prophecy of Simeon in the temple courts.... “Lord, now lettest thou thy
servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy
salvation,” ... (
Luke 2:29-32
). Satan was filled with frenzy as he saw that the
aged Simeon recognized the divinity of Christ.
The Commander of heaven was assailed by the tempter.... From the
time that He was a helpless babe in Bethlehem, when the agencies of hell
sought to destroy Him in His infancy through the jealousy of Herod, until He
came to Calvary’s cross, He was continually assailed by the evil one. In the
councils of Satan it was determined that He must be overcome. No human
being had come into the world and escaped the power of the deceiver. The
whole forces of the confederacy of evil were set upon His track.... Satan
knew that he must either conquer or himself be conquered. Success or failure
involved too much for him to leave the work with any one of his agents of
evil. The prince of evil himself must personally conduct the warfare....
The life of Christ was a perpetual warfare against Satanic agencies. Satan
rallied the whole energies of apostasy against the Son of God.
On not one occasion was there a response to his manifold temptations.
Not once did Christ step on Satan’s ground, to give him any advantage.
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