Jesus is tested in the wilderness by satan -
Matthew 4:1-11
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[
a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. 3 The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.
’[
b]”
5 Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[
c]”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’
[
d]”
8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[
e]”
11 Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him.
Greetings Galilee,
I agree with you that there are demons. I do not think 'Satan', who rules over the demons, is a demon. I believe that it is evil pride, 'Satan', in the hearts of the demons, who rules over them in hell and chains them in hell.
Do you think that Satan was present to Jesus and His Disciples in the garden of Gethsemani? Christ's Disiples fell to the temptation of Satan in the Garden of Gethsemani simply be falling a sleep in disobedience to Jesus who commanded them to stay awake and pray.
Michie had a recent thread on how our free willed choices can be seen as temptation. It was a good read. I will try to find it again. Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit comes upon Him, then He immediately goes into the desert to fast for forty days. Jesus is in a weakened state due to fasting. Jesus is dealing with how He is going to deal with His free will during His ministry. So how would scripture present Jesus coming to grips with His heavenly Power? If Jesus even thinks, I have free will, I could choose to show my Power. Scripture would present Jesus simply coming to grips with what His free will could do as,
"the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only"."
Jesus, was hungry because He was fasting. Even thinking of His free will being able to create a miracle for bread to appear, would be described in scriptures as'
"The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God."
So was there a little two horned red tailed demon with a pitch fork talking to Jesus as He fasted in the desert or is scripture describing Jesus coming to grips with His Power and what His free will would allow Him to do with His free willed Power? Jesus had the free willed capability to sin. Jesus always obeyed the Father and never fell to temptation and this is how Jesus loves the Father so greatly. Jesus, in His mind and prayers, would have run the different scenarios of what would constitute Him sinning. Jesus simply running through these scenarios in His mind would be reflected in scriptures as "
Away from me, Satan!", or, in other words, away with from me, human free willed temptation to disobey the Father.
What do you think?
NAB MAT 26:36 The Agony in the Garden.
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again, “My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!” Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open. He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing again. Then he returned to his disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners. Get up, let us go. Look, my betrayer is at hand.”