Satan, Christ, us: an exercise in perspective

by Dan Phillips

In my reading of Luke, I was bowled over afresh by the unimaginable, mind-blowing audacity of Luke 4:7 — "If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."

This being who is speaking knows who he is talking to. The religious leaders didn't, the masses didn't, Jesus' own brothers didn't. His parents had at least a glimmer. Even His own students would be slow in putting everything together, and then only by an act of divine revelation.

But the speaker knew. Satan knew.

He was fully aware that he is talking to the Second Person of the Trinity, to God incarnate. His minions just could not keep their mouths shut about that fact (Mark 3:11). He had the facts, whatever nightmare tangle he'd since made of them. He was aware that this one before him created heaven and earth, was the Father's dear Son, had the real right to rule over all.

And yet, hear him speak here! Listen to him. Just try to wrap your mind around what he is trying to do, what he presents as his grand offer to the Son.

Satan clearly actually strikes the pose that he can cut a deal with the Son, that his proposition just might swerve Jesus from the course His Father assigned Him. If he went for Satan's alternative, Jesus would not redeem mankind, would not fulfill the Father's will, would not execute the eternal counsel of the Trinity, would not set in motion the eventual redemption of the universe — all because of this little bauble Satan dangles before Him.

And even the bauble was created by the One he addresses. In fact, in those words of v. 6 (ἐμοὶ παραδέδοται, "to me it has been handed over") — by whom were these things delivered (Col 1:16)?

If Satan can stand in front of Jesus and talk this way without dissolving into a quivering puddle of abject "please-don't-destroy-me" terror, what can we suppose that we represent to him? How must he see us?

What an incentive not to allow the least little bit of daylight between us and the Lord. Facing an adversary of this magnitude of sheer hubris, we are no match. We can only do as our Lord did, and stand on Scripture — and, by means of Scripture, stand really, really close to Him (John 14:21, 23; cf. Eph. 6:10ff.).

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"For a time"

by Dan Phillips

NOTE: today's was-going-to-be post was premised on an expected snail-mail arrival... which didn't. So instead, I offer you this brief hortatory thought.

The fourth chapter of Luke's gospel relates Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. The narrative concludes with these words (Luke 4:13):

Καὶ συντελέσας πάντα πειρασμὸν ὁ διάβολος ἀπέστη ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἄχρι καιροῦ.

And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

The Devil exposed Jesus to an array of temptation, and was met at every turn by Scripture, and by an unshakable reliance thereupon. Matthew relates that our Lord ordered Satan to leave (Matthew 4:10). Luke agrees that he did so... adding, "until an opportune time."

Just mull that one over a bit. Satan had gained not a yard, not a foot; not a centimeter, not a millimeter. In Jesus, he had found no sympathetic response, no wavering, no quivering, not the least inclination to yield.

Yet when he left, it was only for a time. He would be back. He wasn't finished. He'd try again.

My simply cautionary thought to myself and to you is: if thus with Christ, then certainly thus with us as well.

In the movie version of the "Lord of the Rings," Smeagol tells his Gollum-personna to leave and never return. He leaves... and returns.

So we may tell our "Gollum" to leave us forever, and we may mean it heartily... but Satan's forces at best will only leave us until a good opportunity, in this life. I mean good heavens, just think about it: Satan never once scored the slightest hint of a victory off of Jesus. He has scored many off of us, on our best days. Do you really think he'll give up? On the likes of you and me? When he never gave up on Jesus? Foolish, foolish, foolish thought.

But it won't be forever, for the believer. Thank God, it won't be forever.

Until then, watch, pray, be on guard. Some of the finest Christians I knew fell horribly. We're no better, nor is our enemy duller nor less persistent.

God hasten the day when the parting will be total, final, and eternal!

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