Satan held a counsel 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. {2SP 98.1}

Satan holdt råd med sine engle angående den fremgangsmåde, de skulle følge, for at forhindre folket fra at tro på den Kristus som den Messias, de i så lang tid med længsel havde forventet. Han følte sig skuffet og forbitret over, at han ikke havde formået at udrette det mindste imod Kristus ved sine mangfoldige fristelser. Men han tænkte nu, hvis han kun bringe Kristi eget folk til at tvivle på, at han var den levende Messias, så kunne han gøre Frelseren modløs i sin mission, og få jøderne til at være sine tjenere, der kunne udføre hans egne djævelske hensigter. Han arbejdede derfor på en snedig måde og søgte ved list at udføre det, som han ikke kunne udrette ved ligefremme personlige bestræbelser.