I am no scholar nor do I consider myself to be an expert on the bible. I read daily and spend at least part of every day and at least a couple of hours on Sundays reserching and trying to understand scripture. I think you might want to look at the Book of Job. In that Book, it clearly states that satan is given authority over the “world”. Which I take to mean the material world. In fact, if memory serves, the Book begins with a description of a meeting that takes place, seemingly periodically, between God and the Angels. Satan attends I assume because he started out as an angel. I think the passage is showing us that we should not be concerned with whatever “riches” this world may have to offer and instead choose the riches of salvation through Christ. Afterall, I am not a material being having a spritual experience. I am a spritual being having a material experience. I hoep this helps. And, if I got it wrong rebuke me gently please.
Right you are about the book of Job. The evil one has been present since the foundation of this world. Since he is pure spirit and is outside of time, he waits until an “opportune time” (
Luke 4:13). His first opportune time came early: he was present through the serpent in Eden, which was pure, undefiled earth before the fall. This was creation that, in God’s own sight, was “very good” (
Genesis 1:31). It was without blemish of sin.
Genesis 3:1-14 reveals that the serpent is the most “crafty”, or “subtle” of all the creatures. He was allowed to tempt Eve and Adam in God’s presence, since God is omnipresent and knows all things from everlasting to everlasting. Much the same occurs in
Job 1:6-7. The evil presented himself before God “from roaming the earth and walking up and down on it” Thus, it is revealed that evil is ever-present upon this earth. God allows evil to tempt us (
Job 1:8-12). In asking the evil one if he had considered Job, God was essentially throwing Job’s righteousness in the devil’s face. The devil demanded that Job be put to the test, and the Lord
allowed this, as seen in verse 12. The evil one then “went out of the Lord’s presence”. In
1 Chronicles 21:1-8, we see that the devil “incited” even David. He did this even to the Lord’s handpicked servant, so his influence remains here. In
Zechariah 3, we see Satan standing at the right hand of Joshua, to accuse him. Note the contrast here: we have Satan at our right side on earth to accuse us, and Jesus at God’s right hand in Heaven to intercede for us. The evil one’s ego is so great that he attempted (root word “tempt”) to cause the fall even of our Lord in the flesh (
Matthew 4:1 and following, Mark 1:9 and following, Luke 4:1 and following). Later, our Lord would warn us that it is time for the judgment of this world and that the “
prince of this world will be driven out” (
John 12:31). Additionally, Jesus identifies the evil one by his title “prince of this world” in
John 14:30 and
John 16:11.
To address the OP, the evil one is the liar. Notice that he offered only earthly things: wealth, status, power. He could give only earthly things, which man desires and is susceptible to. But what he offers leads only to eternal damnation. Now, it remains to be seen whether the evil one truly knew Jesus’ status. However, he certainly was aware of the annunciation/incarnation, since it occurred in his princedom. It could be that he doubted that flesh, which was subject to him, could be powerful enough to resist even his best temptations. The One with two natures - true God and true man, was not only able to resist him, but was not even subject to him. In fact, the evil one was rebuked by Jesus - something even the Archangel Michael could not do.
So, the evil one has great intellect - far superior to our own. But, his fatal flaw is his ego, which clouds the perfect use of his evil intellect. For this we can be thankful. Amen.
