the devil has power over us only as we permit him (Joseph Smith)

“The devil has no power over us–only as we permit him; the moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power.”

~ Joseph Smith

The power of the Word (Packer)

“Jesus then went into the wilderness; Lucifer came tempting Him. Jesus deflected each temptation with scripture. ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ‘It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’ ‘It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’ Think on it carefully. When facing Perdition himself, the Lord drew upon scriptures for protection.”

President Boyd K. Packer,  April 2000 General Conference

Temptations

“Everyone is tested. One might think it is unfair to be singled out and subjected to a particular temptation, but this is the purpose of mortal life—to be tested. And the answer is the same for everyone: we must, and we can, resist temptations of any kind.” 

― President Boyd K. Packer 

We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down (Uchtdorf)

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/04/we-are-doing-a-great-work-and-cannot-come-down?lang=eng

two influences ever present in the world (George Albert Smith)

“There are two influences ever present in the world. One is constructive and elevating and comes from our Heavenly Father; the other is destructive and debasing and comes from Lucifer. We have our agency and make our own choice in life subject to these unseen powers. There is a division line well defined that separates the Lord’s territory from Lucifer’s. If we live on the Lord’s side of the line Lucifer cannot come there to influence us, but if we cross the line into his territory we are in his power. By keeping the commandments of the Lord we are safe on His side of the line, but if we disobey His teachings we voluntarily cross into the zone of temptation and invite the destruction that is ever present there. Knowing this, how anxious we should always be to live on the Lord’s side of the line.” (emphasis added)


George Albert Smith, Improvement Era, May 1935, p. 278

Temptation

“All of us experience temptations. So did the Savior, but He ‘gave no heed unto them’ (D&C 20:22). Similarly, we do not have to yield simply because a temptation surfaces. We may want to, but we don’t have to.”

D. Todd Christofferson, “Moral Discipline,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 107

Meeting your Goliath

“The battle for our souls is no less important that the battle fought by David. The enemy is no less formidable, the help of Almighty God no farther away. What will our action be? Like David of old, ‘our cause is just.’ We have been placed upon earth not to fail or fall victim to temptation’s snare, but rather to succeed. Our giant, our Goliath, must be conquered.”

Thomas S. Monson, “Meeting Your Goliath,” New Era, June 2008, 5