Temptations

Unde Christus post baptismum permisit se tentari, non ante, ut tentationes baptizatis doceret immitti. Diabolus enim ante baptismum, dum eos suos esse putat, non eos ita acriter aggreditur. Filii Israel post maris transitum, id est baptismum, morantur in deserto, donec venirent ad terram promissionis, nec est dignus aliquis comedere manna, id est corpus Domini, nisi in deserto moretur, id est nisi tumultus hujus saeculi et concupiscentias, si non corpore, saltem mente deserat. Et quia tunc imminent tentationes, accingantur ad pugnam. Vide ergo ordinem: Tria sunt genera tentationum, quae dicitur tentatio oculorum, in superbia vitae. Omnia autem alia mala ex his proveniunt, sive ira, sive invidia, sive contentio, sive odium, sive homicidium, sive furtum, sive alia genera. Ex gula, luxuria, dormitionis delectatio, et voluptates aliae. De concupiscentia carnis sunt divitiae, honores, et similia. Concupiscentia est exteriorum. Superbia vitae, est vana gloria de bonis operibus. Naturaliter autem prius tentat diabolus in concupiscentia carnis, quae est homini vicinior et quasi naturalis. Postea in exterioribus. Concupiscentia vero carnis solet incipere a gula, quia satur venter luxuriam appetit, et caeteras voluptates. Et ideo debet fidelis prius gulam domare, quae est porta et initium caeterarum voluptatum; et quia contra gulam primitus insurgit, a jejunio, quod est fraenum gulae, incipit. Et cum jejunasset quadraginta diebus et quadraginta noctibus... Anselmus Laudunensis, Enarrationes In Matthaeum, Caput IV Source: Migne PL 162.1270c-1271a

Christ allowed Himself to be tempted after baptism, 1 and not before, so that He might teach the dismissal of temptations. Before baptism the devil does not assail so bitterly because he judges men to be his own. The sons of Israel, after they crossed the sea, which is baptism, dwelt in the desert until they came to the promised land, nor was anyone worthy to eat manna, that is, the body of the Lord, unless they were in the desert, that is, unless they had withdrawn from the tumults and desires of this world, and if not in the body then in the mind, and because trials threatened them then, so were they girded up to fight. See, then, the order of the temptations in the desert, that there are three types of temptation, which is to say the temptation of the eyes in the pride of life. For every other evil comes forth from these, whether it is anger or envy or contention or hate, or murder, or theft, or any other type. From gluttony comes luxury, and delight in idleness, and other pleasures. From the desire of the flesh comes riches, honours and similar things. Desire is for exterior things. The pride of life is vainglory in good works. And naturally the devil first tempts with the desire of the flesh, which is closer to man according to his nature. Later he turns to exterior things. The desire of the flesh is accustomed to begin with gluttony because the stomach demands pampering and other pleasures. Therefore the faithful man should first rule over gluttony, which is the gate and beginning of the other pleasures, and so because he first rises up against gluttony he begins with fasting which is the withering of gluttony. 'And when He had fasted forty days and nights...' 2 Anselm of Laon, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 4 1 Mt 4.1 2 Mt 4.2