Christ's Threefold Temptation in the Wilderness

Satan had declared to his associate angels that he would overcome Christ on the point of appetite. He hoped to gain a victory over Him in His weakness.—The Signs of the Times, April 4, 1900.TA 170.4

Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered. The issues of the conflict involved too much to be entrusted to his confederate angels. He must personally conduct the warfare.—The Desire of Ages, 116.TA 171.1

While in the wilderness, Christ fasted, but He was insensible to hunger.... He spent the time in earnest prayer, shut in with God. It was as if He were in the presence of His Father.... The thought of the warfare before Him made Him oblivious to all else, and His soul was fed with the bread of life.... He saw the breaking of Satan's power over fallen and tempted ones. He saw Himself healing the sick, comforting the hopeless, cheering the desponding, and preaching the gospel to the poor—doing the work that God had outlined for Him; and He did not realize any sense of hunger until the forty days of His fast were ended.TA 171.2

The vision passed away, and then, with strong craving, Christ's human nature called for food. Now was Satan's opportunity to make his assault. He resolved to appear as one of the angels of light that had appeared to Christ in His vision.—Manuscript Releases 21:8, 9.TA 171.3

Suddenly an angel appears before Him [Christ], apparently one of the angels that He saw not long since.... The words from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” were still sounding in the ears of Satan. But he was determined to make Christ disbelieve this testimony.—Manuscript Releases 21:9.TA 171.4

Satan appeared to Him [Christ] ... as a beautiful angel from heaven, claiming that he had a commission from God to declare the Saviour's fast at an end.—The Review and Herald, January 14, 1909.TA 171.5

He [Satan] told the Redeemer that He need fast no longer, that His long abstinence was accepted by the Father, that He had gone far enough, and that He was at liberty to work a miracle in His own behalf.—The Signs of the Times, July 29, 1889.TA 172.1

Believing that the angelic character he [Satan] had assumed defied detection, he now feigned to doubt the divinity of Christ.—The Spirit of Prophecy 2:91.TA 172.2