: It would seem that in Christ there was the _fomes_ of
sin. For the _fomes_ of sin, and the passibility and mortality of the
body spring from the same principle, to wit, from the withdrawal of
original justice, whereby the inferior powers of the soul were
subject to the reason, and the body to the soul. Now passibility and
mortality of body were in Christ. Therefore there was also the
_fomes_ of sin.

Obj. 2: Further, as Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii, 19), "it was
by consent of the Divine will that the flesh of Christ was allowed to
suffer and do what belonged to it." But it is proper to the flesh to
lust after its pleasures. Now since the _fomes_ of sin is nothing
more than concupiscence, as the gloss says on Rom. 7:8, it seems that
in Christ there was the _fomes_ of sin.

Obj. 3: Further, it is by reason of the _fomes_ of sin that "the
flesh lusteth against the spirit," as is written (Gal. 5:17). But the
spirit is shown to be so much the stronger and worthier to be crowned
according as the more completely it overcomes its enemy--to wit, the
concupiscence of the flesh, according to 2 Tim. 2:5, he "is not
crowned except he strive lawfully." Now Christ had a most valiant and
conquering spirit, and one most worthy of a crown, according to Apoc.
6:2: "There was a crown given Him, and He went forth conquering that
He might conquer." Therefore it would especially seem that the
_fomes_ of sin ought to have been in Christ.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Matt. 1:20): "That which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." Now the Holy Ghost drives out
sin and the inclination to sin, which is implied in the word _fomes._
Therefore in Christ there ought not to have been the _fomes_ of sin.

_I answer that,_ As was said above (Q. 7, AA. 2, 9), Christ had grace
and all the virtues most perfectly. Now moral virtues, which are in
the irrational part of the soul, make it subject to reason, and so
much the more as the virtue is more perfect; thus, temperance
controls the concupiscible appetite, fortitude and meekness the
irascible appetite, as was said in the Second Part (I-II, Q. 56, A.
4). But there belongs to the very nature of the _fomes_ of sin an
inclination of the sensual appetite to what is contrary to reason.
And hence it is plain that the more perfect the virtues are in any
man, the weaker the _fomes_ of sin becomes in him. Hence, since in
Christ the virtues were in their highest degree, the _fomes_ of sin
was no