THE DEVIL’S MISTAKES
By W. G. Guy
When the devil tried to temp Jesus to sin, he bit off more than he could chew. He tried to use the same three areas of vulnerability that caused him to be thrown out of his heavenly position before God. The devil, himself was overcome by selfishness and pride. He knows how powerful these enticements are, and he successfully used them on Adam’s wife in the garden.
Since then, these three enticements have been the source of human vulnerability throughout all the world. These three enticements are listed in for us:
1 John 2:16 – For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
These three can be summed up as “I want, I will, and I am”: or simply lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and pride or position in life. All three of these issues manifested in the devil which caused him to lose his place in heaven. Since he was very familiar with their power, he has employed these to oppose mankind; because man was made in the image and likeness of God, which he despised.
Notice how the devil tempted the wife of Adam with these three.
Genesis 3:5-6 – for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods. ,And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise ….
Lust of the eye, the fruit had eye appeal to be desired: lust of the flesh, is the desire to satisfy the body: the pride of life, which focuses on one’s own position and stature in this world. What Eve failed to recognize is that she was already like God, being made in His image and likeness. But the devil had her focus on being independent of God, just as he was attempting to be; as a little god, as stated:
Isaiah 14:13-14 – For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the side of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Notice the devil’s emphasis on pride saying, “I will” multiple times. It was his pride and selfishness that brought him down. Just as it is written:
Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
The devil tries to use the same three temptations on Jesus because they worked so well on Eve to accomplish what he wanted. (Note: he gained dominance over the earth and the worlds systems and kingdoms when he got Adam and Eve to submit to his ploy.)
Jesus had to be tempted in the same way that happened in the garden so He could be qualified to be the sacrifice for all of mankind’s sins.
Hebrews 4:14-15 – Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
The following records the devil’s three same attempts to get Jesus to sin.
Luke 4:1-4 – And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
The devil’s mistake with this temptation is that JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE, as it is also written. He had no need to make physical bread.
John 6:35 & 51 – And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. …. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
(Note that Jesus responded with the Word of God that was already established in writing. Note also the devil’s challenge as to who He is, “If thou be the Son of God”.)
The next tempting was an even greater mistake by the devil.
Luke 4:5-8 – And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
It is amazing to think that the devil could tempt Jesus with having possession and domino over all of the kingdoms of the world with all of its sin, violence and corruption. Jesus created it all, and owns it all, and came for the purpose of redeeming it all; as is written.
John 1:3 & 10 – All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ….He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the LORD’S, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.
Colossians 1:16-17 – for by him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
The next tempting was a challenge as to who Jesus is: and for this one the devil even uses, “It is written”, (from Psalm 91), which he has no authority to use.
Luke 4:9-12 – And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
The devil’s mistake here is, because he is a liar and the father of lies, he refuses to acknowledge the sovereignty of almighty God, and His Son, Jesus the Christ.
Jesus did not have to prove to the devil who he is, as being the Son of God, the devil already knew it; but he tries to get Jesus to question, or doubt his position, because he lowered himself to now be in the form of a man.
Psalm 8:4-6 – what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: …
Hebrews 2:7-9 – Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownest him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross restores the dominion that man had over the earth that was lost in the garden due to sin. Therefore we need to recognize and defeat all the temptations of the devil that are aimed to steal, kill and destroy. We overcome all such things by the power and authority of Jesus’, name and by the power of the Holy Spirit that is given to us to be more than conquerors over this enemy.
Don’t allow yourself to be duped by this thieving liar by knowing Jesus, His Word, and the authority He gave us by believing in His name.
John 14:14 – And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
And this Word began to be fulfilled after Pentecost when believers received the power of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 16:17-20 – And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
The devil’s mistakes have led to our divine blessings as Jesus fulfilled that which was prophesied. Thus we who believe can walk with Jesus here on earth in victory over the devil, his lies and deceits.
John 14:12-13 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Thus the just shall walk and live by faith, not by sight; and we shall overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.
1 John 5:4-5 – For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
