Scripture tells us that Satan is the father of lies who works in deception (John 8:44). He was that way from the beginning (Genesis 3) and, according to Paul, he is that way in the church age, disguising himself as an angel of light and producing counterfeit apostles (2 Corinthians 14 and 15). He manufactures empty promises, as we all know only too well.
In Luke 4:6-8, where we find the last of a set of three temptations, Satan offers Jesus universal reign on the condition that he gives him his allegiance. Verse 6 reads, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.” Does Satan own the earthly kingdoms and have the authority to dispense universal reign to whomever he wishes? Those who argue that he does appeal to passages, such as Ephesians 2:2, where Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air,” and “the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” Then there is 1 John 5:19, which states that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” But these passages argue for Satan’s influence over worldly kingdoms, not his ownership. Besides, God is Sovereign and has appointed Jesus to rule the world: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15).”
Some might counter “If Jesus knew that Satan was lying and did not have these kingdoms to give to Him, can we say that He was even tempted?” The reality of the temptation here does not rest on whether or not Satan had this authority. Even if we should argue that he did, Jesus would have known that Satan would not have kept his promise, and the question still stands. The temptation was real, because it offered Jesus an opportunity to take what was already promised to him (Revelation 11:15) before the appointed time and by a means other than the one ordained by the Father. Jesus did have to make a choice—suffer separation from the Father by the cross, first, and then enter glory, or take the glory now and bypass the cross. This makes sense when you consider that Satan’s goal throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry was to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. Satan’s offer to Jesus was as empty as the offer he made to Eve, but Jesus’ temptation was just as real as hers. Our Lord overcame His with the Word of God and, in so doing, showed us how vital that word is for life.