Satan held a council with his angels, as to the course they should pursue to prevent the people from having faith in Christ as the Messiah whom the Jews had so long been anxiously expecting. He was disappointed and enraged that he had prevailed nothing against Jesus by his manifold temptations. But he now thought if he could inspire in the hearts of Christ’s own people, unbelief as to His being the Promised One, he might discourage the Saviour in His mission and secure the Jews as his agents to carry out his own diabolical purposes. So he went to work in his subtle manner, endeavoring to accomplish by strategy what he had failed to do by direct, personal effort (The Spirit of Prophecy 2:97, 98).{5BC 1083.8}

Satan havde rådssamling med sine engle, om hvilken kurs de skulle gå, for at forhindre folk i at have troen på Kristus, som den Messias som Jøderne havde ventet så ivrigt efter så længe. Han var skuffet og ophidset over at han ikke havde besejret Jesus ved sine mangfoldige fristelser. Men nu tænkte han, om han kunne indgyde vantro i hjerterne hos Kristi egne folk, så de ikke så sig selv som Hans udlovede, kunne han tage modet fra Frelseren idet han udførte Sin mission og han sikrede sig selv jøderne som sine agenter, der gennemførte hans egne djævelske mål. Således gik han til værket på sin diskrete måde, og vovede at gennemføre den strategi, som kan ikke selv kunne ved sin egen kraft (2SP 97, 98).