How great was our dear Lord’s distress;
His trials how severe:
When in a howling wilderness,
He strove with Satan there.

That foe assault’s him with disdain;
Thou art here left alone,
To suffer hunger, thirst and pain–
Would God forsake his son!

Now to supply thy present need;
Art thou the son of God!
Command these stones that they be bread,
Supply thyself with food.

May we reply as Jesus did,
When we are tempted too!
This is the means, by which we rid,
Ourselves of such a foe.

Man does not live by bread alone,
But by that sacred word:
By which all things are made and done,
As order’d by the Lord.

In various ways the tempter tried,
To cause the Saviour’s fall;
But was defeated and defied,
And miss’d his aim in all.

Christ conquer’d and he gain’d the day,
In all he overcame–
To him we look, to him we pray,
And we shall do the same.

To his dear word and promises,
We ever have recourse;
In him always have we success,
To banish Satan’s force.