John Steinbeck Quotes

Lead me not into temptation; I can find the way myself.

Men have the power of thinking that they may avoid sin.

Is it not enough to know the evil to shun it? If not, we should be sincere enough to admit that we love evil too well to give it up.

Temptations hurt not, though they have accesse; Satan o'ercomes none but by willingnesse.

No one can ask honestly or hopefully to be delivered from temptation unless he has himself honestly and firmly determined to do the best he can to keep out of it.

Man's chief merit consists in resisting the impulses of his nature.

Tomorrow's character is made out of today's thoughts. Temptation may come suddenly, but sin does not.

Temptation is the devil looking through the keyhole. Yielding is opening the door and inviting him in.

It is good to be without vices, but it is not good to be without temptations.

There is good and there is bad in every human heart, and it is the struggle of life to conquer the bad with the good.

A portion of mankind take pride in their vices and pursue their purpose; many more waver between doing what is right and complying with what is wrong.

It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.

Lead us not into temptation. Just tell us where it is; we'll find it.

We may not have demon fathers dangling offers of infernal power before us, but everyone understands what it means to struggle with temptation or resist the urge to give in to our baser natures.

I do all the evil I can before I learn to shun it? Is it not enough to know the evil to shun it? If not, we should be sincere enough to admit that we love evil too well to give it up.

In fact, it is a farce to call any being virtuous whose virtues do not result from the exercise of its own reason.

The great of heart is a gift of god. He who obeys his belly, obeys the enemy

No man deserves to be praised for his goodness, who has it not in his power to be wicked. Goodness without that power is generally nothing more than sloth, or an impotence of will.

Evil isn't prejudiced. It doesn't care what you look like; it just wants a place to rest. It's up to you whether you give it that place.

Oh, I am an angel, though sometimes I wish I was more of a devil.

No temptation, no pressure, no enticing can overcome us unless we allow such. If we make the wrong choice, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Whosoever obeyeth the devil, casteth himself down: for the devil may suggest, compel he cannot.

One who is allowed to sin, sins less

Eve didn't choose to eat the apple. She was tempted by the serpent." "Yes," I argue, thoughts coming out half-formed. "But...she didn't have to take a bite. She chose to.

Temptation is not a sin but playing with temptation invites sin.