The Desire of Ages
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 13: The Victory
This chapter is based on Matt. 4:5-11; Mark 1:12-13;
Luke 4:5-13.
"Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and
setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son
of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written,—
"He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee:
And in their hands they shall bear Thee up,
Lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone." {DA 124.1}
Satan now supposes that he has met Jesus on His own ground.
The wily foe himself presents words that proceeded from the mouth of God. He
still appears as an angel of light, and he makes it evident that he is
acquainted with the Scriptures, and understands the import of what is written.
As Jesus before used the word of God to sustain His faith, the tempter now uses
it to countenance his deception. He claims that he has been only testing the
fidelity of Jesus, and he now commends His steadfastness. As the Saviour has
manifested trust in God, Satan urges Him to give still another evidence of His
faith. {DA 124.2}
But again the temptation is prefaced with the insinuation of
distrust, "If Thou be the Son of God." Christ was tempted to
answer the "if;" but He refrained from the slightest acceptance of
the doubt. He would not imperil His life in order to give evidence to Satan. [125]
{DA 124.3}
The tempter thought to take advantage of Christ's humanity,
and urge Him to presumption. But while Satan can solicit, he cannot compel to
sin. He said to Jesus, "Cast Thyself down," knowing that he could not
cast Him down; for God would interpose to deliver Him. Nor could Satan force
Jesus to cast Himself down. Unless Christ should consent to temptation, He
could not be overcome. Not all the power of earth or hell could force Him in
the slightest degree to depart from the will of His Father. {DA 125.1}
The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot
control minds unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent,
faith must let go its hold upon Christ, before Satan can exercise his power
upon us. But every sinful desire we cherish affords him a foothold. Every point
in which we fail of meeting the divine standard is an open door by which he can
enter to tempt and destroy us. And every failure or defeat on our part gives
occasion for him to reproach Christ. {DA 125.2}
When Satan quoted the promise, "He shall give His
angels charge over Thee," he omitted the words, "to keep Thee in all
Thy ways;" that is, in all the ways of God's choosing. Jesus refused to go
outside the path of obedience. While manifesting perfect trust in His Father,
He would not place Himself, unbidden, in a position that would necessitate the
interposition of His Father to save Him from death. He would not force
Providence to come to His rescue, and thus fail of giving man an example of
trust and submission. {DA
125.3}
Jesus declared to Satan, "It is written again, Thou
shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." These words were spoken by Moses to the
children of Israel when they thirsted in the desert, and demanded that Moses
should give them water, exclaiming, "Is the Lord among [126]
us, or not?" Exodus 17:7. God had wrought marvelously for them; yet in
trouble they doubted Him, and demanded evidence that He was with them. In their
unbelief they sought to put Him to the test. And Satan was urging Christ to do
the same thing. God had already testified that Jesus was His Son; and now to
ask for proof that He was the Son of God would be putting God's word to the
test,—tempting Him. And the same would be true of asking for that
which God had not promised. It would manifest distrust, and be really proving,
or tempting, Him. We should not present our petitions to God to prove
whether He will fulfill His word, but because He will fulfill it; not to
prove that He loves us, but because He loves us. "Without faith it is
impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6.
{DA 125.4}
But faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who
has true faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan's
counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God's promises, and brings forth fruit in
obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to
excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love
of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law,
believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their
sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the
conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in
the promises and provisions of the Scriptures. {DA 126.1}
Often when Satan has failed of exciting distrust, he
succeeds in leading us to presumption. If he can cause us to place ourselves
unnecessarily in the way of temptation, he knows that the victory is his. God
will preserve all who walk in the path of obedience; but to depart from it is
to venture on Satan's ground. There we are sure to fall. The Saviour has bidden
us, "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Mark 14:38.
Meditation and prayer would keep us from rushing unbidden into the way of
danger, and thus we should be saved from many a defeat. {DA 126.2}
Yet we should not lose courage when assailed by temptation.
Often when placed in a trying situation we doubt that the Spirit of God has
been leading us. But it was the Spirit's leading that brought Jesus into the
wilderness to be tempted by Satan. When God brings us into trial, He has a
purpose to accomplish for our good. Jesus did not presume on God's promises by
going unbidden into temptation, neither did He give [129] up to
despondency when temptation came upon Him. Nor should we. "God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but
will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear
it." He says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the
Most High: and call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and
thou shalt glorify Me." 1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalm 50:14, 15. {DA 126.3}
Jesus was victor in the second temptation, and now Satan
manifests himself in his true character. But he does not appear as a hideous
monster, with cloven feet and bat's wings. He is a mighty angel, though fallen.
He avows himself the leader of rebellion and the god of this world. {DA 129.1}
Placing Jesus upon a high mountain, Satan caused the
kingdoms of the world, in all their glory, to pass in panoramic view before
Him. The sunlight lay on templed cities, marble palaces, fertile fields, and
fruit-laden vineyards. The traces of evil were hidden. The eyes of Jesus, so
lately greeted by gloom and desolation, now gazed upon a scene of unsurpassed
loveliness and prosperity. Then the tempter's voice was heard: "All this
power will I give Thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me;
and to whomsoever I will I give it. If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all
shall be Thine." {DA
129.2}
Christ's mission could be fulfilled only through suffering.
Before Him was a life of sorrow, hardship, and conflict, and an ignominious
death. He must bear the sins of the whole world. He must endure separation from
His Father's love. Now the tempter offered to yield up the power he had
usurped. Christ might deliver Himself from the dreadful future by acknowledging
the supremacy of Satan. But to do this was to yield the victory in the great
controversy. It was in seeking to exalt himself above the Son of God that Satan
had sinned in heaven. Should he prevail now, it would be the triumph of
rebellion. {DA 129.3}
When Satan declared to Christ, The kingdom and glory of the
world are delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it, he stated what
was true only in part, and he declared it to serve his own purpose of
deception. Satan's dominion was that wrested from Adam, but Adam was the
vicegerent of the Creator. His was not an independent rule. The earth is God's,
and He has committed all things to His Son. Adam was to reign subject to
Christ. When Adam betrayed his sovereignty into Satan's hands, Christ still
remained the rightful King. Thus the Lord had said to King Nebuchadnezzar,
"The Most High ruleth in the [130] kingdom of men, and giveth it to
whomsoever He will." Daniel 4:17. Satan can exercise his usurped authority
only as God permits. {DA
129.4}
When the tempter offered to Christ the kingdom and glory of
the world, he was proposing that Christ should yield up the real kingship of
the world, and hold dominion subject to Satan. This was the same dominion upon
which the hopes of the Jews were set. They desired the kingdom of this world.
If Christ had consented to offer them such a kingdom, they would gladly have
received Him. But the curse of sin, with all its woe, rested upon it. Christ
declared to the tempter, "Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written,
Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." {DA 130.1}
By the one who had revolted in heaven the kingdoms of this
world were offered Christ, to buy His homage to the principles of evil; but He
would not be bought; He had come to establish a kingdom of righteousness, and
He would not abandon His purpose. With the same temptation Satan approaches
men, and here he has better success than with Christ. To men he offers the
kingdom of this world on condition that they will acknowledge his supremacy. He
requires that they sacrifice integrity, disregard conscience, indulge
selfishness. Christ bids them seek first the kingdom of God, and His
righteousness; but Satan walks by their side and says: Whatever may be true in
regard to life eternal, in order to make a success in this world you must serve
me. I hold your welfare in my hands. I can give you riches, pleasures, honor,
and happiness. Hearken to my counsel. Do not allow yourselves to be carried
away with whimsical notions of honesty or self-sacrifice. I will prepare the
way before you. Thus multitudes are deceived. They consent to live for the
service of self, and Satan is satisfied. While he allures them with the hope of
worldly dominion, he gains dominion over the soul. But he offers that which is
not his to bestow, and which is soon to be wrested from him. In return he
beguiles them of their title to the inheritance of the sons of God. {DA 130.2}
Satan had questioned whether Jesus was the Son of God. In
his summary dismissal he had proof that he could not gainsay. Divinity flashed
through suffering humanity. Satan had no power to resist the command. Writhing
with humiliation and rage, he was forced to withdraw from the presence of the
world's Redeemer. Christ's victory was as complete as had been the failure of
Adam. {DA 130.3}
So we may resist temptation, and force Satan to depart from
us. Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by [131]
the apostle He says to us, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to
you." James 4:7, 8. We cannot save ourselves from the tempter's power; he
has conquered humanity, and when we try to stand in our own strength, we shall
become a prey to his devices; but "the name of the Lord is a strong tower:
the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Proverbs 18:10. Satan
trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty
name. {DA 130.4}
After the foe had departed, Jesus fell exhausted to the
earth, with the pallor of death upon His face. The angels of heaven had watched
the conflict, beholding their loved Commander as He passed through
inexpressible suffering to make a way of escape for us. He had endured the
test, greater than we shall ever be called to endure. The angels now ministered
to the Son of God as He lay like one dying. He was strengthened with food,
comforted with the message of His Father's love and the assurance that all
heaven triumphed in His victory. Warming to life again, His great heart goes
out in sympathy for man, and He goes forth to complete the work He has begun;
to rest not until the foe is vanquished, and our fallen race redeemed. {DA 131.1}
Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the
redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the
glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember
that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the
heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we
shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, "Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honor, and glory, and blessing." Revelation 5:12. {DA 131.2}
Click here to read the next chapter:
"We Have Found the Messias"
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