"Jesus is attacking the true enemy of Israel instead of the enemy that many of the Jews recognize. Many of the Jews think that the greatest problem for Israel is the Roman occupation. If they can get rid of the Romans, everything will go well. Jesus knows that the Romans are not the real problem. In the wilderness, He confronts the real threat to Israel, the devil. Throughout His ministry, Jesus is at war with the devil and the demons who serve him. Casting out demons is one of Jesus' most common miracles. He comes to deliver Israel, but to deliver Israel from the real oppressor. He comes to free Israel from the slavery that started in the garden of Eden, not primarily the one that started with Pompey."
- Peter J. Leithart, The Four: A Survey of the Gospels, p. 65
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