Satan's accusations against those who seek the Lord are not prompted by displeasure at their sins. He exults in their defective characters; for he knows that only through their transgression of God's law can he obtain power over them. 586 His accusations arise solely from his enmity to Christ. Through the plan of salvation, Jesus is breaking Satan's hold upon the human family and rescuing souls from his power. All the hatred and malignity of the archrebel is stirred as he beholds the evidences of Christ's supremacy; and with fiendish power and cunning he works to wrest from Him the children of men who have accepted salvation. He leads men into skepticism, causing them to lose confidence in God and to separate from His love; he tempts them to break the law and then claims them as his captives, contesting Christ's right to take them from him.

Satans anklager mod de mennesker, som søger Herren, skyldes ikke, at han er vred over deres synder. Han fryder sig over deres karaktermangler, for han er klar over, at han kun kan få magten over dem, når de overtræder Guds lov. Hans anklager skyldes udelukkende hans fjendskab til Kristus. Det er i kraft af frelsesplanen, at Jesus kan rive menneskeheden ud af Satans kløer og frelse mennesker fra hans magt. Når den store oprører ser beviserne på, at Kristus har overherredømmet, vækkes alt hans had og al hans ondskab til live, og så sætter han al sin djævelske kraft og snedighed ind på at vriste de mennesker, som har taget imod frelseren, ud af Kristi hånd. Han får mennesker til at tvivle, til at miste troen på Gud og til at skille sig fra hans kærlighed. Han frister dem til at overtræde Guds lov, hævder derpå, at de er hans fanger, og bestrider Kristi ret til at tage dem fra ham.