Control of Appetite
119
and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon
his God.”
“The prince of this world cometh,” saith Jesus, “and hath nothing
in Me.” There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan’s sophistry.
[153]
He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to
temptation. So it may be with us. Christ’s humanity was united with
divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long
as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us.
God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon
the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character.
239. Satan comes to man, as he came to Christ, with his overpow-
ering temptations to indulge appetite. He well knows his power to
overcome man upon this point. He overcame Adam and Eve in Eden
upon appetite, and they lost their blissful home. What accumulated
misery and crime have filled our world in consequence of the fall
of Adam. Entire cities have been blotted from the face of the earth
because of the debasing crimes and revolting iniquity that made them
a blot upon the universe. Indulgence of appetite was the foundation of
all their sins.—
Testimonies for the Church 3:561, 1875
240. Christ began the work of redemption just where the ruin
began. His first test was on the same point where Adam failed. It was
through temptations addressed to the appetite that Satan had overcome
a large proportion of the human race, and his success had made him
feel that the control of this fallen planet was in his hands. But in Christ
he found one who was able to resist him, and he left the field of battle
a conquered foe. Jesus says, “He hath nothing in Me.” His victory is
an assurance that we too may come off victors in our conflicts with the
enemy. But it is not our heavenly Father’s purpose to save us without
an effort on our part to cooperate with Christ. We must act our part, and
divine power, uniting with our effort, will bring victory.—
Christian
Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 16, 1890
[
For Our Sakes Christ Exercised Self-Control Stronger Than
Hunger or Death—295
]
[
Christ Strengthened to Endure by His Fast; His Victory an En-
couragement to All—296
]
[154]
[
When Most Fiercely Tempted, Christ Ate Nothing—70
]