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BUT that they have not the power of hurting any man is shown in a very
clear way by the instance of the blessed Job, where the enemy did not
venture to try him beyond what was allowed to him by the Divine permission;
and it is evidenced by the confession of the same spirits contained in the
records of the gospel, where they say: "If Thou cast us out, suffer us to
go into the herd of swine." And far more must we hold that they cannot
of their own free will enter into any one of men who are created in the
image of God, if they have not power to enter into dumb and unclean animals
without the permission of God. But no one--I will not say of the younger
men, whom we see living most steadfastly in this desert, but even of those
who are perfect--could live alone in the desert, surrounded by such swarms
of foes of this kind, if they had unlimited power and freedom to hurt and
tempt us: and still more clearly is this supported by the words of our Lord
and Saviour, which in the lowliness of the manhood He had assumed, He
uttered to Pilate, when He said: "Thou couldest have no power against Me at
all, unless it were given thee from above."
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