Can God be tempted by the devil?

[Indian Bro]

While reading Chapter 4 of Matthew I came across something which I hope our Christian users can clarify for me.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

I am not able to grasp the concept of God being tempted by the devil. Even if the devil fails 100 out of 100 times in his attempts to "tempt" God, I don't understand how anyone can imagine something so evil like the devil to tempt God to do something against the will of God. From my understanding, doesn't this depict a weakness from God? I hope someone can shed light over this subject.

[Abu Loren]

If I can answer on behalf of the Christians.

On one hand they say that Jesus (Alayhi Salaam) was fully human therefore he was tempted by satan then they say that at the same time he was god. OK I give up. If he was god and man at the same time then surely he would have been able to repel the devil? Oh I don't know.

[IAmZamzam]

Oh I'm sure that the phrase "both perfect God and perfect Man" will pop up at some point. That's their cop-out for everything. It sounds like some clever, mind-bending paradox whereas it really amounts to nothing more than the statement, "I'm going out of my way avoid actually saying anything at all."

The plain sense of the text is that, "Do not tempt the Lord your God," means, "Telling me to hurl myself off the top of the temple while saying, Hey, God, go ahead and send the angels after me to rescue me,' would really be pushing it. It's a pointless and arrogant stunt and the scripture says I'm not to put Him to the test like that."

[Amigo]

temptation and sin are two very different things.

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[ccc]

A response from John Chrysostom's Homilies to Matthew:
"
On this account then even He too fasts forty days, pointing out to us the medicines of our salvation; yet proceeds no further, lest on the other hand, through the exceeding greatness of the miracle the truth of His Economy should be discredited. For as it is, this cannot be, seeing that both Moses and Elias, anticipating Him, could advance to so great a length of time, strengthened by the power of God. And if He had proceeded farther, from this among other things His assumption of our flesh would have seemed incredible to many.

Having then fasted forty days and as many nights,
"He was afterwards an hungered; "affording him a point to lay hold of and approach, that by actual conflict He might show how to prevail and be victorious. Just so do wrestlets also: when teaching their pupils how to prevail and overcome, they voluntarily in the lists engage with others, to afford these in the persons of their antagonists the means of seeing and learning the mode of conquest. Which same thing then also took place. For it being His will to draw him on so far, He both made His hunger known to him, and awaited his approach, and as He waited for him, so He dashed him to earth, once, twice, and three times, with such ease as became Him.


For not in his fast, but in his hunger he approaches Him; to instruct thee how great a good fasting is, and how it is a most powerful shield against the devil, and that after the font, men should give themselves up, not to luxury and drunkenness, and a full table, but to fasting. For, for this cause even He fasted, not as needing it Himself, but to instruct us.
"The tempter came, and said unto Him, If Thou be Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." For, because he had heard a voice borne from above, and saying, "This is My beloved Son;" and had heard also John bearing so large witness concerning Him, and after that saw Him an hungered; he was thenceforth in perplexity, and neither could believe that He was a mere man, because of the things spoken concerning Him; nor on the other hand receive it that He was Son of God, seeing Him as he did in hunger. Whence being m perplexity he utters ambiguous sounds. And much as when coming to Adam at the beginning, he feigns things that are not, that he may learn the things that are; even so here also, not knowing clearly the unutterable mystery of the Economym and who He may be that is come, he attempts to weave other nets, whereby he thought to know that which was hidden and obscure. And what saith he? "If Thou be Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." He said not, because thou art an hungered, but, "if Thou be Son of God;" thinking to cheat Him with his compliments. Wherefore also he was silent touching the hunger, that he might not seem to be alleging it, and upbraiding Him. For not knowing the greatness of the Economy which was going on, he supposed this to be a reproach to Him. Wherefore flattering Him craftily, he makes mention of His dignity only.

What then saith Christ? To put down his pride, and to signify that there was nothing shameful in what had happened, nor unbecoming His wisdom; that which the other had passed over in silence to flatter Him, He brings forward and sets it forth, saying, "Man shall not live by bread alone." "

[greenhill]

Salaam,

This is a almost like a 'Hollywood' question, where anything that can be thought of is a possibility.

In this case, the Devil is almost elevated to be 'equal' to God and are battling each other for the souls of humans. Impossible!

The real point is, that God is the Creator and all those He created are his subjects, and He has absolute power over them. None of His creation can do anything against Him, from the highest form to the lowest form. He needs none, but all need Him.

In brief, the Devil is granted permission to tempt mankind until the end of days. He cannot tempt God, what can he offer God that God Himself cannot do? Devil can only tempt humans by caressing those with easily over inflated egos, etc. to fall into the trap.

With regard to what you quoted on Jesus, perhaps you should read about the 25 prophets of Islam, Indian Bro. It will give you a greater understanding with regards to the consistency of the messages and the role of Jesus. Honestly, I believe that Christianity was an 'incidental' religion that became a branch of the mainstream due to the Jews rejecting Jesus. They were supposed to follow him (not as God or the son of) but as a prophet.