The Trinity of Temptation

When the Lord Jesus received the filling of the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He was immediately led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. The person who has been powerfully drawn toward God by the Holy Spirit will be, like the sweep of the pendulum, almost immediately exposed to strong temptation.

It is almost necessary, I think, in order to root the tree deeper in the soil. When I was a boy my schoolmates would go often to a neighboring orchard when the fruit was ripe. You could always tell when the fruit was ripe, because the boys made for it. As long as the fruit of your life is immature and sour, the devil will not trouble you much; but just so soon as your fruit is ready, you may expect all the devils of hell to try to steal it. It may be considered rather an honor to have thieves break into your house, because it shows that you have a repute for having money—thieves never break into a poor man’s house. And if the devil comes about your house, it shows that you are becoming better off than you used to be. Count it all joy, therefore, when you are tempted.

Now in dealing with temptation we must remember that a man may be tempted either of God (and