In a recent Christian Science Bible Lesson, when the subject was “Ancient and Modern Necromancy, alias Mesmerism and Hypnotism, Denounced,” a major theme was silencing lying lips. Part of this lesson included the Bible story of Jesus being tempted of the devil (see Matthew 4:1–11).
In this story, the devil tempted Jesus to use the great spiritual power he had been given for his own personal gain. Satan whispered in Jesus’ ear to turn stones into bread. Then the devil led Jesus to the top of a temple, urging him to throw himself off it and prove that angels would save him. This dark avenue of thought then led Jesus to a mountaintop to contemplate the possibility of vast personal power.
Moment by moment, as these temptations came, Jesus refuted them with the pure word of God as written in Holy Scripture. Jesus at last uncovered the deepest and darkest scheme of the carnal mind, intended to get him to worship the devil, with the fact that only God is worthy of worship and obedience. Jesus said: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
