AC 8164-5; 8168; 8172 - a mini lesson on temptations and the loving power and care of the Lord

AC 8164
There are spiritual temptations, and there are natural temptations.
Spiritual temptations belong to the internal person,
but natural ones to the external person.
Spiritual temptations sometimes arise without natural temptations,
sometimes with them.
Natural temptations exist when a person suffers as to the body....
But these temptations effect nothing whatever
toward a person's spiritual life,
neither can they be called temptations, but griefs;
for they arise from the wounding of the natural life,
which is that of the love of self and of the world.

[2] But spiritual temptations belong to the internal person,
and assault his spiritual life.
In this case the anxieties are not on account of any loss of natural life,
but on account of the loss of faith and charity,
and consequently of salvation.
These temptations are frequently induced
by means of natural temptations....

AC 8165 [2]
Were there no graves in Egypt,
that you have taken us to die in the wilderness? (Exodus 14:11)
That these words are words of despair is evident.
Moreover those who are in despair,
which is the last of temptation,
think such things, and then they are as it were on the slope,
or are as it were sinking down toward hell.
But at this time such thought does not harm whatever,
nor do the angels pay any attention to it,
for every person's power is limited,
and when the temptation arrives at the furthest limit of his power,
the person cannot sustain anything more, but sinks down.
But then, when he is on the down hill course,
he is raised by the Lord and thus liberated from despair;
and is then, for the most part,
brought into a clear state of hope and consequent consolation,
and also into good fortune.

... temptations are to the end that truths and goods may be confirmed,
and may be conjoined together,
in order that faith and charity may ensue;
but this end is attained only when the person conquers in temptations,
whereas when he yields,
in this case truths and goods are rejected,
and falsities and evils are confirmed,
whereby such come into a state of damnation.

AC 8168
The falsities injected from the hells
have their force and power
from the love of self and of the world, which are in the person;
but the truths insinuated by the Lord
have their force and power
from love toward the neighbor and love to the Lord.

AC 8172
And Moses said unto the people, Fear you not,
stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah,
which He will do for you today;
for the Egyptians who you have seen today,
you shall see them again no more forever.
Jehovah will wage war for you,
and you will keep silence. (Exodus 14:13-4)

It is here said that they must have faith
that salvation is from the Lord alone,
and not at all from themselves,
because this is the main thing of faith in temptations.
He, who when he is tempted,
believes that he can resist from his own strength, yields;
the reason is that he is in what is false,
and he therefore attributes merit to himself,
and thus demands to be saved of himself,
and thus shuts out the influx from the Divine.
But he who believes
that the Lord alone resists in temptation, conquers;
for he is in the truth, and attributes the merit to the Lord,
and perceives that he is saved by the Lord alone.
He who is in the faith of charity
ascribes everything of salvation to the Lord,
and nothing to himself.