(2.) Secondly, It seems as strange that Satan would undertake a thing so unfeasible and hopeless as the tempting of Christ. What expectation could he have to prevail against him, who was ‘anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows’? [Ps. xlv. 7.] Some answer,
[1.] First, That Satan might possibly doubt whether Christ were the Son of God or no. But the improbability of this I shall speak of afterwards.
[2.] Secondly, Others attribute it to his malice, which indeed is great, and might possibly blind him to a desperate undertaking. But,
[3.] Thirdly, We may justly apprehend the power of sin over Satan to be so great that it might enforce him to the bold attempt of such a wickedness. We see daily that wicked men, by the force of their own wicked principles, are restlessly hurried upon acts of sin, though they know the prohibition, and are not ignorant of the threatened danger. Satan is as great a slave to his own internal corrupt principles as any. And whatsoever blind fury is stirred up in man by the power of his lust, we may very well suppose the like in Satan.
[4.] Fourthly, There is a superior hand upon the devil, that sways, limits, and orders him in his temptations. He cannot tempt when he would, neither always what he would, but in his own cursed inclinations and the acting of them, he is forced to be subservient to God’s designs. And in this particular, whatever might be Satan’s proper end or principle, it is evident that God carried on a gracious design for the instruction and comfort of his children.
The end of Christ’s going to the wilderness being that he might be tempted, if together with this the holiness and dignity of Christ in respect of his person and office be considered, we may note from it,
Obs. 5. That neither height of privilege, nor eminency of employment, nor holiness of person, will discourage Satan from tempting, or secure any from his assaults. The best of men in the highest attainments may expect temptations. Grace itself doth not exempt them.
(1.) For first, None of these privileges in us, nor eminencies of grace, want matter to fix a temptation upon. The weaknesses of the best of men are such that a temptation is not rendered improbable, as to the success, by their graces. Nay, there are special occasions and inclinations in them, to encourage temptations of pride and neglect. He found indeed nothing in Christ that might offer the least probability of prevalency; but in the best of men, in their best estate, he can find some encouragement for his attempts.
(2.) Secondly, None of us are beyond the necessity of such exercises. It cannot be said that we need them not, or that there may not be holy ends wherefore God should not permit and order them for our good. Temptations, as they are in God’s disposal, are a necessary spiritual physic. The design of them is to humble us, to prove us, and to do us good in the latter end, Deut. viii. 16. Nothing will work more of care, watchfulness, diligence, and fear in a gracious heart, than a sense of Satan’s designment against it. Nothing puts a man more to prayer, breathing after God, desiring to be dissolved, and running to Christ, than the troublesome and afflictive pursuits of Satan. Nothing brings men more from the love of the world, and to a delight in the ordinances of God, than the trouble which here abides them unavoidably from Satan. This discipline the best have need of. There are such remainders of pride and other evils in them, that if God should not permit these pricks and thorns to humble them, and thereby also awaken them to laborious watchfulness, they would be careless, secure, and sadly declining. This made Augustine conclude that it was no way expedient that we should want temptations,[364] and that Christ taught us as much when he directed us not to pray that we should ‘not be tempted,’ but that we might not be ‘led into the power and prevalency of temptation.’
(3.) Thirdly, The privileges and graces of the children of God do stir up Satan’s pride, revenge, and rage against them. And though he hath no encouragement to expect so easy a conquest over these as he hath over others, who are captivated by him at pleasure; yet hath he encouragements to attempt them, for the singular use and advantage he makes of any success against them, the difficulty of the work being recompensed by the greatness of the booty. For the fall of a child of God, especially of such as are noted above others, is as when ‘a standard-bearer fainteth,’ [Isa. x. 18;] or as the fall of an oak, that bears down with it the lower shrubs that stand near it. How the hearts of others fail for fear, lest they should also be overcome; how the hearts of some grow thereby bold and venturesome; how a general disgrace and discredit thereby doth accrue to religion, and the sincere profession of it, are things of usual observation. If such men had not in them something of special prey in case of conquest, his pride would not so readily carry him against the heads and chief of the people, while he seems to overlook the meaner and weaker. Out-houses, though more accessible, are not the objects of the thief’s design, but the dwellinghouse, though stronger built and better guarded, because it affords hopes of richer spoil, is usually assaulted. Neither do pirates so much set themselves to take empty vessels, though weakly manned, but richly laden ships, though better able to make resistance, are the ships of their desire.