The Devil vs. Jesus

How to crush temptation (intro to Paradise Regained)

Lent commemorates Christ’s 40 days in the Judaean Desert — a period of fasting, solitude, and preparation before his public ministry. But it’s also the moment in which he faced down Satan for the first time, in a battle of cosmic significance.

In this often overlooked story, the Gospels recount how the devil approaches Jesus after his forty days of fasting. First, Satan tempts him to turn stones into bread to satisfy his hunger. Then, to jump from the highest point in Jerusalem to prove he has God’s protection. Finally, he offers Christ dominion over the world in exchange for his submission.

Each of these challenges offers something seemingly good: nourishment, recognition, power. Yet Christ rejects them all. His victory over Satan is not simply about self-control, but about understanding the true nature of virtue — and the deceptive pull of temptation.

While the Gospel account is brief, the poet John Milton expands the story in Paradise Regained, where he explores not only the subtlety of temptation, but also what it means to resist it. He reveals that Christ does not triumph through divine intervention, but rather through faith, wisdom, and discipline.

These virtues are ones that anybody can cultivate, and today we explore how they can help you overcome temptation and lead a meaningful life.

Let’s examine the philosophical showdown between Christ and Satan in the desert…