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13 - The Desire of Ages - Ellen Gould · Philosophy and Faith

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