Jesus of Nazareth declared to Simon Barjona, whom He nicknamed “petro,” meaning a small pebble, that He, Jesus, would build His church on “this Rock,” (Petra) meaning a mountain.  This mountain, as Daniel explained to King Nebuchadnezzar concerning his vision, would smash to nothingness the world-ruling political/military beast that will be ruling the world in the final days of her existence  (Dan. 2:35,45).  The mountain would then spread over and rule the entire earth as head of His church comprised of His obedient servants who obeyed His written word during their time in their previous lives.

But before any of those things could happen a monumental battle had to be fought between the One (Jesus) Who would spread throughout the earth and rule it forever and Satan, who was then and still is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4).  As a man, Jesus had to do battle with and conquer him .  As a man He had to set the example for those who would follow in His spiritual footsteps, who would “walk as He (Jesus) walked” and “… overcome even as I (Jesus) overcame” (Satan)–1 Jn. 2:6/ Rev. 3:21.  Before the future Messiah could command other men to overcome Satan, He, as a man like all other men, had to overcome him by rejecting his (Satan) temptations to sin while being tempted as are all other men (Heb. 4:15).  This world (social systems) belong to Satan.  Jesus had to defeat the devil on his turf as the example for all who desire to join Him on His throne in the Kingdom of God (Rev. 3:21).  As a man like all other men Jesus had to endure every temptation Satan threw at Him and not sin.  Because He overcame Satan, He could require those who would join Him in the Kingdom of God to also overcome him.

In order to become mankind’s Savior, Jesus had to live a life of holiness, physically die and come back to life.  In the same sense, man must die to sin, Satan and self symbolized in water baptism by emersion, rise to new life (come out of the “death” of baptism) and the walk “in newness of life” (holiness) in order to receive salvation upon Christ’s return.  Spiritually, the old, sinning man must die; all things must be made new (2 Cor. 5:17/ Gal. 6:15/ Eph. 4:24).  The “new man” is created in the image and likeness of the Lord and live as the Lord lived in order to join Him in the future.  The new man must grow spiritually until he “comes to the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ (Eph. 4:13).  Once on that spiritual plane the new man must stay the course.  IF a saint happens to sin, Jesus will plead his case and set him back on the right track (1 Jn. 2:1).  The saint’s sin having separated him from God (Isa. 59:2), his Advocate will arrange a reunion between God and the saint.  However, if the saint continues to sin, the separation becomes permanent.  Simply put: WE MUST LIVE LIKE CHRIST NOW IN ORDER TO LIVE WITH HIM LATER.  Now let us take a historical look into the Titanic battle that took place between a near-dead Jesus and the god of the whole world.  Jesus knew that being religious would not qualify Him for the position to which He had been sent to earth.  He knew He had to qualify for the role of Messiah/Savior.  To qualify He, as a man like all other men, had to endure Satan’s temptations and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, overcome them.  As is the case with all human beings, Jesus had to rely on the power of God in His war with Satan.  Without the power of the Holy Spirit a man, including the man Jesus, has no chance against the ruler of this present world.  Now let us turn Matthew chapter four.

Jesus had just ended a 40-day fast which had rendered Him nearly dead.  Satan, who knew what was happening and what would happen 3 1/2 years later, and why, knew that this would be an excellent opportunity to convince the Son of God to sin, thereby turning the world, its people and their civilizations over to him, tempted the Lord using the best spiritual and physical tools he had in his temptation arsenal.

We find this battle of wills taking place in Matthew four.  In verse three we find the devil tempting Jesus with food.  In reply, Jesus quoted a passage of Scripture which states that man must live, not by physical food alone, by every Word that comes from the mouth of God.  Satan then tempted Him to prove His Sonship by jumping off the Jerusalem wall.  I have stood in that place on the wall looking down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat.  It is a long way down to the bottom of that valley which will one day run with blood some four feet deep.  Jesus again quoted Scripture as His defensive weapon.  As a last resort Satan, knowing the horror that Jesus would later suffer, offered Him a painless way to receive “… all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” without having to suffer and die.  All He needed only to worshiping him.  Again, Christ’s response was to quote Scripture.  Notice that the Son of God quoted Old Testament Scripture (Deut. 8:3; 6:16,13).  As our example of how to deal with Satan today, Jesus used the Old Testament, thereby proving that He did not come to earth to destroy it, as He plainly says in Matthew 5:17, but rather to fulfill it–obey it to the fullest.  His apostles would later use the Old Testament in teaching the New Testament Church the ways of God.  The New Testament did not come into being until all of the original apostles except John had been martyred.  The Old Testament provides much of the “fine print” needed to understand the promises of the New Testament.

During the temptation, Satan did what his prophets would later do in order to deceive the masses into following their god: he quoted Scripture in order to tempt Jesus to following him (Ps. 91:11).  In so doing he did what all of his future pastors, evangelists, teachers, witnesses, etc. would do–HE MISAPPLIED THE SCRIPTURES HE QUOTED BY TWISTING THEIR CONTEXTURAL MEANINGS.  This is why we must always be aware of God’s “fine print” which keeps Satan from deceiving us with his man-centered false gospels.  Jesus’ defense against Satan was the Holy Bible.  When he tempted Jesus to prove who He was by using a “headline” (if He would jump, God’s angels would catch Him–vs 6).  Jesus came back with the appropriate “fine print”–not even He could tempt God (vs 7).

Jesus used Scripture to repel Satan’s temptations.  We can do the same.  What worked for Christ will work for those who believe God and obey His Word as did He.  For His Word to work for us in our war against Satan’s temptations we must know His Holy Word, believe it and obey it.

Having taken Satan’s best shots and having overcome them, Jesus had qualified to be man’s Messiah.  From that moment on the Gospel–the good news of the coming Kingdom of God–could be preached throughout the world.  Christ’s victory over Satan guaranteed that the kingdom would indeed be created and that those who overcame him would be allowed to enter into it.  Through it all–the rejection, the persecution, the beating, the crucifixion–Jesus remained sinless, thereby qualifying for His “inheritance”–the earth and the universe.  Being joint-heirs and fellow recipients of His inheritance, those who follow His example of holiness in this life will be resurrected, reborn, saved and placed in the Kingdom of God upon His return.  Read Born Again and The Kingdom of God.  Key words–Born and Kingdom respectively.  Coming up: why Jesus built His church.  L.J.