ur self-will, often desire to serve God in some particular way, and
lose interest when we have to change our method. Satan gives us an
example in this, for he cares not how he fights, if only he can, in
some small measure at least, accomplish God's dishonour. He has no pet
plans to which he clings in a self-willed way. Utterly devoted to his
cause, he feels no reluctance or sense of personal chagrin at having to
give up a certain method he has been using to dishonour God in us. He
gladly and immediately resigns what he finds is not to the purpose.

We see this illustrated in the swiftness with which he shifts the point
of attack, often with great readiness and seeming graciousness
accepting as his own the point of view from which we reject his first
overture.

This is vividly illustrated in his temptation of our Lord in the
wilderness. In response to the first temptation, our Lord shows that
man is not to live by bread alone, not by merely natural means, even
though in themselves they may be {42} good, but that he is to be
sustained by a trust in God. Instantly Satan changes his front. He
takes Him up upon a pinnacle of the temple and delivers the second
temptation, which in substance is this: "You are entirely right. God
must be trusted implicitly and in all things. Now give an evidence of
your trust in Him. Cast yourself down, for it is written--(and here we
see how the devil so completely shifts to our Lord's point of view that
he begins to quote Scripture himself),--'He shall give His angels
charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up,
lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." But the Blessed
One could not be deceived. Again fell the crushing _Scriptum est_, and
again the tempter is vanquished.

As we have just seen in his quotation from Scripture, if it suits his
purpose he will make use of the best and holiest things if only he can
balk God's will,--things which, in themselves, he must fear and hate.
"So he may cozen and deceive thee, he cares not whether it be by truth
or falsehood," says a Kempis.[18] He will try to induce us to go to
church when he knows that in so doing we may be neglecting plain,
God-sent duties at home. He could not possibly desire us to meditate
on holy things, and yet a {43} self-willed meditation, to the neglect
of charity or obedience, is most pleasing to him, and he will incite us
to it, even smoothing the way for us, suggesting to us b