Temptation
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in heaven, was cast out. Now their condition is apparently reversed,
and Satan makes the most of his supposed advantage. One of the most
powerful of the angels, he says, has been banished from heaven. The
appearance of Jesus indicates that He is that fallen angel, forsaken by
God, and deserted by man. A divine being would be able to 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, urges
the tempter, would be conclusive evidence of divinity. It would bring
the controversy to an end.
Not without a struggle could Jesus listen in silence to the arch-
deceiver. But the Son of God was not to prove His divinity to Satan, or
to explain the reason of His humiliation. By conceding to the demands
of the rebel, nothing for the good of man or the glory of God would be
gained. 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. Evidence would have been worthless to break the
power of rebellion in his heart. And Christ was not to exercise divine
power for His own benefit. He had come to bear trial as we must do,
leaving us an example of faith and submission. Neither here nor at any
subsequent time in His earthly life did He work a miracle in His own
behalf. His wonderful works were all for the good of others. Though
Jesus recognized Satan from the beginning, He was not provoked to
enter into controversy with him. Strengthened with the memory of
the voice from heaven, He rested in His Father’s love. He would not
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parley with temptation.
Jesus met Satan with the words of Scripture. “It is written,” He
said. In every temptation the weapon of His warfare was the word of
God. Satan demanded of Christ a miracle as a sign of His divinity. But
that which is greater than all miracles, a firm reliance upon a “Thus
saith the Lord,” was a sign that could not be controverted. So long as
Christ held to this position, the tempter could gain no advantage.
It was in the time of greatest weakness that Christ was assailed by
the fiercest temptations. Thus Satan thought to prevail. By this policy
he had gained the victory over men. When strength failed, and the
will power weakened, and faith ceased to repose in God, then those
who had stood long and valiantly for the right were overcome. Moses
was wearied with the forty years’ wandering of Israel, when for the
moment his faith let go its hold upon infinite power. He failed just