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The Golden Chain - Robert J. Wieland

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<strong>The</strong> greater temptations can never cancel the lesser.<br />

He was tempted to self-indulgence, as we are, and<br />

perfectly "overcame." His temptation to evade His<br />

cross coincides with the principle underlying all<br />

our temptations.<br />

11. Jesus said, "<strong>The</strong> prince of this world comes<br />

and has nothing in Me" (John 14:30). If He had<br />

taken our sinful humanity, how could He have<br />

said those words? Wouldn't He have to say,<br />

"Satan has something in Me"?<br />

No, the fact that Christ took our sinful nature<br />

would not mean that Satan had anything in Him.<br />

Since Christ "overcame," it would mean the exact<br />

opposite, for only by "taking" our sinful nature and<br />

overcoming could Christ have truly defeated Satan<br />

so that he "has nothing in Me," as He says. Unless<br />

Christ's overcoming included His condemning "sin<br />

in the flesh," Satan would indeed have had<br />

"something" in Him, for he would have accused<br />

Christ of being sheltered from the real conflict and<br />

therefore dishonestly winning only a sham victory.<br />

"<strong>The</strong> will must consent ... before Satan can<br />

47

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