Was satan in the garden of gethsemane

The Bible does not definitively state whether or not Jesus was tempted in the garden or not, so for us to be definitive where the Bible is not must be speculative at best.

What we do know is that Jesus was tempted during His life in all ways, just as we are, yet was without sin.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15 ESV)

This doesn't mean that Jesus experienced every temptation anyone has ever experienced, but that He was tempted in the same ways that we are.

It should also be noted that Satan is not the only source of temptation. There are, of course, other demons, but temptation also comes from our own sinful flesh, apart from demonic influence. Now, in this case, if there were any demonic temptation, Satan himself would probably have thought it worth his time. Yet, we just don't and can't know for sure.

So, Jesus experienced distress, as the Scripture tells us, but we don't know for sure whether or not He experienced temptation at this particular moment, although it's quite possible and perhaps even as much as probable.

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” (Mark 14:32–42)

Our next stop leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is at the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Garden, Jesus was attacked by the devil. Satan has only one agenda—to be evil. And evil is unpredictable, irrational, chaotic, stopping at nothing to destroy all that is good. That is the devil who prowls about seeking to devour you. In this passage, Jesus shows himself to be our only hope against the attacks of the devil. We must depend on him, because we are. . .

Emotionally Vulnerable

Jesus’ demanding contest with the devil displays our utter vulnerability and Jesus’ sufficiency. The Scriptures teach that Satan torments us emotionally. Perhaps the most vivid example beyond our text is Paul’s “torment” as a result of his “thorn” used by an “angel of Satan to buffet” him (2 Co. 12:7). In other places the word translated “torment” (kalaphizo) describes a maltreatment that results in emotional distress (cf. Mt. 26:67; 1 Co. 4:11; 1 Pt. 2:20). So Jesus endured this emotional torment in order to take up every piece of our suffering as well as to die for our sins, nailing them to the cross. Paul assures us that the result of Christ’s work on the cross was to humiliate our spiritual enemies emotionally as he “made a public spectacle” of them (Co. 2:15). He became like us in this way so that he might be a sympathetic high priest to us in our emotional distress. Therefore, we must be quick to go to Jesus with our emotional distress, knowing that he is able, not only to understand, but also to defeat the schemes of the devil.

Physically Weak

The disciples’ physical weakness in this passage mirrors our own. In his famous book The Christian in Full Armour, the Puritan William Gurnall urged his people to be on their guard against the wiles of the devil with this assurance:

"When God says 'Stay!' [Satan] must stand like a dog by the table while the saints feast on God's comfort. He does not dare to snatch even a tidbit, for the Master's eye is always upon him." And so it is; our Master's eye is ever upon him. After his first act of obedience, his failure and doom were sealed.”

Our Master alone is one who neither slumbers nor sleeps in his watch care of us. So we come to him with our vulnerable bodies, weak wills, and inept prayers.

Our weapons against the devil are divinely powerful, which means that they are not what we would expect power to look like, because God prefers to humiliate the devil by using unlikely things to defeat him. The Bible tells us that scripture (“sword of truth”), prayer, Gospel promises, etc. are our spiritual armor. Jesus protects our bodies with his angels, galvanizes our wills with his Spirit, and prays for us as he did for Peter, lest we be sifted like wheat (Luke 22:31). And when we do yield to death, our souls are safely transported to heaven and our bodies are carefully placed in the ground as a testimony to the fact that they are united to Christ and will thus be raised at the Great Day.

The devil is seeking to destroy us through disease and death and by isolating us from one another, but he cannot prevail against our all-powerful savior. Jesus overcame the devil’s attacks in the Garden and overcame them even more permanently in the resurrection. Keep looking forward to that hope with me this week, church family!

Prayer

Use Jesus’ prayers in the Garden to acknowledge to the Father ways the devil is attacking you and those you love right now. Ask God to defeat the devil’s schemes and to give you his Spirit to reassure you of the truth of the gospel that the devil tries to make us forget.

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