The Angelic Conflict - Part 34 -
The first one is the temptation to rely on self rather than the ministry of Holy Spirit, Mat 4:1-4, Luk 4:1-4.

When God performs a miracle, it requires only His sovereignty [will].

To apply Bible doctrine and advance in the plan of God through the use of that doctrine is the greatest power and the highest function that any member of the human race can attain.

Bible doctrine is the very thinking of Jesus Christ, 1Co 2:16, and it is the word of God, a reference to God Himself, Joh 1:1.

Prayer and miracles are false solutions to suffering!

Under the PPOG, strength is provided through the power of the Spirit (Act 1:8), and the power of the word of God (Heb 4:12).

You do not pray for a miracle or the removal of the suffering like Paul did in 2Co 12 with the thorn in his flesh!

It is easy for God to perform a miracle - only the sovereignty and omnipotence of God is involved.

It is more difficult for God to give maximum blessing to a believer because that involves the volition of the believer and his faith and trust in the character and nature of God.

What does prove something is when the believer advances to spiritual maturity and can take any pressure provided by Satan.

There is an allotted time in your life ordained by God for you to go through undeserved suffering.

PHI 1:29 “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”

2TI 2:3 “Suffer hardship with {me}, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

Deu 8:3 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

This temptation was designed to lure the humanity of Christ away from reliance upon the omnipotence of the Father for His logistical grace, and the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit inside the PPOG.

Satan’s main goal is not to get the believer to sin, but to get the believer to become independent from God.

Satan tempts us to step outside of God’s provision and do it on our own!

HEB 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful

Satan is an invisible enemy, and all demons that operate under his command are invisible to us!

1JO 4:4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

All spiritual victory in the angelic conflict is related to the Word of God.

The second test that Satan put the Lord through was to test our Lord’s relationship to the plan of God for His life, Luk 4:5-8, Mat 4:8-10.

a. “Avoid the purpose of the Father’s plan for the incarnation and by-pass the cross, and I’ll promote you” - says Satan.

b. “Avoid the purpose of the Father’s plan for the Second Advent; take the crown or the kingdom now!”

TLJC is pointing out to Satan that all creature obligation and loyalty is to the plan of God in the sense of serving Him!

“it shall be all yours” = Satan, instead of serving God, is seeking to hinder the believer from serving God by offering the believer the things of this world.

The third and final test has to do with our Lord's relationship to the word of God.

The first test had to do with our Lord’s relationship to the ministry of Holy Spirit, who is the third Person of the Trinity.

The second test had to do with our Lord’s relationship to the plan of God the Father for His life, the first Person of the Trinity.

The third test had to do with our Lord’s relationship to the word of God, the second Person of the Trinity.

pinnacle = pteurgion = the edge or highest point on the temple, Herod’s porch - a 450 foot drop!

Satan is now quoting Psa 91:11-12, with a false application = correct doctrine, false application!

False application of doctrine is always a distortion of scripture.

TLJC has already resisted the temptation to act independently of the Holy Spirit and the Father’s plan for the incarnation.

False application of a true doctrine is a very subtle attack from the kingdom of darkness.

It is not part of the Father’s plan for the humanity of Christ to do an absurd and foolish thing!

God does not condone senseless and unreasonable action!

DEU 6:16 “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test”

Our Lord used scripture; the greatest power God has ever given is Bible doctrine!

JAM 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. MAT 4:11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

minister = diakoneo = to serve, wait upon someone, wait at a table and to offer food and drink to the guests.

Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

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Robert R. McLaughlin 2001