126 JESUS TEMPTED.

 

tries to overthrow God’s purpose of mercy by tempting
Jesus.

Satan knew that God required a perfect Savior, one
who had kept all the commandments, end never did
wrong. He knew if he could only get Jesus to sin, then
he could not be our Savior, for Satan doesn’t want us
to be saved. He wants us to be just as ugly, and un-
happy, and miserable as he is. But the Devil did not
succeed, for Jesus would not listen to him, and so gained ©
a glorious victory for us. We now have hope of heaven
again.

When Satan found he could not destroy God’s plan
for our salvation, by leading Jesus to sin, he then turned
all his power upon us, to keep us from coming to Jesus. to
be saved. Whenever we are tempted to do wrong, to lie,
to steal, to disobey our parents, or break the sabbath,
_ we may know it is the Devil. He is trying to. make us
very wicked, like himself, and keep us from happiness and
heaven. But the Bible says: “ Resist the Devil and he
will flee from you.” When Jesus was tempted, he met
the Devil with the Bible every time, and this is what we
must do. I mean by this, when we are tempted to tell
an untruth, just tell Satan, that the Bible says: “Thou
shalt not lie.” Satan does not like the word of God, and .
he will soon leave us, as he left Jesus.