Threat to Satan’s Kingdom
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ways to allure Him from His allegiance to God, and overcome Him
with his subtle temptations. The unsullied purity of the childhood,
youth, and manhood of Christ, which Satan could not taint, annoyed
him exceedingly. All his darts and arrows of temptation fell harmless
before the Son of God. And when he found that all his temptations
prevailed nothing in moving Christ from the steadfast integrity, or in
marring the spotless purity of the youthful Galilean, he was perplexed
and enraged. He looked upon this youth as an enemy that he must
dread and fear.
That there should be one who walked the earth with moral power
to withstand all his temptations, who resisted all his attractive bribes
to allure Him to sin, and over whom he could obtain no advantage to
separate from God, chafed and enraged his satanic majesty.
The childhood, youth, and manhood of John, who came in the
spirit and power of Elijah to do a special work in preparing the way for
the world’s Redeemer, were marked with firmness and moral power.
Satan could not move his integrity. When the voice of this prophet
was heard in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make
his paths straight,” Satan was afraid for his kingdom. He felt that
the voice, sounding forth in trumpet tones in the wilderness, caused
sinners under his control to tremble. He saw that his power over many
[29]
was broken. The sinfulness of sin was revealed in such a manner that
men became alarmed; and some, by repentance of their sins, found the
favor of God and gained moral power to resist his temptations.
He was on the ground at the time when Christ presented Himself
to John for baptism. He heard the majestic voice resounding through
heaven and echoing through the earth like peals of thunder. He saw the
lightnings flash from the cloudless heavens, and heard the fearful words
from Jehovah, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
He saw the brightness of the Father’s glory overshadowing the form of
Jesus, thus pointing out in that crowd the One whom He acknowledged
as His Son with unmistakable assurance. The circumstances connected
with this baptismal scene had aroused the most intense hatred in the
breast of Satan. He knew then for a certainty that unless he could
overcome Christ, from thenceforth there would be a limitation of his
power. He understood that the communication from the throne of God
signified that heaven was more directly accessible to man.