Who Hath the Devil at His Back

Jesus answered: 'As God liveth, I have not the devil at my back, but I seek to cast out the devil. Wherefore, for this cause the devil stirreth up the world against me, because I am not of this world, but I seek that God may be glorified, who hath sent me into the world. Hearken therefore to me, and I will tell you who hath the devil at his back. As God liveth, in whose presence my soul standeth, he who worketh after the will of the devil, he hath the devil at his back, who hath put on him the bridle of his will and ruleth him at his pleasure, making him to run into every iniquity.

'Even as a garment changeth its name when it changeth its owner, although it is all the same cloth: so also men, albeit they are all of one material, are different by reason of the works of him who worketh in the man.

'If I (as I know) have sinned, wherefore do ye not rebuke me as a brother, instead of hating me as an enemy? Verily the members of a body succour one another when they are united with the head, and they that are cut off from the head give it no succour. For the hands of one body do not feel the pain of another body's feet, but that of the body in which they are united. As God liveth, in whose presence my soul standeth, he who feareth and loveth God his Creator hath the feeling of mercy over them [over] whom God his head hath mercy: and seeing that God willeth not the death of the sinner, but waiteth for each one to repent, if ye were of that body wherein I am incorporate, as God liveth, ye would help me to work according to mine head.'