~ A Review of Mind Manipulation Since Creation ~ 2 Of 8 Pages~

“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. (2) They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. (3) They all ate the same spiritual food (4) and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. (5) Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. (6) Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. (7) Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.’ (8) We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. (9) We should not test the Lord, as some of them did--and were killed by snakes. (10) And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel. (11) These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. (12) So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (13) No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1^st Corinthians 10:1-13, NIV).

This review is a study to expose the many tricks and traps of mind manipulation presented by the enemy of humankind, recorded as warnings of folly and error for generations to come. The key scripture in the above passage comes from verse 6 “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” The word heart is interchangeable with mind; “…setting our hearts [minds] on evil things as they did.” God gives us total instructions in the Bible toward how to live a victorious life over the adversary: “All Scripture is God-breath (inspiration) and is useful (profitable) for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2^nd Timothy 3:16, NIV). Often coined “you will not know where you are going, until you know where you have been;” that is to say, knowing your history teaches the past, in order to prepare for a bigger, better and brighter future. If no one has told you that you were already a conqueror through Christ Jesus, would you live a victorious life or a defeated one? Hosea 4:6 declare that God’s people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge. “A Review of Mind Manipulation Since Creation” will reveal the source of human weakness and the many roles Satan play in the game of mind manipulation.

How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12)

First let us explore who Satan is and where did he come from. It is extremely important to know everything about your enemy to determine what are his weaknesses and strengths. Satan was a beautiful and intelligent creature who became full of pride: “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor…” (Ezekiel 28:17, NIV). The Apostle Paul called him conceited in 1^st Timothy 3:6 and urged leaders not to become this way otherwise they too would face the same fate as the devil. Satan was the first of God’s creations to sin. He puffed himself up so full of pride that he actually thought that he could be greater than God; “For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north;” (Isaiah 14:13, NKJV). Imagine any of God’s creations turning on Him as to say he is greater or mightier than the Omnipotent Creator. This was clearly no contest “…So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings” (Ezekiel 28:17b, NIV). God hurled Satan out of heaven onto the earth and vow that he would be destroyed because of his sin. The moment Satan sinned he became a loser, a defeated foe.

Although Satan was expelled from life in Heaven he still has access to It according to the first two chapters of Job. We see that this rebellious creature is still accountable to God, for verses 1:6 and 2:1 state that Satan presented himself before the Lord along with the angels (sons of God). Satan, which means adversary in Hebrew is limited by God and his powers are by no means, in no way equal to God’s. It may be Satan’s duty to oppose the works of God and attempt to hinder God’s plans, but Satan still has to answer to the Almighty. Believe it or not, Satan’s powers are so limited, (remember, he is finite) that he can only be in one place at a time. But being an intelligent and crafty creature, he persuaded a third of the angelic host to consort with him: these wicked cohorts known as demons (unclean, evil, seducing and/or familiar spirits) pick up the slack. Satan and his demons are real, and there are scriptures that support the fact that Satan is a real person. Jesus Christ was sent according to 1^st John 3:8b “to destroy the works of the devil;” Satan tested Jesus forty days in Matthew 4:1-11; Jesus saw him fall from Heaven in Luke 10:18; and Peter refers to him “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” in 1^st Peter 5:8 (NKJV). Satan will also be bound by chains and cast into prison (bottomless pit) for a thousand years, Revelation 20:1-3. In addition to Satan’s many personifications, he has many names or titles: Lucifer, Devil, Beelzebub, Belial, Adversary, Enemy, Accuser of the Brethren, Dragon, Serpent, God of this World, Prince of this World, Prince of the Air and Wicked One.

Mind Manipulation was created in the heart of Satan. He believed in his heart that he could and would exceed God. Because Satan deceived himself, he is known to be the great deceiver of all humankind. Satan loves to be worshiped and want all glory for himself. He causes sickness, diseases; physical and mental disorders; disasters, calamity,casualties and fatalities. He hates all that is good and is an enemy to God and His children (Christians), indeed, he rages war against the saints who keep God’s commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, Revelation 12:17. But remember this, one of Satan’s weaknesses is that he can do nothing without the permission of God. Satan does not know the thoughts of God’s people (unless he has planted them), nor is he privilege to know our future, unless it is revealed. It is only through God allowing the devil to do what he does, for God has given him free reign over the earth, but not authority over all. God can stop every trick and trap the enemy sets, but there is an ultimate-divine purpose for temptation and tragedy to hit Believers, the reason will be explained later on in this chapter. Also another weakness of Satan is the resistance of Christians “…submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” (James 4:7, NKJV). It is imperative for Christians to say no to evil thoughts, temptations and deeds. Resisting temptation is not easy at first, but the more you say NO to the devil, he will eventually flee. No one likes rejection, not even persistent Satan, for God’s Word is true: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1^st John 4:4, NKJV).

Let us examine Satan’s strengths. Satan is the ruler of principalities, evil powers, the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). He is also the ruler over this world, flesh, sinners, and backsliders. It appears that he has pretty much monopolized all that is material, physical, partly mental and possibly spiritual. This could be quite intimidating to the natural eye. When Christians see the works of the devil daily through sickness, disease, pain, suffering and death, this generates fear in their hearts. No one wants to get sick, loose his or her earthly goods or mourn a death. Job said “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and that which I dreaded has happened to me” (Job 3:25, NKJV). Fear originates from Satan and then is penetrated into the hearts (minds) of people. The very thing you dread the most, if you dwell on it long enough it will manifest. The subconscious mind is a very power part of the human mind. That is why Satan strategically plant fear, negative and wicked thoughts (seeds) into the minds of Christians. The subconscious area of the mind is Satan’s concentration area. Once he has entered into that vulnerable place, without resistance he can control your thought life; which gives him greater strength.

Another way Satan gains strength is through a Christian’s tongue. The Apostle James devotes an entire chapter to the power of the tongue and how untamable it can be; he proclaims, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8, NIV). In Proverbs 18:21, the tongue is noted to be so powerful that death and life are governed by it. Often times when things go wrong, Christians are quick to give the devil the credit. Not realizing or admitting that s/he may have caused the problem. Giving Satan credit for everything that goes wrong is actually giving him glory and magnifying his power. Also, speaking negative words is a killer. Negative words are negative seeds that are capable of being planted in the hearts/minds of others or in the spiritual realm. Demons love negative talk; it is their duty to fulfill them. Negative words are designed to destroy relationships, confidence, hopes and dreams. Negative talk like gossip and lies are sinful, “A gossip betrays a confidence” (Proverbs 11:13, NIV) and “The Lord detests lying lips” (Proverbs 12:22, NIV), participating in any of these will support the works of the devil and give him more strength.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:

for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

Let the games of “mind manipulation” begin! In Genesis 3, humankind was introduced to Satan and his wicked schemes. There are at least two identifiable techniques Satan uses to manipulate Adam and Eve that were discussed in the previous chapter: Appeal to Human Authority and Appeal to Tricky Implication (Philip, 014, pp.4-5). Satan a stranger posed as a snake, a familiar beast to Adam and Eve to initiate this premeditated-manipulative game of destruction on God’s latest creation. Satan knew the rules of the garden and the commandment given by God to Adam. His goal was purely to destroy the relationship between man and God, through separation, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God…” (Isaiah 59:2). In the duplicity of Satan’s scheme, he pretended to have heard a rumor of some sort that seemed almost unbelievable to his ears, by asking Eve, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (v. 1). Eve immediately corrected the serpent of this misinformation in saying, “We may eat the fruit of the garden; but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’” (vv. 2-3).

The serpent contradicted God’s Word by using the Appeal to Tricky Implication technique by responding with “You will not surely die. For God knows thatin the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (vv. 4-5): it is this very statement the serpent uses the Appeal to Human Authority technique, in convincing Eve that she would be just like God, if she would eat the produce. In using both techniques, Satan made God appear to be not only a liar but also a cheater to Adam and Eve with an ulterior motive. Satan does the same thing today. He contorts the Word of God in such a way that it creates doubt: “Satan’s opposition to the Bible accounts for our having so many false theories of the Word of God. Any theory that teaches that God does not mean what He says and adds to, misinterprets, take from, or changes in any form what it plainly says is satanic” (Dake, 2001, pp.155-156).

The second thing Satan did was to generate doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve, forming distrust in their hearts. For certain, the two must have pondered on the reason why they should or should not eat of the tree. Regardless of what God commanded of them, once doubt set into their thoughts--so did Satan. This is evident in verse 6 where “…the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” The Bible instructs us not to love the world or the things in the world in 1^st John 2:15-17. Adam and Eve fell into the trap of the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” found in verse 16: “…the woman saw that the tree was good for food,” the lust of the flesh “that it was pleasant to the eyes,” the lust of the eyes “and a tree desirable to make one wise,” the pride of life. Satan’s deceit appealed to Adam and Eve’s unfamiliar flesh, causing this unusual desire to have that which they did

not need “ the knowledge of evil.” Adam and Eve already knew good because they were obedient up until the “forbidden fruit” incident and they were already created in the image of God, according to Genesis 1:27.

“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one, and slew his brother.” (1^st John 3:11-12)

Cain and Abel were two brothers who understood sacrifices to be acts of worship unto God, perhaps taught by their father Adam. Both sons had occupations equally important, but very different: “Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground” (Genesis 4:2). In examining each brother’s trade we deduce that Cain was a farmer and Abel was a herdsman. Both work laboriously to produce bountiful harvests and both had a desire to present their sacrifices unto the Lord, but not with equal enthusiasm. Explained in Genesis 4:3-5, we notice the Lord was dissatisfied with Cain’s offering: “And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. (4) Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, (5) but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” In verse 3 the scripture explains that in “the process of time,” meaning for a while or for a long period of time, “it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground” as an offering unto God. It is quite clear that Cain did not bring forth his first fruits to God. He handed them over after some time had passed. Perhaps Cain kept the first fruits of his harvest for himself or maybe he left it lying around to spoil, and then brought it to God in poor condition. Nevertheless, it was unacceptable to Him. Conversely, Cain’s younger brother Abel gave exactly what was required of him and a little extra. Abel gave immediately his first to the Lord, for verse 4 points out that he “brought of the firstborn [firstlings] of his flock” and the little extra was “their fat” which was considered the best part of the animal. God was pleased with Abel, for he exemplified a sincere heart and faithfulness according to Hebrew 11: 4 (NKJV), “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”

Big brother Cain was disappointed of the rejection and grew bitter to the fact that he had played second best to his little brother. God asked Cain in verse 6 why was he angry, for he plainly brought this fate upon himself. The Lord took the time to explain to Cain his mistake in verse 7 and proceeded to encourage him that he could do better next time, if he would just take authority over sin. Since the Evil One (Satan) had already planted disobedience in the heart of Cain there was a slim chance he would have tried it “Abel’s Way.” Although it was God who rejected Cain and it was God who corrected Cain. It was Abel who must pay in Cain’s mind. To Cain it was not God’s way, it became “Abel’s Way” and Abel had to go. Cain suffered from Emotion-induced blindness (Philip, 015, p.8). He became caught up in his emotions of bitterness, anger, hatred and malice; he was blinded by the power of those emotions and crossed over to a territory that had never been crossed: murder. Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him in the field because of jealousy; “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ He said, I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper? (Genesis 4:9).

“Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.” (Genesis 10:8)

We do not hear much about Nimrod in the Bible, in fact there is a very brief mention of him in Genesis 10 that states that “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord” and explains that the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. He also built Nineveh, Rehogoth Ir, Calah and Resen in Assyria. The reason why we are unable to find much about Nimrod in the Scriptures is because the history about Nimrod is pagan history and not Christian history. However, much of so call Christian traditions and the celebration of holidays were adopted from the Babylonian Cult (paganism) through the Roman Church.

Nimrod was called “the mighty hunter before the Lord” because he had great arrogance. That arrogance was assumed by his followers who thought that there was nothing man could not do. Does this not sound just like the mind of Satan? Nimrod also had a Queen name Semiramis who by his side created the Babylonian Cult. According to Finis Jennings Dake in God’s Plan For Man, he claims that Ancient Babylon was the seat of the first great apostasy against God after the flood (2001, p. 817). Which pretty much explains the reason for building the Tower of Babel. Many Christians believe that the building of the tower was for these “believers” pagan worshipers to reach God. In truth the Scriptures tell us that they conspired by saying, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens;” why? “Let us make a name for ourselves…” (Genesis 11:4).

On the contrary of reaching God, these pagans out of pride and arrogance built the tower to dare God to send another flood to see how mighty and great they were and to take vengeance upon God for sending a flood upon their forefathers (p. 230). In spite of the fact that Noah and his three sons were preserved by God (Noah, the great-grandfather of them all), they made war with the Lord. They desired to be like the giants before the flood (the amalgamation of the angels and daughters of men) found in Genesis 6: 1-2. As you may have read in Genesis 11, God confused the language and scattered them abroad the earth. Hence, spreading their beliefs into many nations.

Perhaps you are wondering why these people decided to follow Nimrod and the Babylonian Cult? The answer lies within mind manipulation. Nimrod used Fear-Creation, in the form of intimidation and social pressure (Philips, 015, pp.12-13). The land during those days were overrun by wild beasts, Nimrod the “mighty hunter” hunted down these beasts and taught men how to build walls to protect themselves during the nights from these destructive creatures. Nimrod was a hero, a great leader and an opportunist, who took advantage of a people who trusted his abilities. Men were easily led from God, because of Nimrod’s fame and man’s fear. It was his persuasion and tyranny that drew men from worshiping God the Almighty to believing in the Babylonian Cult, a new religion. “The purpose of this religion was to rule the world and all men on the Earth and keep them in blind and willful obedience to the supreme pontiff, the head of this religion” (Dake, p. 230). More about paganism and the insurrection of this cult and how it still remains in existence in the Christian Church will be discussed in Chapter 6.

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from

No matter where we may roam throughout the Bible we will come across rebellion and disobedience. Saul considered the first king of the People of Israel found himself rejected by God as king. It is certain that we have read where chosen vessels of God, like Moses (the true first king of the Israelites according to Deuteronomy 33:4-5) and David, the successor of Saul (a man after God’s own heart, 1^st Samuel 13:14) have done wrong and committed awful sins, but in Saul’s case, he not only sinned against God but he rejected God’s word. Moses and David were both flawed men, but very much in tuned with God’s will. Saul behaved like kings of other nations who worshiped idols and knew not the Lord. It was the pride of life that destroyed Saul and made him an enemy of God. If we look at Saul’s demonic-driven track record it would read accordingly: he assumed a priestly role and offered sacrifices before battle, breaking the Lord’s commandment that Samuel would make such an offering; he made a foolish oath, cursing any soldier who ate before he had taken vengeance on his enemies, proven that it was his battle and not the Lord‘s; he did not completely destroyed Agag as God instructed; he attempted to kill David many times; he was overcome by fear and evil spirits that tortured him; he ordered that the priests of Nob be killed; he visited a witch; he grew mad and committed suicide.

Surely, Saul was possessed by demons, for his behavior was very much contrary to God. Perhaps, Saul attempted to be the king that the Lord desired him to be, he had potential. However, Saul missed it through his willful acts of disobedience. God knew Saul’s heart [mind] and it was filled with desperation and wickedness. What is more, Saul was the people’s choice. God allowed the Israelites to have precisely what they wanted, a tall and handsome king who looked the part, but had not the heart.

‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’” (1^st Kings 21:23)

Perhaps this section is more about the spirit of Jezebel than it is about Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel. Jezebel was a pagan princess Ahab married because of political reasons. Ahab, the most evil king of Israel, knew the God of Israel but under the influence of Jezebel, he chose to serve and worship the pagan god Baal. Even the influence of the prophet Elijah was no match for the power of Jezebel over her husband. Any evil that close and personal will surely consume the mightiest of men. Although the story of Ahab and Jezebel rests in the midst of First and Second Kings, the spirit of Jezebel still lives today. Many Christians, like Ahab know God, but serve him halfheartedly. They are double-minded and susceptible to temptation. The Jezebel spirit, being a rebellious spirit is that little push that carries the Christian beyond their boundaries “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9); that is to say, a little evil corrupts the whole man. The Jezebel spirit, created by Satan is designed to destroy humankind. As ferocious and blood thirsty as Jezebel was during the Old Testament, she is even the more today for the Saints. The Jezebel spirit is just another trick of the enemy and another mind-manipulating tactic to induce Christians to break barriers and cross boundaries. The Jezebel spirit is seductive, brazen and incredibly persuasive in the expansion of the Christian’s desires, needs and expectations (Philips, 015, pp.11-12); this is why the Jezebel spirit in all of us must die.

Job is a book of triumph, faith and deliverance. Most importantly, it is a book that teaches Christians today, trials and tests are permitted for our own good. Romans 8:28 declares that all things work together for the good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. No matter what a Christian may go through, rest assure, if they remain faithful, God will deliver them and they will triumph. God is constantly shaping us, molding us, purifying us to perfection, for He who has begun a good work in us will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ, (Philippians 1:6). Mature Christians understand this view. They do not blame God or cry “woes me.” They look tragedy and temptation squarely in the eyes and declare them to be defeated. Although Jobs situation was a little different, and his test was whether he would curse God because of his circumstances, Job remained faithful. Through poor advice from friends, a trifling wife and a painful physical affliction, Job remained steadfast in his faith and love toward God.

Perhaps like many Christians, the character of Job adorn the attributes of a righteous man: “…blameless and upright…feared God and shunned evil”( Job 1:1). He exemplified the epitome of a Christian: imperfect, with perfected faith. Many who read Job have questioned why would God allow this to happen to such a good man? The answer lies within 1^st Corinthians 10:6, “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” Those who were around Job did little to encourage him. They provided poor counsel, misguidance and were used by Satan to continuously be thorns in Job’s side while he went through this ordeal. It was not that Job sinned, but it was that God wanted to make Job an example for generations to come. How many of us being used by Satan have accused the afflicted of being sinful or in sin? How many of us withdrew hope from what looked like an already hopeless situation? How many of us, Christians represented Job’s wife or his friends during a trial or test of a brother or sister-in-Christ?

Satan was being used to work out God’s plan. It seems as if God was pushing Job onto the attacks of the Accuser, not once, but twice. In actuality, this displayed God’s confidence in Job’s faith. Does God have the same confidence in you? In verses 1:8 and 2:3 the Lord said to Satan “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth…one who fears God and shuns evil?” With great certainty, Satan tried to attack Job before, but his response was, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?” (Job 1:9, NKJV).

In others words, Satan was saying he could not penetrate through God’s protection. Also, Satan wanted to prove that Job (representing human nature) served God for selfish reasons, thus the question: “Does Job fear God for nothing?” So God allowed Satan to destroy Job’s livestock, his servants and his children. Job was devastated. He tore his clothes, shaved his head and blessed the name of the Lord anyway: “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong”( Job 1:22, NKJV). Satan returned to God daring that if God would allow him to afflict Job’s body, that Job would curse God to his face. Satan struck Job with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Although Job was perplexed, wanting God to reveal to him what sin he had committed so that he may atone for it; Job remained faithful. Satan could not manipulate the mind of Job. In the midst of confusion and tragedy, Job kept his mind on the Lord. He gave no credit to the devil and he refuse to accuse God. Because of this, God restored the subject Job in this experiment and He indeed gave Job twice as much as he had before.

“It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” (Matthew 4:7, NKJV).

Being led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Jesus faced temptation by Satan according to Matthew 4. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ had the opportunity to experience all those things Christians suffer through today, but without succumbing to sin. Presented to Jesus was the love of the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1^st John 2:16). After a 40 day fast, Jesus the natural man was hungry. With alluring prompting, Satan tried to persuade Jesus to change stones into bread, so that he may satisfy his hunger, the lust of the flesh. In great refusal, Jesus said to Satan, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word the proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Relentlessly, Satan took Jesus to the top of the temple and dared him to throw himself down. But this time, Satan supported his request with scripture; he

proclaimed that it is written, “He shall give His angels charge over you, in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Satan knows the Word of God? You better absolutely believe that Satan knows the Bible thoroughly. This is why he is also called the adversary. Satan knows every promise God has given us, every weakness of humankind, our power and authority over sin and that he is a defeated foe. Satan’s mission is to operate against God’s Word, against the truth. Remember, Satan is a liar and in order to lie you must first know the truth. Satan will do whatever it will take to manipulate Christians into turning away from God. Yes, he will even use the Scriptures to dare you to do that which you know is wrong, just as he attempted to convince Jesus to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple to satisfy the lust of the eyes (to show off, perform or put on a show).

The third temptation became even more intense for Jesus, but not enticing. He remained steadfast. The devil took Jesus to an exceedingly high mountain to show Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Appealing to the pride of life, Satan offered all of them to Jesus if He would just fall down and worship him. Obviously this was contrary to the Word of God as Jesus declared after rebuking him, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.” The script was flipped, Jesus declared that Satan would fall down and worship Him in a matter of time. As divine as Jesus the Christ is, in a tempting situation Jesus used that which was written before his time, the Pentateuch to combat against the devil’s attacks. He studied the Scriptures and carried It with Him everywhere He traveled. It was and is an awesome defense against the wiles of the enemy. Jesus illustrated that if you resist the devil he will eventually flee according to James 4:7 and that Christians are in a spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12) against the devil and not a physical one.

Jesus predicted His death and resurrection at least four times in the book of Matthew. He spoke of the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter. His words surely disheartened the disciples at the supper of their final Passover. Afterwards, Jesus went to a garden called Gethsemane where he prayed while the disciples watched. In there humanity, the disciples fell a sleep. In Jesus’ divinity, He prayed this prayer: “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42, NKJV). It was not the heinous brutality He was about to face that caused Jesus to pray such a prayer, but it was the knowing that He must be separated from the Father in order to fulfill His divine purpose. That was a greater torture for Jesus Christ than knowing that His blood will be shed. Jesus gave of Himself willfully, “…I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down Myself…” (John 10:17-18, NKJV). At the garden of Gethsemane Jesus was arrested, and there, was where He became a curse for all humankind.

No one could have imaged the magnitude of suffering the Christ would have had to endure except those who believed in the Scriptures. According to the Prophet Isaiah in chapters 52 and 53, he reveals the torment of the Messiah being despised, rejected; bearing other’s sins and sorrows; disfigured face and bruised and battered body. Also, Jesus said at the last supper with the disciples “Drink from it (cup of wine), all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for the remission of sins…” In the final temptation, during the last hours of Jesus existing on earth as a natural man, on route to His destiny on the Cross at Calvary many scoffed and sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God” (Luke 23:35, NKJV). Once again we see the appealing to the pride of life, the temptation of the devil. Perhaps Satan thought that the flogging and crucifixion would be too great for Jesus to bear, and that in His mangled flesh He would save Himself. Nevertheless, Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead with all power in His hand. Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God.

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"I Am The Alpha And Omega" Says The Lord God,"Who is And Who Was And Who Is To Come, The Almighty" Rev 1:8