Chapter XXXIV.—Temptation of Christ.
“This we would have you know assuredly, that a demon has no power against a man, unless one voluntarily submit himself to his desires. 744 Whence even that one who is the prince of wickedness, approached Him who, as we have said, is appointed of God King of peace, tempting Him, and began to promise Him all the glory of the world; because he knew that when he had offered this to others, for the sake of deceiving them, they had worshipped him. Therefore, impious as he was, and unmindful of himself, which indeed is the special peculiarity of wickedness, he presumed that he should be worshipped by Him by whom he knew that he was to be destroyed. Therefore our Lord, confirming the worship of one God, answered him: ‘It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.’ 745 And he, terrified by this answer, and fearing lest the true religion of the one and true God should be restored, hastened straightway to send forth into this world false prophets, and false apostles, and false teachers, who should speak indeed in the name of Christ, but should accomplish the will of the demon.
[The close of this discourse, chaps. 34–37, resembles that of the first at Tripolis, in Homily VIII. 21, 24. As already indicated, much of Homily IX. finds a parallel in this book.—R.]
142:745Matt. 4:10, Luke 4:8.—R.]