From Heaven With Love

Satan Determined to Prevail

From the time when the Commander of heaven was a babe in Bethlehem, He was continually assailed by the evil one. In the councils of Satan it was determined that He should be overcome. HLv 70.3

The forces of evil were set upon His track to engage in warfare against Him, and if possible to prevail over Him. HLv 70.4

At the Saviour's baptism, Satan heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the divinity of Jesus. Now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Now it was manifest that the connection between God and man had been restored. HLv 70.5

Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered. All the energies of apostasy were rallied against Christ. HLv 70.6

Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no special bearing on their own life. But within every human heart it is repeated. The enticements Christ resisted were those we find so difficult to withstand. With the weight of the sins of the world upon Him, Christ withstood the test on appetite, on the love of the world, and on that love of display which leads to presumption. These were the temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily overcome us. HLv 70.7

Satan had pointed to Adam's sin as proof that God's law could not be obeyed. In our humanity, Christ was to redeem Adam's failure. But when Adam was assailed by the tempter, none of the effects of sin were upon him. He stood in the strength of perfect manhood, possessing full vigor of mind and body. Surrounded with the glories of Eden, he was in daily communion with heavenly beings. HLv 71.1

It was not thus with Jesus when He entered the wilderness to cope with Satan. For 4000 years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity. Only thus could He rescue man from the lowest depths of his degradation. HLv 71.2