Luke 4:1-13, The Devil (1)

The “evil one” goes most frequently by two names, Satan and Devil.  Satan means “adversary” and is found in the OT (Hebrew “satan,” 27X).  It is translated “to withstand,” as in Num. 22:22,32 where the Angel of the Lord withstood Balaam.   It is translated “adversary” and so-used of people several times in the Samuels and Kings.  E.g. the Philistines were afraid David might become their adversary and thus would not allow him to fight with them (1 Sam. 29:4).  In 1 Chron. 29:1 it is translated “Satan” and then the same 14x in Job 1-2, in Ps. 109:6, and twice in Zech. 3:1-2.  There is a verb form used 6x including in Ps. 109:4,20,29 as “adversaries” in Zech. 3:1 as “to resist.” 

All the above is preface to the other name, Devil, which we want to consider.  “Devil” is not used in the OT NKJV, though there are words for slander.  That is the meaning of the Greek “diabolos:” slanderous, slanderer, devil.  The connection between the two words is clear.  In the temptations of Jesus Matthew and Luke speak of the devil while Mark, in his summary account calls him Satan (Mk. 1:12).  In addition, Luke says that Jesus calls him Satan when He addresses him directly. 

diabolos: slanderous, slanderer, devil

·       Mt 4:1,5,8,11; Lk. 4:2,3,6,13 (Mk. 1:12): Jesus led into wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  The devil took him up on the pinnacle of temple, then on a high mountain.  In Luke the devil said, “if You are hungry, turn these stones into bread” and “I will give all You see if you worship me.”  Eventually the devil left Jesus and angels ministered to Him.

Let’s pause for a moment now and consider, in what sense did the evil one engage in “slander?”  If we go back to the first temptations of the devil in Gen. 3 we find that he slandered the word of God: “did God say.”  In the Gospels we see the same type of slander, calling into question God’s word, even though the devil even used God’s word when on the pinnacle of the temple.  Jesus’ answers, all from the Bible (Deuteronomy), speak of God’s word as certain and exalted. 

A second “slander” by the devil is calling into question who Jesus was as the Son of God as well as slandering the relationship between the Father and the Son.  He says, “If you are the Son of God” (Mt. 4:3,6), the same slanderous words that the Jews will use at the cross.  Again, he slanders God by inciting Jesus to worship him, Satan, as “God.” 

This initial NT passage is so valuable for us.  First, it identifies the object of Satan’s evil work.  He is still claiming deity for himself.  While he slanders us, he is doing this to get at the Godhead.  Second, Jesus perfectly shows us how to resist the evil one.  There is no other “offensive” weapon in our panoply (Eph. 6:10-20) than the sword of the Spirit, the word of God!