Emva kokubaptizwa kukaYesu eJordan, wakhokelelwa ngoMoya entlango, ukuba ahendwe nguSatana. UMoya oyiNgcwele wayemlungiselele eso siganeko sisodwa sezihendo ezoyikekayo. Imihla emashumi mane wahendwa nguSatana, waza kuloo mihla akadla nto. Yonke into eyayimngqongile yayingabukeki, into ke leyo isimo sobuntu esiyinqwanqwayo. Waye namaramncwa asendle kunye nomtyholi, endaweni eyinkangala nesithukuthezi. UNyana kaThixo waye matshekile engcungcuthekile ngenxa yokuzila ukudla nokubandezeleka. Kodwa indlela yakhe yayiphauliwe, emelwe kukufeza umsebenzi awayeze ukuba enze wona. IL 177.2
USatana walitsibela ithuba lokubandezeleka koNyana kaThixo walungiselela ukumraula ngezihendo ezininzi, ethembhe ukumoyisa, ngenxa yokuba waye zithobile waba ngumntu. USatana wezi nesi sihendo: “Ukuba unguNyana kaThixo, yitsho kwelilitye libe sisonka.” Wamhenda uYesu ukuba avume ukumnika umqondiso wokuba unguye uMesiya, ngokusebenzisa amandla akhe obuthixo. UYesu wamphendula ngokupholileyo, ngokuthi, “Kubhaliwe kwathiwa, Akungasonka sodwa aya kuphila umntu; kungamazwi onke aphuma emlonyeni kaThixo.” Luka 4: 3, 4. IL 177.3
USatana wayezama ukuphikisana noYesu mayela nokuba nguNyana kaThixo kwakhe. Wathetha ngemeko yakhe yobuthathaka nokubandezeleka eziqha- yisa ngokuthi unamandla yena angaphezu kwakaYesu. Kodwa izwi elathethwa livela ezulwini, elithi, “UnguNyana warn oyintanda, endikholisiweyo nguye” (Luka 3: 22), lalanele ukumxhasa uYesu kuko konke ukubandezeleka kwakhe. Ndabona ukuba uKristu wayengenanto yokwenza ukwanelisa uSatana ngamandla akhe okanye ngokuba ngumSindisi wehlabathi kwakhe. USatana unobunqhina obaneleyo bebanga eliphakamileyo negunya loNyana kaThixo. Ukungavumi kwakhe ukuthobela igunya likaKristu kuko okwamvalela ngaphandle kwezulu. IL 177.4
USatana, ukubonakalalisa amandla akhe, wamthwalela uYesu eJerusalem wammisa eluchochoyini lwetempile, wamhenda apho ukuba anike ubunqhina bokuba unguNyana kaThixo ngokuziphosa phantsi kulomphakamo ubanga isizunguzane. USatana weza ngamazwi aphefumlelweyo, athi: “Kuba kubhaliwe kwathiwa, Uya kuziwisela umthetho ngawe izithunywa zakhe, ukuba zikugcine; ziya kukufukula ngezandla, hleze ubetheke etyeni ngonyawo lwakho.” UYesu ukuphendula wathi kuye, “Kuthiwe, Uze ungayihendi iNkosi uThixo wakho.” Luka 4: 10-12. USatana wayefuna ukumenza uYesu ukuba abe nobugasa ngenceba kaYise abeke emngciphekweni ubomi bakhe ngaphambhi kokufezwa komsebenzi wakhe. Wayethembhe ukuba icebo losindiso liya kutshitsha; kodwa icebo lalisekwe ngokunzulu kakhulu ukuba libe nokuchithwa okanye lonakaliswe nguSatana. IL 178.1
UKristu ungumzekelo wawo onke amaKristu. Akuba ehendwa, okanye amalungelo awo ephikiswa, ma wakuthwale ooko ngonyamezelo. Ma wangaziva ukuba anelungelo lokubiza kuThixo ukuba abonakalalise imbonakaliso yamandla akhe ukuba bazuze uloyiso phezu kweentshaba zawo, ngaphandle kokuba uThixo unokubekwa azukiswe kanye ngako oko. Ukuba uYesu waye ziphose phantsi esuka kolochochoyi lwetempile, oko kwa kungayi kumzukisa uYise, kuba kwa kungekho owayeya kusibona esisenzo ngaphandle koSatana nezithunywa zikaThixo. Kwa kuya kuba kukumlinga nje uThixo ukuba abonakalalise amandla akhe kolona tshaba lwakhe lukrakra. Bekuya kuba kukuvumelana nalowo uYesu awayeze kumoyisa. IL 178.2
“Umtyholi, emnyuse entabeni ephakamileyo, wambonisa zonke izikumkani zelimiweyo, ngesiquphe sexesha. Wathi ke umtyholi kuye, ndokunika bonke obu bukhosi bazo nozuko lwazo; ngokuba bunikelwe kum; nosukuba ndithanda ndiyamnika bona. Ukuba ngoko uthe wena waqubuda phambhi kwam, konke oko koba kokwakho. UYesu wamphendula wathi, Suka umke, uye emva kwam, Satana, ngokuba kubhaliwe kwathiwa, Uze uqubude eNkosini uThixo wakho, ukhonze yena yedwa.” Luka 4: 5-8. IL 179.1
USatana wazibonisa kuYesu izikumkani zomhlaba zonke ngeyona ndlela inomtsalane kanye. Ukuba uYesu ebeya kuthi nje khona apho aqubude kuye, wathembhisa ukulincama ibango lakhe lobuninizinto zalomhlaba. Ukuba icebo losindiso belingaphumelela aze uYesu afele ukukhulula umntu ngentlaulelo, uSatana wayesazi ukuba igunya lakhe laliza kusikelwa umda lize lithatyathwe ekugqibeleni, nokokuba yena uya kutshatyalaliswa. Ngako oko ke yayi licebo lakhe elilungiselelweyo ukuthintela, ukuba kunokwenzeka, ukufezwa kwalomsebenzi mkhulu owawuqaliwe nguNyana kaThixo. Ukuba belinokungaphumeleli icebo lokusindiswa komntu, uSatana wayeya kubugcina ubukumkani obo awaye bubanga ngoko. Ukuze xa athe waphumelela, wazithembhisa ngokuba uya kulaula ngokuchasene noThixo wezulu. IL 179.2