Baptism and Temptation
Study Scripture: Mark 1:4-13
Background Scripture Mark 1:1-18
Lesson 1

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Key Verse

And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Mark 1:11

INTRODUCTION

We begin our study today by looking at the gospel of Mark, which some consider to be the earliest of what we call the ‘New Testament’ Scriptures.   

Scholars generally think that Mark’s gospel was written when he was an associate of the Apostle Peter and that the gospel was written with the sanction of and at the direction and supervision of that Apostle. This then would be Peter’s gospel. It was an independent work, having details not found in the other gospels and scholars consider that it was written between A.D. 63 and 70 in Greek.  

There is some question as to whether Mark was Barnabas' sister's son, whom Paul refused to take on his second missionary journey. There is no strong and direct scriptural evidence that this same Mark knew Peter or assisted him, but there is a strong tradition that the writer Mark , in his gospel, simply interpreted Peter.  In 1 Peter 5:13, Peter does mention a Mark that was his ‘son’ or convert.  

This gospel seems to be aimed at Gentiles, for it includes a great deal of explanations of Jewish opinions, places and usages and there is no genealogy. Instead there is an urgency, a high energy, a vibrancy, an action packed focus on Jesus as a man of action in ministry; who met the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of everyone with whom he came into contact.  

Mark’s gospel begins abruptly and ends abruptly.  It overflows with excitement not about the words of Jesus but about the deeds and actions of Jesus, frequently using words such as ‘immediately’.

THE POLITICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE TIMES

The idolatrous Northern Kingdom of Israel had been exiled by the Assyrians and subsequent to that, the disobedient Southern Kingdom of Judah had also been exiled to Babylon .  Some exiles had returned to live in the land under Persian rule in the sixth and 5^th centuries B.C.  

After this came the “four hundred silent years” of which time there is no biblical record and during which there was no prophetic voice.  

In this period, Alexander the Great defeated the Persians and Greek culture called Hellenism, spread rapidly throughout the world because of Greek trade and colonization.  Greek became the common language of trade and diplomacy and was so entrenched that even after the Greek empire fell, the language remained the commonly used language and was even the street language in Rome and most other places.  

Alexander died in 323 B.C. and his generals divided his empire into four parts.  One part was the Ptolemaic empire based in Egypt with Alexandria as the capital, (Cleopatra ruled as the last of the Ptolemies), and another was the Seleucid empire centered in Syria with Antioch as the capital, the infamous Antiochus belonging to this group of rulers.  Since Palestine was squarely in the middle between Egypt and Syria , and was in a buffer region, the country fell victim to constant invasions.  

When the Ptolemies controlled Palestine , the Jews did fairly well.  One ruler even commissioned the translation of the Old Testament into Greek, which we call the Septuagint.  

When the Seleucids ruled, they tried to suppress Judaism and turned Jerusalem into a Greek city, along with gymnasiums, live Greek theatre and practices like bathing naked, wearing Greek clothes, surgically removing the mark of circumcision, using Greek names instead of Hebrew names, attending Greek theater, and generally ‘paganizing; the culture.  At one stage it became a capital offense to practice circumcision, observe the Sabbath, celebrate Jewish festivals, or even have a copy of Old Testament books.  Antiochus introduced compulsory pagan sacrifices, processions in honor of Greek gods, placed altars to Zeus in the Temple , had the people practice “ sacred prostitution” in the Temple area, and sacrificed pigs in the Temple .  

The Jews eventually resisted, and the Maccabean revolt started in 167 B.C. Using guerrilla tactics they expelled the Syrians, regained religious freedom, and rededicated the Temple .  

This Jewish dynasty, called the Hasmoneans, then ruled between 42 and 37 B.C. Sadly it degenerated, and internal strife political intrigues, assassinations, caused by ambition for power became the norm.  

The religiously minded people who intensely disliked the corruption and the deviations from the law of God, split into groups which later developed into the Pharisees, Essenes, and other religious groups, while the politically minded aristocrats and supporters of the rulers became the Sadducees, the Herodians and similarly aristocratic groupings.  

Eventually Rome came to power, absorbed Palestine under its rule, allowing native vassal rulers, prominent among which was Herod the Great, of Edomite ancestry.  Of course this made the Jews hate him, especially since he was an efficient, scheming, jealous, cruel, anti- God ruler, who even killed two of his own wives, and at least three of his own sons.  

The times of Jesus then was a time of spiritual, political, and economic darkness.  Judah was at the very bottom.  The throne of David was at its lowest point, not respected and not recognized.  The people had very little hope and generally lived among great violence, expecting little protection and even less justice.  The Jews lived in a land ruled by foreigners, with local Jewish collaborators, a corrupt priesthood and religious men that sought to manipulate and exploit the poor people. 

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

Mark wrote in such a time and he based his short gospel on the theme that Jesus of Nazareth was the One promised to be anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with power and he came, went about doing good, living victoriously and destroying the works of Satan and his evil demons.   

Mark emphasized at the start of his fast paced gospel, that he was beginning at the very start of the gospel or ‘good news’ of Jesus Christ the Son of God.  This gospel had a divine origin, for his writing was revealing how God was restoring and bringing salvation to his people, establishing his reign and Kingdom on earth through a man called Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.  

The Jewish nation had longed for the ‘Servant of God’ that would restore the nation

(Isaiah 52:7) and d bring salvation to the entire world. This is how the Jews would interpret the specific word ‘gospel’.  

To the Non-Christians the word ‘gospel’ would have a different meaning or emphasis.  Without a significant knowledge of the Old Testament, they would understand the word ‘gospel’ to mean that Mark was announcing a significant event, that was going to change the history of the world.  

Mark combined the concept of Savior and the concept of Messiah and stated that Jesus the person was the good news, the messenger also being the message.  Mark tells us upfront that Jesus was all that, but he was also the Son of God, as well as being the ‘Anointed One’, the Messiah.  Jesus was the Son of his beloved Father in Heaven, and he came on a mission.  

Mark emphasized that this event was something that God had very carefully prepared in advance.  All the events were fulfillment of prophetic promises, part of God's blueprint of history, showing how God worked to save people.  

So Mark combined Malachi 3:1, Exodus 23:20, with a paraphrase of Isaiah 40:3 to show that God was finally and carefully preparing the way before he sent the Son, the only begotten of the Father.  

A ministry was needed to stress the need for repentance, that is, a change of mind that makes a person think completely differently about themselves and their past, acknowledging their guilt and need for God and committing themselves to act according to the ways of God in the future.  

The world was like a wilderness, the paths were crooked, the affections of men were twisted, the world was corrupt and there was no justice, but only obstruction and opposition to the ways of God.  The entire world of Israel had to be disturbed and shaken up, the deviations from the truth clarified and exposed and announcement had to be made that men should now begin to examine themselves before the glory of the Father appeared.  

God would now send his message in such a way that the people would understand that all their pretensions and ideas were false, that God’s approach to solving the dreadful situation was not like their approach.  His ways were very different.

THE TEXT

Verse 4.   John the Baptist had come in fulfillment of the prophecy that there would be a forerunner to the Messiah, a messenger that would announce that the Lord was coming, the hoped-for day of the Messiah had come, as prophesied by the Old Testament promises.  

Mark emphasized that the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ was in the ministry of John the Baptist.  

John ‘appeared’, that is, suddenly emerged, exploded on the scene abruptly and people were taken completely by surprise after the ‘four hundred years of silence’.   

John “appeared” in the wilderness, reminding the people that God had judged them for their sin, leading them in the wilderness for forty years because of their rebellion against him and their refusal to love and follow him.  

This place in the wilderness was a place of testing for Israel, but it was also a place of the beginnings, for Joshua (“Yahweh is salvation” or “God saves”) had led the people out of the wilderness through the Jordan River and into Canaan, the land of promise which God had promised them as an inheritance.  

In this place of beginnings, John the Baptist preached to the people to confess their sins, turn around completely from sin and return to God.  This was radical repentance, for it would lead to baptism, a pledge and physical outward expression of repentance, which had previously been practiced and applied only among Gentiles who wished to become Jews.  This would be a startling and radical acknowledgement that they the Jews also needed to be ceremonially cleansed.  

John preached that this great gospel of Jesus showed people that they needed remission of their sins, that they would never survive without their sins being remitted and that this same gospel showed the way for obtaining salvation.  

The one and only way of salvation involved a complete change of heart and a complete reforming of their lives, for they had to turn away from and forsake their sins and turn to God.

Repentance meant the remission of sins.

Verse 5.   At this beginning time of the gospel or good news of Jesus, people recognized the authentic, prophetic voice that they had longed for and which had ceased with Malachi and many people came out of the cities and countryside of Jerusalem and Judah .  

Note that they did not come primarily to hear about judgment torment, and condemnation, for it was not to be expected that people would leave their pleasures and recreations and come to this desolate, God forsaken and lonely wilderness to listen to that.  

Rather, they came to hear the good news, that their sin, their twisted self-centeredness, their guilt, the gnawing, unpleasant, constant recognition that they were responsible for damaging themselves and others could be taken away. For no matter how they tried to suppress it, they still had a fear, the gripping feeling that they could not handle life and the forces and powers that buffeted them. This was relief.  When the word spread from mouth to mouth, everybody streamed out into desert to find John the Baptist, listen to his preaching, confess their sins and they were all baptized.  

Note carefully why the people came:

First, the Old Testament Scriptures told them to expect this event.  The prophets had spoken about this from time to time. The first part of Malachi 3:1 was combined with Isaiah 40:3 to show that God fully intended to prepare the hearts of men by means of repentance.  

Second, the prophets had said that the messenger would appear in the wilderness and that promise was fulfilled.  They all knew the tremendous symbolism of the new beginning in the wilderness.  

Third, this messenger announced the way to God.  These people were looking for the blessing of having their sins forgiven and they found it by way of repentance.  

Now this concept of forgivingness is an important one and one writer explains what it means.

“ It is always in two movements.  Somehow we have grown up with the idea that you forgive people only when they come and apologize to you.  If you can get the person who has done something wrong to admit it and apologize to you, then you forgive him.  That is absolutely wrong!  Very few acts of reconciliation would ever take place on that basis.  No, forgiveness has to start before the offender comes to you.

That is the glory of the story of the prodigal son, is it not?  He came back from the far country, having wasted his father's goods and his own life, broken and humbled and ready to make himself his father's servant.  But the moment his father spied him, his arms were opened.  And before that boy would say a word he was in his father’s arms, being kissed and hugged while the fatted calf was prepared.

Forgivingness starts in the heart of the one offended.  He finds a basis on which, for some reason valid to him, he is ready to forget the hurt, to absorb it all himself and forget it. Because that is what forgiveness means, forgetting it, not holding it over the person’s head and bringing it up every now and then, but forgetting it, treating the person as if it had never happened.

The basis on which God does that is the cross of Jesus Christ.  It renders him free to do so because it protects and maintains his justice. But the basis upon which we are exhorted to forgive is that we ourselves have already been forgiven…..  We have been forgiven a tremendous debt, and on that basis we are to forgive others.  So that is where it starts-- in a change of attitude in the heart of the one who has been offended.”  

But then he continues on this matter of forgiveness.

“But it can never be successful or complete until there has been a change of attitude in the heart of the offender.  That is, it must be accepted by the one who has given the offense.  He has to acknowledge that it was an offense, has to acknowledge the guilt.  That is what is called “ repentance”. You must change your mind, stop justifying it, admit that it was hurtful, and then the pardon can be received, forgiveness can be applied.”  

Fourth, the symbol of baptism showed people this was the truth.  They accepted the message and were baptized.

Verse 6.   Significantly, John came dressed like the prophet Elijah, ( 2 Kings 1:8). He clearly was not in the religious or cultural mainstream and did not expect to be welcomed by the authorities, for he taught repentance and then restoration and if they were unwilling God would smite them in judgment.  

His way of living, as one writer puts it:

“bespoke great self-denial, the mortification of the flesh, a holy contempt of the world, and nonconformity to it, which may truly be called the beginning of the gospel of Christ in any soul.

Note, The more we sit loose to the body, and live above the world, the better we are prepared for Jesus Christ.”

Verse 7-8.   He had fulfilled the prophecy, announced repentance as the way to God and forgiveness of sins, pointed to the one who was coming after him, who was mightier than he was and who would baptize the people who came to him with the Holy Spirit and as previously promised by God in the Scriptures, give them new life.  

John honestly told people that they should not look to him for all the answers.  He preached repentance for they needed that to prepare their hearts for God.  He could only take them to the point of outward cleansing and bring them face-to-face with God.  Immersing their bodies in the Jordan would not give them a new heart or a right Spirit.  

But there was one coming that could do much more and a sign of his greatness was that he would immerse them in the Holy Spirit, so that they could live on the basis of new cleanliness as in Ezekiel 36:25-27.  

John preached the preeminence of Christ and he directed those who heard him to expect his soon coming and to expect him to do great things.  

John did not think that he was worthy even to do the work of a slave for Christ.  Christ had great power and though he came after him, the Christ was much mightier than anyone, for he only could give the Spirit of God who would rule the spirit of men.  

Let us never forget the great promise that is given to those who have confessed their sin and repented and who thereby have had their sins forgiven.  

They will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.  They will be purified, refreshed and made completely new.  They will be cleansed and their lives will show this great transformation.  

All through the gospel there is great emphasis on “the authority of Jesus”, as well as on the  “Servant attitude” of this Ruler.  

The coming of Jesus is represented immediately, as the coming of the great news that God was finally acting to restore his people.  This restoration would take place because of the coming of Jesus of Nazareth.

Verse 9.    Note that John preached that people needed the remission of sins and he also preached the quick and speedy appearance of Christ, who would purify them by his grace and power.  

The nation was prepared for the coming of the Son of God and now the Son was to be prepared before he began his public ministry.  This was for Jesus a time of testing and a time of decision. When we are told in verse 9 and 13 that Jesus came to a particular location, the language indicates that he was being acted upon, that is, that he received something.  In one case he was baptized by John, and in verse 13 he was being tempted by Satan.

In both cases we see God the Holy Spirit and God the Father both bearing witness to God the Son.  From now on we see the focus is on Jesus.  

It is note-worthy that the world into which Jesus came was one of internal conflict, as well as international wars acting together.  The Roman historian Tacitus describes this world as follows:

“ The history in which I am entering is that of a period rich in disasters, terrible with battles, torn by civil struggles, horrible even in peace.  Four emperors fell by the sword; there were three civil wars, more foreign wars, and often both at the same time.  Italy was distressed by disasters unknown before.  Beside the manifold misfortunes that befell mankind there were prodigies in the sky and on the earth, warnings given by thunderbolts and prophecies of the future both joyful and gloomy, uncertain and clear.” ( Tacitus, The Histories, Volume 1)  

Jesus also came to be baptized by John. All four gospels record the baptism of Jesus and this baptism was very strange but obviously very significant. John had previously been baptizing those many thousands that had come to him, that had confessed and acknowledged their guilt, sought forgiveness of sin and repented. Jesus however was not a sinner, but was the sinless Son of God and on the surface there seems to be no reason why Jesus would submit himself to this kind of baptism offered by John.

Matthew’s gospel tells us that John refused Jesus' request, for he knew that there was nothing in Jesus' life that required repentance and confession of sins and only agreed when Jesus told him that he Jesus had to “ fulfill all righteousness”.  

There are several explanations for this.  First, though Jesus had no sin, he was baptized to identify himself with us and to associate himself with men, meeting the righteous demands of God.  He had to signify his intention of taking the place of sinners and so he took the place of a sinner and was baptized with a baptism of repentance and confession of sin.  

One writer describes:

“ We are like paupers who have accumulated so many debts that we cannot pay them.  These are our sins.  These tremendous claims are made against us, and we cannot possibly meet them. But when Jesus came, he took all these mortgages and notes and agreements we could not meet and endorsed them with his own name, thereby saying that he intended to pay them, he would meet them.  That is what his baptism signifies, and is why Jesus said to John the Baptist, “ thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness,” (Matthew 3:15b RSV).  He declared his intention to meet the righteous demands of God by himself undertaking to pay the debts of men.  So the baptism was clearly an act of identification.”  

Also, Jesus’ baptism showed that he humbly owned God and was willing to do exactly what pleased God. He was baptized out of obedience, symbolizing what his entire ministry was to involve. His ministry made it possible for sinners to repent, find forgivingness, be cleansed, and to enter into a new life.  

Further, Jesus’ baptism pictures the baptism of suffering that would come on the cross.  When Jesus took the sins of the world on himself this was in every sense a baptism of suffering.

When he died for our sins, was buried, and then resurrected he fulfill all righteousness.  Paul deals with this in 2 Corinthians 5:21 stating as follows

“ He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  

Finally, it must be said that Jesus’ baptism expressed his immense love and the Father’s immense love for this lost and estranged world.  He simply loved us even when we did not love him.

Verse 10.  All the gospels, including Mark’s stressed the significant thing that happened after Jesus’ baptism, to mark him out as being special and different from ordinary men. God honorably owned Jesus. The heaven was opened and the Spirit manifested itself, coming down on him like a dove.  

We are told that the phrase “heavens opening” comes from the Greek word schizo from which we get our word schizophrenia, which literally means to tear apart.  This word was also used by Mark to describe what happened when Jesus died on the cross, for he stated that then the curtain that separated the Holy of Holiest from the rest of the Temple was torn from top the bottom.  

When Jesus came out of the water he saw the heavens ripped open spectacularly, a beautiful and compelling sign that God had now lovingly and sovereignly opened access to us.  Isaiah had hoped that this would happen, for in Isaiah 64:1 we read:

“Oh, that you would rend the heaven's and comedown, that the mountains would tremble before you!”  

Now the Holy Spirit came on Jesus at the very moment that he began to openly identify himself with us, the Spirit gently fluttering down quietly and hovering over him. Note that this was not the first time that Jesus had the Spirit, for the Spirit had been involved with him from conception.  

This was a new manifestation of the Spirit, here anointing him with power to meet the demand of the ministry he was about to begin.  So Jesus could quote from the prophet Isaiah as recorded in Luke 4:18-19.  

Isaiah 11:1-5 had recorded the promise that the Messiah would possess the Spirit of God.  Verses 1-2 reads as follows:“ And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”  

Note that the coming of the Spirit is a sign that there is now power to do the work that God wishes.  

Note how this also applies to us.  Jesus was anointed with power by the Holy Spirit when he began to take our place. When God brings us to himself, we too need this greatest of gifts, the Holy Spirit, so that we can live as God wants us to live and overcome the sin and guilt in us.  The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live according to the ways of God and we receive this gift immediately when we believe in Christ, for then we are baptized and become new creatures with a new nature.  

The gift of the Holy Spirit is thus the primary and fundamental gift that we need.  

The Spirit came like a dove, a symbol of a gentle non-threatening spirit, a spirit that does not resist and fight back, but is yet irresistible in power.  

This is not the principle taught and practiced by the world, that is, the survival of the fittest.  This is the principle of love, which keeps on going though it is rejected, beaten and discarded.  It is the virtue of humility and servanthood.

Verse 11.   Heaven opened and Jesus was given assurance by his Father that he was indeed the beloved Son, and that God his Father was exceedingly pleased with him.  Though he had emptied himself and made himself of no reputation, he was still loved and there was no occasion of rebuking. God the Father declared his affection, delight, and pleasure in his Son.  He was now humbled but he was still loved, and his work was totally approved.  

Note that God the Father blessed his Son.  

But note also that the Father affirmed his Son even before Jesus had done anything.  This was unconditional acceptance and commitment even before there was performance.  

Note also that the Father clearly revealed who Jesus was and clearly revealed his mission.  This was a declaration of God's assurance and security for Jesus.  

Jesus needed this, for he had now become a man, would in all points be tempted as we are and would be assaulted with every temptation and every threat that human beings would ever face. It was important that the Father assure him by now recognizing him for who he was. He was given maximum confidence and poise.  

“You are my son” is the Psalm 2 image of the Messianic King who is being crowned. Mark adds that as in Genesis 22:2 Jesus is now “the beloved son”.  

The final phrase “In whom I am well pleased” is found in Isaiah 42:1,2.  

We see three Old Testament passages which tell that One must die (Genesis 22:2), and this One is an only beloved Son, that he has a Heavenly Father, that he is a Messianic Suffering Servant King, but he is loved even to death. This One will surrender in obedience, all the way to the Cross.  

Jesus was now ready to be driven to face his great testing, his second act of preparation.  

Note that this is how God behaves when men turn their heart to him.  When the returning exiles neglected the work of God to pay attention to their own affairs and the prophet warned them about this and they repented, God immediately ceased the punishment and started to bless them.  

Believers in Christ are given the same assurance, and we can feel secure, standing calm and unafraid even if the world is falling down around us.  We are identified with God when we come and stand with Christ.

Verse 12.   Immediately after that assurance from God the Father, the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness. Jesus was well-prepared and this strong compulsion forced Jesus to face Satan on his own ground.  

The “good” Spirit impels and propels him to go and face the “bad” spirit.  

Now empowered by the Spirit and affirmed by the Father, Jesus is not taken into a euphoric sense of spiritual well-being, inner tranquility, and earthly bliss. One writer comments that Jesus did not even have time to worship or respond to the Father, but was rushed into conflict with the enemy.

“Immediately” is the focus.

When we are converted we should be aware that this too is happening to us.

Verse 13.  Jesus was tested there severely and thoroughly for forty days.  He was in a remote, isolated part of the desert, surrounded by very busy evil spirits and Satan.  For forty days he was tempted in every way possible.  When he became hungry and weak in body, he was pressured to try to make provision for himself and not depend on the care and provision of God.  He was told to turn the stones into food and thereby prove he was the Son of God, able to take care of himself by himself, and not having to wait on God.  

We too are often tempted to do our ‘own thing’ to get us out of trouble and not wait on, or depend on God.  

Then when Jesus was lonely, being without human company, he was told to get the admiration and acceptance of men, by showing his power apart from the will of God.  He was tempted to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple.  

We too are often tempted to get the approval of men apart from the will of God.  

Then Jesus was finally tempted to take a shortcut to power and get the kingdoms of the world without the suffering of the Cross.  

We too are faced with the same temptation and sadly we often go after material pleasures and emphasize rewards and benefits, ignoring the suffering that this evil world will inevitably inflict on the true people of God, who try to live according to the word of God.  Just remember that the world hated Christ and it will also hate and afflict those who belong to Christ.  

God did not leave Jesus alone.  He had no help from people when Satan fought him.  Mark records that he was with the wild beasts, suggesting that they were his companions and his helpers, rather than things that Jesus feared.  Furthermore the Angels came and ministered to him.  

Let us remember that angels are all around us, helping us even when we do not know it.  Sometimes we feel down and suddenly our spirits perk up and we feel better without any apparent reason.  This is the work of the Angels, for they remove invisible, oppressive demons from around us, protect us from dangers and affect our minds positively.  They bring vibes that are totally unlike the negative vibes that Satan brings.

CONCLUSION

Jesus' baptism marked his solidarity with sinners, the humility and his stepping out on the servant road of obedience.  

Jesus was tested, toughened, and strengthened. He came in obedience to the Father decisively defeating evil.  Mark describes this in Mark 3:27 as “binding the strong man”.  

Both the baptism and temptation tells us clearly that Jesus is the Son of God.  The devil, the wild beasts and Angels each played their own role in acknowledging this.  

But above all, note that the baptism and the temptations make it absolutely clear that there is a tremendous cost to God for establishing the way of salvation.  

Salvation would only be brought by suffering love.  

We marvel at the mercy of God and the coming of this miraculous good news to break the helplessness in which man was trapped.  

We cannot work things out on our own, save ourselves, or earn God favor.  This world does not welcome or care for the grace of God.  The temptation of Jesus remind us of this massive spiritual battle that is going on and we believers must always remember that we are in the battle and we cannot escape it.  

We can only survive by the care of the Holy Spirit, which makes us like Jesus, submissive and obedience to the will of God.  

On receiving salvation our life does not immediately become more enjoyable and all our problems are then solved.  When we receive salvation by grace through faith in Christ we are beginning the process of following Jesus.  

We are called into a life of sacrificial service, life in the narrow way.  

We are comforted however because we know that the good Angels are ministering all around us and they thwart the malicious designs of the evil Angels.  We also know that we are born of God, and we have the indwelling Spirit.  

Our triumph is guaranteed, for the evil one cannot touch us or triumph over us, since the Holy Spirit is a token of what God has prepared for us.  God has begun a good work in us and He will complete it.  Jesus is our model and example.