Satan Determined to Win

From the time when the Commander of heaven was a baby in Bethlehem, the evil one continually attacked Him. In the councils of Satan with his angels, it was determined that He must be overcome.HH 45.7

The forces of evil followed Him closely to engage in warfare against Him and to overcome Him if possible.HH 46.1

At the Savior’s baptism, Satan heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to Jesus’ divinity. Now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. Before this, He had communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Now it was clear that the connection between God and mankind had been restored.HH 46.2

Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered. He rallied all the energies of apostasy against Christ.HH 46.3

Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no particular effect on their own life. But within every human heart, the conflict is repeated. The enticements Christ resisted were those we find so difficult to withstand. With the weight of the sins of the world on Him, Christ withstood the test on appetite, on the love of the world, and on a love of display that leads to presumption. These were the temptations that overcame Adam and Eve and that overcome us so easily.HH 46.4

Satan had pointed to Adam’s sin as proof that no one could obey God’s law. In our humanity, Christ was to succeed where Adam failed. But when Adam was attacked by the tempter, he had none of the effects of sin on him. He stood in the strength of perfect manhood, possessing full vigor of mind and body. Surrounded with the glories of Eden, he was in daily fellowship with heavenly beings.HH 46.5

It was not this way with Jesus when He entered the wilderness to cope with Satan. For four thousand years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral worth; and Christ took on Himself the weaknesses of degenerated humanity. Only in this way could He rescue us from the lowest depths of our degradation.HH 46.6