Satan and You #8

The eighth in a series of studies of references to Satan in the Gospels

This eighth mention of Satan in the Gospels is an enigmatic response to awed disciples.

Luke 10:17-18
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The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” ________________

Background

Jesus has commissioned seventy-two of his followers to travel through Galilee preaching and healing (Luke 10:1f). They return bursting with excitement.

Observations

1. “returned with joy.” The seventy-two are sent out by twos to visit “every town.” Their mission: “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you.’” (10:9). This is exactly what Jesus himself is doing, preaching the kingdom and healing. But when the 72 return what they talk about is that “even demons submit to us in your name.”

2. “even the demons submit.” The original commission is to “heal the sick.” The Gospel accounts make it clear that some [but not all] illness is caused by demonic oppression (cf Luke 13:16). Jesus commonly heals this type of illness by casting out the demons who cause them.

3. “even the demons submit.” The phrasing suggests that not only are the seventy two giddy with joy, but also in awe. It is one thing for demons to submit to Jesus. But for demons to submit to them!?!

4. “in your name.” The seventy two command demons “in the name” of Jesus. They have no intrinsic power over demons. They rely on the authority that Jesus delegates to them. Even when reporting they are careful to give Jesus the glory for what he is doing through them.

5. “I saw.” Jesus’ first words have led to constant speculation. When did Jesus see Satan fall from heaven? Is Jesus referring to Satan’s original rebellion? Is Jesus standing outside of time and referring to a yet future fall? Or perhaps Jesus is summing up Satan’s career? Whatever the reference, the speculation is irrelevant to the point that Jesus makes.

6. “fall like lightening from heaven.” It’s a powerful image. Satan’s fall is sudden, decisive, as unmistakable as a lightening bolt that flashes across the night sky. But as spectacular as the lightening bolt is, it is also brief. It dominates the night sky, but for mere moments, and then is gone. .

Jesus’ remark is dismissive. It’s as if he is saying, “Command demons? That’s nothing. I’ve seen the chief of demons flash across the heavens . . . an impressive sight . . . but here only for moments and then gone forever.”

7. “rejoice” Moments later Jesus goes on. “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (10:20). Power over evil spirits appears special to us, and to some extent it is. But our focus, and our constant joy, is to be the fact that through Christ we are destined to experience eternity in God’s presence.

Implications

Believers do have authority over evil spirits in Jesus’ name. That authority is his, not ours, and we are to keep the focus on Jesus always. We are also to maintain our perspective. It is a joy and a privilege to free others from demonic oppression. But let’s keep our focus on the eternal salvation Jesus won for us and for others on Calvary.

Deliverance ministry is significant. But it must never take priority over sharing the Gospel of eternal salvation.

Satan and You #7

The seventh in a series of studies of references to Satan in the Gospels

This seventh mention of Satan in the Gospels is in a rebuke Jesus aimed at Peter.

Mark 8:33
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But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
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Background

Jesus has just told his disciples about his coming crucifixion. This is a theme none of his disciples want to hear about. The text tells us that Peter takes Jesus aside and begins to “rebuke” him. Jesus must not speak of dying or follow any course that would lead to his death.

Peter’s action is unprecedented, as it is not the place of a rabbi’s disciples to rebuke him. The incident tells us how upsetting this first mention of Christ’s coming execution was to the Twelve.

Observations

1. “Jesus turned and looked at his disciples.” The image is telling. It makes it very clear that Peter is not acting on his own, but rather reflects the feelings of Jesus’ other followers as well.

2. “he rebuked Peter.” As a disciple, it was not Peter’s place to rebuke [censure, scold] Jesus. Yet Peter was the acknowledged leader of the Twelve, and apparently took it upon himself to represent their views.
Those views, and Peter, do merit Jesus’ rebuke.

3. “get behind me, Satan.” “Satan” is both a name and an attribute. The word means “adversary,” and it is in this sense Jesus that uses it here. Peter is not the great fallen angel, nor is that being present in Peter. But Peter is acting like an adversary, speaking out against God’s plans.

4. “you do not have in mind the things of God” This phrase makes Peter’s error even more clear. He is not looking at Jesus’ coming execution from God’s point of view.

5. “but the things of men.” Peter has expressed his human point of view. From that viewpoint Jesus’ death would be a disaster. What would happen to the kingdom? What would happen to the power and position each of the disciples expected to assume when Jesus ruled? Besides, the disciples did love Jesus. And they depended on him. They would be devastated should Jesus die.

Implications

It’s impossible to evaluate God’s actions from a human point of view. We simply do not have the information or the perspective necessary to understand. Even more seriously, when we do what Peter did here we find ourselves inadvertently siding with Satan, and becoming God’s adversary.

It is not wrong to question God. Like the Psalmists, we often cry out “Why?” as we share our pain with our Creator. But it is wrong to stand in judgment on God, and declare him wrong in his decisions.

This is what Peter was doing. And this is what Satan did in his original rebellion. When we honor ourselves and our opinions above the honor we show God by trusting his choices, we too merit the Savior’s rebuke.

Satan and You #6

The sixth in a series of studies of references to Satan in the Gospels

This sixth direct reference to Satan in the Gospels is found in a parable Jesus told about sowing a field. In this parable, unlike the one in Matthew 12, the seed stands for the Word of God.

Mark 4:14,15
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The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
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Background

The image of a first century farmer sowing seed is a familiar one to Jesus original listeners. Everyone can visualize the farmer dip his hand in a bag of seed, and with a sweeping motion cast the seed evenly over the ground. Everyone also knows what happens to seeds that fell on the beaten path, or in places where the soil is shallow. Jesus uses this familiar image on more than one occasion, and applies it in different ways. In Mark’s version of the parable, Jesus answers the implied question, “Why doesn’t everyone respond to God’s Word?”

Observations

1. “the farmer sows the word.” In the parable Jesus is the sower, and his teaching is the seed. Yet the parable fits everyone who shares the Gospel, and to everyone who hears it.

2. “some people” This parable is about the people who hear the word. The Gospel’s impact reflects and reveals the nature or character of the listener.

3. “like seed along the path.” “The path” that Jesus refers to is a track beaten hard by the feet of those who pass along it. When seed lands on the hard surface, and lies there, exposed, to be snatched up by birds.

4. “as soon as they hear it.” In the first century birds attended the sower, eager to snatch up seeds as soon as they fell on hard ground. Jesus pictures Satan as present when the word is sown, quick to snatch away the seed as soon as it falls on hard ground.

5. “takes away the word that was sown in them.” The phrase “in them” is critical here. When the Gospel is sown it doesn’t fall “around” its hearers, but it’s sown “in them.” There is no flaw in the word itself.

Implications

The first implication of Jesus’ parable is that Satan [in the person of demons, his representatives] gathers round when the Word is shared. We do not typically think of demons “attending church” or eagerly observing as we witness to a friend. But the image of the birds watching eagerly for seeds to fall on the beaten paths, suggests that this is a time when demons are most eager to be present.

The second implication is that we humans bear personal responsibility for our response to God’s Word. In this parable the ground on which the seed falls represents people. In this parable the path clearly represents individuals who are hardened and unresponsive.

The third implication is that Satan has the ability to “take away the word.” In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul writes that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel.” Each image makes it clear that Satan can affect our the reception of God’s Word.

Conclusions

One of the least understood and certainly one of the most pernicious of demonic activities involves their efforts to keep us from welcoming God’s Word and taking it to heart. To some extent their success depends on us. As believers, we need to intentionally open our hearts and minds when we read Scripture or hear it preached. We also need to be in prayer during services that others will be open to the word, and will hear it without demonic distortion. We also need to explicitly command evil spirits to remain silent and inactive, or to depart, when we minister the Word. Satan’s forces will gather to counter our teaching. But if we recognize the danger we can exercise our authority to block their efforts.

Satan and You #5

The fifth in a series of studies of references to Satan in the Gospels

This fifth direct reference to Satan in the Gospels is a brief reference to an event developed in Matthew 4 and Luke 4, and discussed at length in the first study in this series.

Mark 1:12,13
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At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
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Background

Two major events occur before Jesus launches his public ministry. He is identified as God’s Son when he is baptized by John, and he is led into the wilderness, where he is “tempted by Satan.” The story, here in its briefest form, tells us much about the Savior, and much about Satan.

Observations

1. “At once the Spirit sent him.” Jesus’ trek into the desert is in response to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is a healthy reminder to us. We are far too quick to question God’s leading when things don’t turn out as successfully or pleasantly as we expect. God may lead us into difficult and painful experiences, just as the Spirit sent Jesus into the desert.

2. “was in the desert 40 days” Matthew and Luke tell us that Jesus fasts for forty days. Forty days is about the length of time it takes for the body to use up all stored resources. After a day or too of fasting hunger goes away, but it returns in force when the body’s resources are depleted. Weakened by the intense heat and the fast, Jesus; strength is at rock bottom when the tempter comes.

3. “being tempted by Satan” The Greek word translated “tempted” in our New Testament is also translated “tested.” Whenever this word appears in the Greek text the translators have to choose whether “tempted” or “tested” makes more sense. In Matthew and Luke “tempt” is appropriate, for they record Satan’s specific attempts to move Jesus to act out of the Father’s will. We need to adopt the same translation, for the “temptation” is “by Satan.”

4. “being tempted” At the same time, we need to recognize that the total wilderness experience was a “test” devised by God. Satan’s challenge was merely a part of that test. Jesus has been identified as God’s Son, and is about to set out on a ministry in which he calls the Jewish people to total commitment to God. The testing here in the desert, with its challenge by Satan, is a qualifying test. That is, Jesus is tested in order to prove that what God has said about him is true. Having demonstrated his own commitment, Jesus can now call others to follow his example.

5. “with the wild animals” This phrase is peculiar, but may allude to Isaiah 65:25, which pictures the “wild animals” such as the lion and the wolf living in harmony with the lamb and the ox. Clearly the image is one of peace and relief after the testing is past, when “angels attended him.”

Conclusions

This brief account of the temptation provides a clue that helps us put Satan’s attacks in perspective. The Spirit sent Jesus into the desert. When we’re responsive to the Spirit he may well lead us into situations that test our commitment and our faith. Satan may well try to take advantage of the stress to launch an attack on us, as he launched his attack on Jesus when he was weakest. Yet, whatever Satan may do he can operate only within a context of an experience which God the Father has designed. And God has designed each of our experiences for our good.

As Jesus triumphed over Satan by trust in the Father and his Word, we too can and will triumph. The passing of our tests, like Jesus’, will qualify us to call others to a similar commitment to our Lord.

Satan and You #4

The fourth in a series of studies of references to Satan in the Gospels

This fourth direct reference to Satan in the Gospels focuses on one of the most controversial of biblical teachings.

Matthew 25:41
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Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

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Background

It may seem strange, but Jesus spoke more often of “eternal fire” than he did of heaven. Here the reference is woven into a discourse warning his listeners of a judgment to take place at his return. What’s important to us is Christ’s statement that the “eternal fire” was “prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Observations

1. “depart from me, you who are cursed.” It’s clear from the context that Jesus is speaking of humans who, at a future judgment, will be assigned to “eternal fire.” While most people believe that justice calls for the “good” to be blessed and the “evil” to be punished, many resist the idea that that punishment should either be “eternal” or be something so terrible that the only way to represent it is as “fire.” The instinctive response seems to be horror at the notion a good God could do something so awful to human beings.

Despite this reaction, the clear teaching of Scripture is that hell exists and that some human beings will suffer its torment forever.

2. “prepared for the devil and his angels.” It’s clear from this phrase that from the beginning God intended hell as a place of torment for rebellious angels. Nowhere does the Bible indicate that this place of punishment was “prepared for” human.

3. “prepared for.” If we search the Scriptures, we find that its consistent message is one of divine love for human beings. What God prepared for humans is a salvation “purposed in Christ,” “before the creation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4,9).

In Christ’s sacrifice God did all that he could do to make it possible for humans to enjoy the blessings he has always intended for humans.

In stating that the eternal fires were “prepared for the devil and his angels,” Jesus reminds us that our eternal destiny hinges on our choice . . . either to accept or to reject his offer of salvation. It has been thus since the beginning of time.

The object of faith has differed in different eras. Noah believed God’s announcement of a great Flood, constructed an Ark, and was carried through the waters of judgment. Abraham believed God’s promise that he and Sarah would have a child, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Saving faith has always involved a faith-response to a revelation given by God. Today the specific promise that unlocks salvation is the promise of forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, the dying and resurrected Son of God. But always . . . .now, in ages past, and in the future . . . the basis of salvation is the blood Christ shed for us as he surrendered his own life in payment for humankind’s sin.

Conclusion

For those who fail to grasp the significance of Jesus’ death, his teaching that eternal fire was prepared for the devil and his angels will seem irrelevant. For believers, who understand God’s love yet are troubled by the Bible’s teaching of hell, these words bring relief. The Bible reminds us God is not willing that any should perish. He did not actively choose to condemn some. His choice was to make provision for all, that each might make his or her own choice.

God prepared hell for the devil and his angels. He prepared heaven for us. Yet the tragic reality is that sin has so warped the minds, hearts, and wills of lost humanity that many will refuse to hear the Gospel, refuse to respond to God’s love, and willfully reject God’s invitation to believe and be saved.

Satan and You, #3

The third in a series of studies of references to Satan in the Gospels

This third direct reference to Satan in Matthew’s Gospel is found in a familiar story that Jesus told about a landowner who discovers weeds in a field he planted with wheat. In this passage Jesus’ explains the story.

Matthew 13:36-40
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Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

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Context

Matthew 13 contains parables concerning “the secrets of the kingdom of heaven” (13:11). The Jewish people looked to Old Testament prophecy, which drew a clearly defined portrait of a coming kingdom of God. It was to be established at history’s end, ruled by the Messiah, and populated by the righteous. What Israel did not suspect was that the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy was not the only form of God’s “kingdom” to emerge in history.

In Matthew 13 Jesus’ parables all describe a “mystery” form of the kingdom; a form not revealed in Old Testament prophecy and therefore one of God’s “secrets,” which awaited the Messiah’s appearance to be revealed.

The parable of the weeds in the field focuses on one aspect of this previously unrevealed form of God’s kingdom. It is an aspect which stands in dramatic contrast to Jewish expectations. The kingdom of prophecy would come at the end of time, when the Messiah came to establish his kingdom. And that kingdom would be populated only by the righteous. Yet in this parable, which Jesus introduced saying “the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed….” the kingdom is now, and the kingdom contains both “sons of the kingdom” and “sons of the evil one!” And in the story the coming harvest is identified as “the end of the age.”

Clearly, there is a form of God’s kingdom existing now, before history’s end, which does not conform to the patter of the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy.

While an understanding of the meanings of “kingdom” in the Old and the New Testament is important theologically, and is a key to an accurate interpretation of much of the Old and New Testaments, what concerns us here is Jesus description of Satan’s activities during this present age: Our age, when God’s kingdom rule is expressed in and through the church. With this in mind, we’ll look at what Jesus taught about the devil’s work…and how we are to respond to it.

Observations

1. “the field is the world” In this context it’s best to take kosmos (world) as “the inhabited earth,” rather than theologically as “corrupt human culture.” As God the Lord is ruler of the entire world of men, both those who acknowledge him and those who do not. But within this world of men one dramatic distinction is to be drawn.

2. “the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom.” In the parable Jesus is the One who sows the “good seed.” That is, Christ is responsible for the presence of the righteous, those who acknowledge, honor, and respond to God with loving obedience.

3. “the weeds are the sons of the evil one.” In this age humanity is mixed. Some are sons of the kingdom; some are sons of the evil one. And just as Christ is responsible for the presence of the righteous, the devil accepts responsibility for the wicked. He is the one whom the parable pictures as “an enemy” (13:27,28), for he sowed “weeds” among the “wheat.”

4. “weeds.” Some older versions translate the “weeds” as “tares.” The older version is probably better, for “weeds” fails to convey what the original text shows clearly. Wheat and tares are both grasses. When they first sprout the two are almost indistinguishable. It is only as they mature and heads of grain appear on the wheat, that a person can tell which plants are wheat and which plants are look-alike (but counterfeit).

5. “The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.” In the parable the servants asked the land owner if they should go out into the field and pull up the tares. The answer was, “let both grow up together until the harvest.” And the reason for the delay was, “you may root up the wheat [with the tares].” When the time of harvest arrives, then angels will distinguish between the true sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one.

6. “then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”At the harvest that the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one” will separated. At that time each will receive the reward stored up for him. The righteous will “shine like the sun” and the devil’s offspring will be “thrown into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Conclusions

First, it’s apparent that while we may hesitate to “label,” God has no such inhibition. He places human beings in one of two categories. One is either a “son of the kingdom” planted by Jesus. Or he is a “son of the wicked one,” planted by “the devil.” We either have given our allegiance to Jesus or, no matter how loud we protest that we are uncommitted, our allegiance is in fact to Satan and we are counted as members of his family.

Second, Satan is more than happy to plant weeds in our wheat fields. In fact, this is one of his most effective strategies. We should hardly be surprised when opposition and dissention rear their heads in our fellowships. An enemy has been busy sowing tares.

Third, the parable pictures a world in the identity of individuals is ambiguous. There are no sure or positive markers which enable us to say with certainty, “he is a son of the kingdom” or “she is a son of the evil one.” This is in part because it’s in the nature of both wheat and tares to grow. Who one truly is, and to whom he have given allegiance, is never completely obvious. Only as we mature do marks of our true nature bud and then blossom.

It is also true that we humans often use faulty criteria to evaluate others. We are so prone to use superficial, exterior criteria to evaluate whether God is doing a work deep within an individual’s personality. As saints we remain sinners, and even a true believer may be trapped in a lifestyle which would lead us to a wrong conclusion about his or her relationship with God.

In short, we need to be aware that Satan is actively planting tares in all our wheat fields. Rather than trying to identify and get rid of them, our role is to nurture, to stimulate growth. We are to withhold judgment as to whether those to whom we minister are wheat or tares, confident that in the end God will make that determination and deal with each individual appropriately.

As for us, we are free simply to love.
And to serve.

Satan and You #2

The second in a series of studies of references to Satan in the Gospels

This second direct reference to Satan in Matthew’s Gospel reminds us that we are caught in the clash of kingdoms in deadly conflict.

Matthew 12:22-28 —– ——————–

Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

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The pages of the New Testament between the Matthew 4 account of Satan’s temptation of Jesus and the mention of Satan in this passage contain many references to the victims of evil spirits or demons. In every case Jesus healed and cast out the demons. The string of notable miracles raised a question in the minds of ordinary people. Could Jesus be the “Son of David,” a title reserved for the Messiah whom the prophets promised would one day deliver God’s people?

Simply raising this question infuriated the Pharisees, whose status was eroded by Jesus’ teaching and miracles. Frustrated by wonders they could not deny, the Pharisees charged that Jesus was in an alliance with Satan! Satan was supporting Jesus’ teachings by having his demons release those they held in bondage on Jesus’ command!

Jesus’ response to this charge is revealing. He portrays Satan as the ruler of a monolithic kingdom that is in direct conflict with the kingdom of God.

Observations

1. “a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute.” Everyone in the Jewish homeland recognized the signs of demonic activity. The man brought to Jesus stumbled in darkness, unable to communicate. John’s Gospel reminds us that thieves come only “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Every reference to evil spirits depicts them this way, stealing the good things of life and burdening human beings with physical, psychological, and spiritual disabilities. The mark of Satan’s kingdom is the infliction of pain and suffering, reflecting the malevolent intent of its ruler and of its every denizen.

2. “Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.” Jesus broke the bonds imposed by Satan and restored the demonized man. Scripture says that Jesus appeared “to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). This is the mark of God’s kingdom. The broken are comforted, the crushed made whole.

3. “All the people were astonished,” The contrast between the kingdoms was obvious to “all the people.” It was obvious to the Pharisees as well. But the Pharisees weren’t concerned with destroying the devil’s work. They were upset because Jesus’ teaching was in conflict with their traditions and undermined their influence with the people.

4. “It is only by Beelzebub.” It’s nor surprising that the Pharisees came up with this accusation. Their only chance lay in confusing the issue; to cast Jesus’ “good” as “evil,” and to spin “evil” into “good.” We see this tactic used in our own day when labels like “adult” are plastered on pornography, and suggestive slogans intimate that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” We see it in the bills offered in Congress whose titles distort their true intent. The Pharisees’ spin on Jesus’ miracles employed one of Satan’s oldest and most effective strategies. Confuse the public by labeling “good” as “evil,” and then label “evil” as something “good.”

5. “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined,” Jesus responded immediately to the Pharisees accusation. Satan is not about to fight Satan. He is dedicated to thwarting God’s purposes and to keeping human beings in bondage. To do what Jesus has done, to bind up the broken hearted and set the captive free, would be to voluntarily tear down what Satan had been trying to build for untold ages. Satan was no silent partner in Jesus’ works. He could not be.

6. “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” There was only one alternative to the flawed theory the Pharisees advanced. If Jesus wasn’t Satan’s ally, then his works must be performed by the Spirit of God. And if God’s Spirit was at work in such a powerful way, then the kingdom of God “has come upon you.” What Jesus was doing revealed a stunning confrontation between two kingdoms. And the kingdom of God was triumphing!

Conclusions

The marks of the two kingdoms are the same today as they were in Jesus day. Satan entangles human beings, bringing them into bondage. Jesus sets free, ministering healing and wholeness. We need to be sensitive to the fact that evil spirits are still active in the world in ways that may be less obvious but are just as damaging to human beings. But we ought also to remember that Jesus is present with his people, with the power to deliver and heal.

Satan is intent on harming you, demons follow his lead. But Jesus still frees all who come to him.

Some today still claim works which are out of harmony with their traditions have a Satanic origin. But where the power to free captives from bondage flows, it is still true that “the kingdom of God has come upon us.”

In Jesus, the kingdom has come upon us.
We are called to be free.

Satan and You, #1

The first in a series of studies of references to Satan in the Gospels

There are significant parallels between the first reference to Satan in the New Testament and the first reference in the Old. Each deals with the temptation of an innocent. In each Satan adopts a similar strategy.

Matthew 4:1-11*
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Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“’He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

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Observations

1. Temptation of an Innocent. When “the tempter came to him” Jesus was without sin. In the Genesis 3 account Satan approaches an Eve who is also without sin. Neither Jesus nor the first pair was burdened, as we are, with a warped and twisted nature, already bent in the direction Satan wants us to go. Satan’s strategy in each of these two situations represents “pure” temptation; “pure” in the sense that the temptations do not appeal to established tendencies to sin, but focus on the essence of what it means to be human. These are the temptations that appeal to the “good” person, not to the “sinner.”

What then does it mean to be human? The Genesis creation account tells us that Adam was created in the “image and likeness of God,” an image the text is careful to assure us is shared by Eve. Like the God revealed in Scripture, we humans are persons: we are self-conscious and self-aware, able to think, to feel, to appreciate, to evaluate, to choose.

This is what Satan had to work with in Eden, and what he had to work with when he approached Jesus in the wilderness.

Satan asked, “Did God really say….” forcing Eve to think.
Satan claimed, “You will not surely die . . . “ creating doubt.
Satan explained, “God knew that you will be like God, knowing good and evil,”. . . and Eve began to question God’s motives.

“And the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, and she took some and ate.” And Eve relied not on what God had said but on her own abilities, the evidence of her senses, and on her desire intention to gain something that seemed “good.”

In this vignette Satan encouraged Eve to rely on her essential qualities as a reasoning, thinking, feeling being, and challenged her to make what seemed to be the moral choice. Rather than rely on God’s revelation of his will, and thus the Creator’s vastly superior abilities, Eve relied on her own limited gifts. The fruit was attractive to her senses, and Satan’s alternative explanation of God’s command seemed reasonable. Being more like God by knowing good and evil seemed to be desirable outcome. So Eve ate.

2. “After fasting forty days and nights.” When Satan approached Eve she had been at full strength, well-fed and happy in the Garden she shared with Adam and with the God who walked with them on many evenings. When Satan approached Jesus his physical resources were exhausted, and he had been isolated in one of the harshest of all environments. He had been “led by the Spirit” into the wilderness. And left there..

3. “If you are the son of God.” Satan’s initial approach to Christ follows the pattern set in his approach to Eve. Satan points to something God has said. At Jesus’ baptism heaven had opened, and God said, “This is my Son, whom I love.” Now Satan says to Jesus, “Since you are the son of God,” act like God. Turn stones into bread, and satisfy your human hunger.

Jesus responds with a quote from Deuteronomy. “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Jesus is the Son of God, but he is also human. He will meet life’s challenges as an authentic human being, using only the resources available to humankind. As God had placed Adam and Eve in the Garden and given them instructions, the Father had placed Jesus in a corrupt world and charged him to live among us as a true human being.

Eve, despite her blessings, failed to rely on God’s Word. Jesus, despite his present desperate condition, committed himself to follow the Father’s instructions.

4, “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down.” This temptation is more subtle. The “if” here, as the Greek makes clear, does not concede “since.” Rather this “if” challenges the idea notion that Jesus could possibly be the Son of God. Satan is saying, “Are you really God’s Son?”

And Satan goes on. “There’s no reason to live with uncertainty, Jump from the pinnacle of the temple, and Scripture promises angels will appear to catch you before your foot strikes the ground.”

Jesus responds with another quote from Deuteronomy. The quote reflects back on a time the Israelites had demanded proof that God was among them, and incorporates a command: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Jesus would overcome doubt with faith. He would never demand proof of his relationship with God. Unlike Eve, who came to doubt God’s motives despite life-long evidence of his love, Jesus, suffering in the wilderness, would live by faith.

5. “All this I will give you,” Satan promised Eve that she “would be like God, knowing good and evil.” And Eve, reasoning that this would be a good thing (for how could being more like God be a bad thing?) made her choice. Jesus too was offered a good. How could a world ruled by Jesus rather than Satan be bad? And besides, the Father’s purpose was that the kingdoms of this world should become the kingdoms of God and of his Christ!

But in each case the problem lay with means, not with the end. God has always intended a greater destiny for humanity, a destiny in which “we will be like him, for we will know him as he is” (1 John 3:2). God has always intended that our fallen be transformed into Jesus’ kingdom of peace and love. But neither of these ends could be achieved by the means Satan suggested.

Just because an end we have in view is good does not make any action right.

6. Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Throughout his life on earth Jesus would face further temptations. But Satan’s initial attack was over. And Satan had failed.

Satan and You

What do we learn from this first reference to Satan in the Gospels? We learn much about the strategy he uses to turn true believers away from God; a strategy he first used with Adam and Eve.

Satan will invite us to use our God given abilities to question. He will encourage us to doubt what we do not fully understand. He will raise questions about God’s motives. He will encourage us to rely on our senses and our emotions to tell us what’s good. He will encourage us to rely on our own high motives, and to act on the notion that if our intention is to do good whatever choices we make must be “right.”

These are the lies that Satan has learned to good people, people who honestly wish to please the Lord and do what is right.

What we learn from Jesus is far more valuable. We learn that the Word of God is a resource that will protect us from being led astray. We learn that when others raise doubts we have an opportunity to trust. We learn that the best of intentions are no substitute for doing God’s will daily, leaving outcomes to him. We learn in short that we are creatures, and that while our gifts as persons created in God’s image are wonderful, they fall short of the wisdom and knowledge of our Creator.

Oh, Satan will tempt you. Most likely he’ll not tempt you with the gross sins with which he tempts others. But Satan’s goal isn’t really to plunge us into gross sins. Satan simply wants to drive a wedge between you and the Lord, to turn you aside from the path that leads to fellowship with God and to fulfillment. The path God has laid out beforehand for you.

What are we to do? Come to know God’s Word. Trust God’s Word. Meet doubt with faith. And live daily lives of obedience, leaving the outcome of each day’s choices to our God.