The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 145

of such a master of image-working we place ourselves at the mercy of the impersona- tion of cruelty. II. THAT BAT.AN WIELDS HIS ENERGIES WITH SUBTLETY, 1. He selects a wilderness as the theatre of his operations. (1) .A wilderness, in the natural sense, is a wild, uncultivated waste. Such certainly was the desert of Sinai. In the metaphorical sense it is a state of mental solitude, depression, perplexity, or suffering. (2) In such a state Satan finds us at a disadvantage, and then plies his arts with vigour. When the spirit is bruised ·he would excite in us rebellious thoughts of God and harsh thoughts of men. 2. He practises adroitly upon our necessities. (1) Our Lord was "an hungered," and Satan tempted him to supply his need by supernatural means. If he finds us an hungered he may tempt us to supply our need by illicit means. He would have us justify thievery under the plea of necessity. (2) The temptation is to distrust Providence. That Providence cannot lack resources which fed a nation in the wilderness for forty years. .Angels in due time ministered to Jesus-brought him food ( cf. 1 Kings xix. 4---8). (3) " Man does not live by bread alone." The animal part of the man lives on bread; the nobler part of the man is nourished by faith in the Word of God. The spirit must not be starved in unbelief to supply the wants of the body. He that feeds the soul will feed the body also (eh. vi 33). 3. He turns our w,n,pons against 11s. (1) If we sa.y, "It is written," Satan also will say, "It is written." He will take care to put his own interpretation upon the Scripture he quotes. Therefore we must say, "It is written again." To do this we must study the Scriptures. The Scriptures are the best interpreters of themselves. To the com- parison of spiritual things Satan has no answer. Ignorance is danger. (2) If we pro- fess to trust in God, Satan will tempt us to trust in our faith alone. " Cast thyself down: for it is written," etc. He would push our confidence to the extreme of pre- sumption. 4. He "bids up" for the soul of the good. (1) He will, if possible, subvert us with trifles. Satan has a ma.lignant pleasure in vanquishing and destroying us with trifles. (2) Where trifles will not serve, he bids higher. 'l'o Christ he offered "all the kingdoms of the world." The bribe which Christ refused .Antichrist accepts (cf. Rev. xiii. 2, 4, 8). (3) Every man has not his price. There have been those who have Li.id down their lives for the truth. The race of the martyrs is not extinct. III. THAT GoD SUPERINTENDS THE CONFLIOTB 011' HIS BAJNTB. 1. He strengthen, them/or the batt"8. (1) "This is my beloved Son. . . . Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit," eto. (2) So the Transfiguration, wherein the pores of the body of Jesus wero avenues for the streaming glory, was preparatory to that ordeal of agony in Geth- semane, wherein the same pores became the avenues for his blood. (3) In your con- flicts remember your baptisms. "Do not question the validity of your baptism because it was succeeded by a fierce temptation" (Dr. Parker). 2. He permits temp- tatiooafor graci(J'U,8 ends. (1) Christ was Divine, therefore invulnerable. Why, then, was he "led up of the Spirit" to be tempted? For our benefit. That he might be our Exemplar. (2) Temptations are our educators. Who can grow in patience, in long-suffering, in courage, without trial? 8. He retains Satan under his oontrol. (1) Satan was permitted to convey Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple (Alford sup- poses this to have been the royal portico of Herod, overlooking at a fearful height the valley of Jehoshaphat). Satan was not permitted to push him over. He was per- mitted to convey Jesus to the summit of the mountain. He was restrained from dashing his foot against a stone. (2) The will of God, as a chain, limits and restrains the evil one. This Satan confesses (cf. Luke iv. 6). Remarkable illustrations of this principle are furnished in the history of Job (i. 12; ii. 6). (3) That will in aefined in the promises for our confidence and comfort (see 1 Cor. x. 13; Heb. ii. 18). 4,, He gives final victory to the /aitltful. (1) The "forty days" of our Lord's tempta- tion in the wilderness correspond to the "forty years" of Israel's pilgrimage. This is evident from the allusion to the manna (cf. vers. 1-4 with Deut. viii. 3). Both may be taken as representing the pilgrimage of life. (2) .AB the temptation became fierce at the close of the forty days, so may we expect fierce assaults towards the c10ll8 of OUJ pilgrimage. (3) But Satan will leave us at death. "Then," viz. at the end of the forty dayL "Then," viz. when Jesus resolutely avowed his complete devotion to God -" the devH leaveth him." (4) The rout of Satan is the signal for the ministry of angels. With a convoy of angels the victorious Spirit ascends to heaven.--J. A. M. 136 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MA'l'THEW. [on. 1v. 1-26.