mpter, His method of resistance was to turn
immediately to the consideration of His Father's word. He did not
address Himself to the pros and cons of the Satanic suggestion. He
inflicts instant and crushing defeat upon His adversary by turning His
attention, not to the character of the temptation, but straight to the
will of the Father.

{132}

In this our Lord showed by His action what He afterward taught
concerning Himself when He said, "I can of Mine own self do
nothing."[2] His first act in His temptation was to declare His entire
dependence on His Father. So, if in our temptations, we would share
His victory, our method of battle must follow His. The tempted soul
must fling itself instantly upon God in the humblest acknowledgment of
dependence. Much of our failure in the conflict arises from a
forgetfulness of this. How often does the very dread of the sin so
agitate the soul that instead of turning to God, we stand, as it were,
fascinated by the horror of the suggestion, losing precious moments
that should be devoted to flinging open all the channels of
communication with God, that His own strength may flow into us for the
battle. This course of defence is effective in two ways.

(1) First, as regards God. Nothing can so completely open the channels
of communication with Him as an utter abandon of humility in His
presence. Scripture is full of the divine teaching on this point. The
Holy Spirit declares by the great Prophet of the Incarnation, "Thus
saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is
Holy, I dwell in the high {133} and lofty place with him also that is
of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble."[3]
St. James declares, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the
humble;"[4] and St. Peter, repeating the same teaching, adds this
exhortation, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God
that He may exalt you in due time."[5]

(2) But not only does this self-abasement in the first moment of
temptation bring down new power from God for the struggle, but it has a
direct and disastrous effect on Satan. Nothing so completely bewilders
him as self-humiliation. He, the very personification of pride, cannot
understand how a soul can for a moment so humble itself. He is
puzzled, nonplussed. He knows not how to proceed. He thought he
understood us; he had studied our lines of defence, and thought he knew
just how to approach and br