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Satan is defeated. Jesus is victorious ...

In the story of the flood, we read of the covenant made with Noah. As we move into the story of Jesus, we come into the realm of the new covenant. God was doing a new thing, something greater than anything that ever happened under the old covenant. At the outset of Jesus' ministry, the devil made another attempt to undermine the work of God. He tried to distract Jesus from His mission. His methods bear a striking similarity to those used in the Garden of Eden. He tries to sow seeds of doubt - "If you are the Son of God ..." (Matthew 4:3,6). Quoting Scripture (Matthew 4:6), he gives the appearance of spirituality. Satan's goal becomes clear in the third temptation. He wants Jesus to "bow down and worship" him (Matthew 4:9). Satan is defeated. Jesus is victorious. This victory can be ours as we grasp the truth: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7), as we learn, when tempted by Satan, to say, with Jesus, "It is written" (Matthew 4:4,7,10).
(One Year Bible - Day 4: Genesis 7:1-9:17; Matthew 4:1-22; Proverbs 1:1-17)
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