A friend asked me another question and it had several layers to it. Here is the question...
In Matthew 4:8, why couldn't Jesus say to satan that he couldn't offer these kingdoms and their glory to him if he would do a form of worship to him? What I'm asking is did satan have the authority to offer these governments to Jesus? If you say yes, why, if not, why? what's your thought on this matter?
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it (Deuteronomy 10:14).
For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10).
The world is mine, and all that is in it (Psalm 50:12).
"The silver is mine and the gold is mine," declares the LORD Almighty (Haggai 2:8).
Based on the these selected verses it is clear that EVERYTHING belongs to God. I looked it up in the dictionary and everything means everything. No wiggle room there. So how could satan make this offer to Jesus and why didn't Jesus use these or more of God's (His) word to rebuke him?
Let's go to the book of Job. In verses 1: 9-12 we meet a man whom God has blessed with a family, wealth, and property. This is a man who loves God and worships him continuously. God is talking with Satan and His other angels and points this out to them. Satan then says 'Sure he loves you, you have taken given him everything he could want.' God them gives Satan permission to persecute and torment Job but he is not allowed to to kill him.
Notice that God had to give Satan permission to attack Job and then God had control over how much Satan could do to him.
I believe that since Adam and Eve left the garden God has allowed Satan to exercise his influence over the Earth. But, Satan still has to ask for God's permission in anything he wants to do and anyone he wants to attack.
When Satan made the offer to Jesus he believed he had the right. God might have even told him to go ahead and try it. Jesus knew that everything was God's but instead chose to respond to each of the 3 temptations with a verse specific to the temptation.
He reminded Satan that man does not live by bread alone but by the word of God. Because Jesus had been fasting this verse has more impact then if he had a full belly.
Satan tried to get Him to call upon angels to save Him. Jesus quoted the verse saying not to put the Lord your God to the test. Once again, Jesus was weakened from the fast and using the word of God as a protection had more meaning than calling down angels.
And the third temptation was that if Jesus would worship him He could have it all. Jesus' answer was clear, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only'. Besides, He was already God and it all belonged to Him anyway.
I believe Jesus chose to answer him this way as a guide to us, when we are weak and tempted. We all know in the back of our minds that God made it all and it all belongs to him. But, in our hunger, in the midst of fears, and in our search for a quick answer he gave us verses specific to our condition to show he loves us and has thought it all out for us. The answers to all our problems are in his Word.
So, Satan had no authority to offer Jesus anything. I do believe he had God's permission to make the offers, but only because God gave it to him.
Satan has no authority over anything or anyone. He ask to ask God to allow him to tempt us. He can't make us sin. We have free will. Only we can do that by letting him into our lifes.
God will never let us be attacked without giving us the means to victory. This is His Word, both in the Bible and the Word made flesh in Jesus.
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