Thank you for your kind words, BB.
What if satan knew very well that Christ is God, and that is precisely the reason he "went after" Him in the first place, the primary motivating factor?
But, the demons belive and shudder [James 2:19]. Satan would not tempt God because God cannot be tempted by evil [James 1:13] So, if satan thought he could tempt Christ, he did not believe He is God.
At any rate, that would be my expectation. Satan's entire mission in everlasting death is to "trash God." He already knows he "can't win." So he is determined to take down into eternal perdition with him as many of God's beloved creatures as possible, just for sheer ungrateful, ungodly, and unregenerate spite.
That's precely why he tempted Jesus. he thought Christ was one of God's beloved creatures.
And if satan finds that God lives in the soul of any particular man by His Spirit and Grace, then that particular person would present an interesting target from his point of view.
Actually, at that point the satan leaves, just as he left Jesus (Mat 4, Luk 4) when he would not fall for satan's cheap tricks. People may be surprized to find out that we have the willingly reject evil and choose God.
And so you raised the issue of: How do we know, when in our devotions, that the Presence we experience isn't satan himself, deceiving us?
The devil offers pleasure but no love.
Àpropos the Gospel accounts in Mat 4, and Luk 4, both say that Jesus, following His baptism, was lead in the desert by the Holy Spirit which descended on Him at His baptism in the River Jordan. This is somewhat troubling to me, for it implies that Christ was without the Spirit until such time and that, being one of the Hypostases of the Godead He would not need divine guidance. Otherwise, there would be no need to mention that the HS descended on Christ at baptism.
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful insights, dear kosta50! But I am going to dispute one thing, just a bit. James 1:13 says that it is impossible (a futile effort) to tempt God with evil. IOW, not that it hasn't been tried, but God is good and not evil - which is to say, evil has no "currency" with Him.
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: - James 1:13
It was tried here:
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. – Matt 4:1
You said "So, if satan thought he could tempt Christ, he did not believe He is God." but here Satan knows he is speaking to God:
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. - Job 1:9-12
Here they tempted God with their unbelief and brought His wrath down on themselves:
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, [and] as [in] the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with [this] generation, and said, It [is] a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. – Psalms 95:8-11 (also Hebrews 3)
On your comment below the line:
Àpropos the Gospel accounts in Mat 4, and Luk 4, both say that Jesus, following His baptism, was lead in the desert by the Holy Spirit which descended on Him at His baptism in the River Jordan. This is somewhat troubling to me, for it implies that Christ was without the Spirit until such time and that, being one of the Hypostases of the Godead He would not need divine guidance. Otherwise, there would be no need to mention that the HS descended on Christ at baptism.
In the Gospel of John, Christ also makes it clear that the Comforter or Spirit of Truth or Holy Ghost cannot come until He has ascended to the Father. If one tries to apply logic to God - more specifically Aristotle's Law of Identity ("Everything that exists has a specific nature") - he immediately detects a problem here.
But such laws do not apply to God. Indeed, to apply mortal logic to God is to anthropomorphize Him.
Moreover, concerning the Law of Identity, the Holy Spirit is multi-faceted:
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. - Rev 4:5
There is no conflict.
But, the demons belive and shudder [James 2:19]. Satan would not tempt God because God cannot be tempted by evil [James 1:13] So, if satan thought he could tempt Christ, he did not believe He is God. Ofcourse Satan knew Christ was God in the flesh!
God cannot be tempted with sin, but the Second Adam could be.(remember-two natures-one Person)
The temptation was for Christ to use His own Deity and not to depend on the Father (make stones into bread-no mere man could do that).
As for Christ's baptism, that had to do with the offical beginning of His earthly ministry, hence the Holy Spirit and the Father were both present.