Paradise Regained begins with an invocation of divine power; the poem’s narrator calls upon God’s spirit to inspire his song, much as God has inspired acts of Christian virtue and excellence such as Jesus’s repudiation of Satan. Milton’s narrator then describes how John the Baptist called a congregation to the Jordan River. Among those present was Jesus, who was recognized at the Baptism as the Son of God when the heavens opened above him.

This proclamation of Jesus’s role discomforts Satan. Retreating to an assembly of his fellow evil beings, Satan calls attention to their current dominion over the affairs of men and points out that such rule is now in jeopardy. After recounting the dramatic manner in which the clouds parted and the spirit of God (in the form of a dove) appeared at the baptism, Satan declares that he will go forth to oppose Jesus. He is convinced that, already having led Adam and Eve into evil, he may succeed here, as well.

Satan’s fellow spirits approve of the plan that has been announced to them. Yet God is well aware of Satan’s scheme as well, and explains to the angel Gabriel that Satan’s proposed temptations actually fit into a divine plan.