Anyone who has actually seen that wilderness, surely among the most bleak and forbidding stretches of land in the world, will appreciate even more the vivid symbolism of the Biblical account of Jesus' temptation. Here is a human soul, completely vulnerable to the harsh elements, in terrifying solitude and privation, coming to terms with himself and with that troubling reality of evil. This is not good news for those of us who like to attribute our society's shortcomings to evil forces that are somehow beyond our control.
Evil is acutely personal.
There's even more bad news. The devil quotes scripture. In fact, the devil is a proof-texter. It can be used even by the devil to promote the devil's own mischievous ends. And Satan wields this weapon skillfully.