When the Devil tempted Jesus to cast Himself down from the wing of the temple, Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (v. 7). Because the Lord Jesus defeated him the first time by quoting the Scriptures, the tempter imitated His way and in his second temptation tempted Him by also quoting the Scriptures, however in a subtle way. To quote the Scriptures concerning something in one aspect requires us to take care of the other aspect as well, in order to be safeguarded from the deception of the tempter. This was what the new King did here to counter the tempter’s second temptation. Many times we need to tell the tempter, “Again it is written.”
The Lord Jesus defeated Satan in the first temptation by quoting the Scriptures. Thus, in the second temptation, the tempter himself quoted them. He seemed to be saying, “Jesus, You quoted the Bible. I know the Bible also. Let me quote a verse to You.” But the Lord Jesus said, “Again it is written.” The word “again” is very strong. Do not think that you can quote the Bible and that the enemy cannot. Satan knows more of the Bible than you do. Therefore, the best safeguard is to have a word again as either a balance or a confirmation. Then, in the second temptation, the enemy will also be defeated.
The Lord Jesus said to Satan, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (v. 7). Do not tempt God. Do not go to the wing of the temple and cast yourself down. If you find yourself there by accident, you must find a way to come down. But you must never go there purposely. If you are there by mistake, ask the Lord to forgive you and to help you walk down step by step. But do not cast yourself down to make a show. You are nobody. The Lord Jesus overcame the tempter by not taking his proposal to tempt God.
Verses 8 and 9 say, “Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, All these will I give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Defeated in his temptation in the religious sphere, the Devil presented his third temptation to the new King, this time in the realm of the glory of this world. He showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. The temptations of the subtle one always come in this way: firstly, in human living; secondly, in religion; and thirdly, in worldly glory. In any temptation, all three of these items will be present. The third temptation is a matter of worldly glory, promotion, ambition, position, and a promising future. All this is the glory of the world.
Luke 4:6 says that the kingdoms of the world and their glory were delivered unto the Devil; hence, to whomever he wills he gives them. Before his fall, Satan as the archangel was appointed by God to be the ruler of the world (Ezek. 28:13-14). Thus, he is called the ruler of this world (John 12:31), holding all the kingdoms of this world and their glory in his hand. He presented all these to the newly anointed King as a temptation in order to secure worship. The heavenly King overcame this temptation, but the coming Antichrist will not (Rev. 13:2, 4).
This temptation involves the matter of ambition and promotion. Even among the saints, there is the desire to be a leader. This is the desire for worldly glory. Your eagerness to be a leader is your ambition. This is the glory of the world. Whenever you are tempted in this manner, you must realize that behind this temptation is the tempter seeking to gain your worship. Satan told the Lord Jesus that if He would worship him, he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Behind every ambition there is a hidden idol. If you are ambitious to have a position, a promotion, or a name, there is an idol behind that ambition. If you do not worship any idol, you will never fulfill your ambition. In order to have any part of the glory of the world, you must worship some idol. Without worshipping idols it is impossible to have a position. Whenever you are seeking a certain position, deep within you know that you are worshipping an idol. For this reason, the Apostle said that covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5).
Suppose some brothers who came into the church life four years later than you become leaders and you feel that you have been passed by. If you complain about this, asking why they have been made leaders and you have not, this is a proof that you are seeking worldly glory. Perhaps among a group of ten sisters three are appointed to take the lead in a particular service. If the other seven have no feeling about this, they have gained the victory. But if they question why those three were appointed, this indicates that they are seeking vain glory, the glory of this age. In this matter, we all are weak. If this desire for ambition and position can wedge even into the church life, then how much we need to be on guard in other things!