The Golden Chain - Robert J. Wieland
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<strong>The</strong> greater temptations can never cancel the lesser.<br />
He was tempted to self-indulgence, as we are, and<br />
perfectly "overcame." His temptation to evade His<br />
cross coincides with the principle underlying all<br />
our temptations.<br />
11. Jesus said, "<strong>The</strong> prince of this world comes<br />
and has nothing in Me" (John 14:30). If He had<br />
taken our sinful humanity, how could He have<br />
said those words? Wouldn't He have to say,<br />
"Satan has something in Me"?<br />
No, the fact that Christ took our sinful nature<br />
would not mean that Satan had anything in Him.<br />
Since Christ "overcame," it would mean the exact<br />
opposite, for only by "taking" our sinful nature and<br />
overcoming could Christ have truly defeated Satan<br />
so that he "has nothing in Me," as He says. Unless<br />
Christ's overcoming included His condemning "sin<br />
in the flesh," Satan would indeed have had<br />
"something" in Him, for he would have accused<br />
Christ of being sheltered from the real conflict and<br />
therefore dishonestly winning only a sham victory.<br />
"<strong>The</strong> will must consent ... before Satan can<br />
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