But see how maliciously he endeavors by the use of the Scriptures to humble the glory of the Lord, as if He were in need of angelic aid; and as though He would stumble if the angels did not help Him. For the application of the Psalm refers not to Christ, nor does the Sovereign need angels. As for the pinnacle, it was a very lofty building, erected at the side of the temple.

The Arian Misinterpretation
Some however wrongly refer the Psalm to the person of the Lord, and taking the verses together they read it this way: "Because You, O Lord, are my hope, You have made the Most High Your refuge." They say therefore that the Lord had as His refuge the Most High, even the Father Who is in heaven. And their pretext for understanding it this way is that Satan also interpreted the verses like this, saying, "If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down: for it is written, that He shall give His angels charge concerning You." Because Satan is false and a deceiver, he applies what is said about mankind to the person of Christ the Savior of all.

The Christian Understanding
But Christians do not understand it in Satan's fashion. Though if the Arians have understood it this way, there is no cause for astonishment: for they follow their own father, "who is a liar, and the truth is not in him," according to the Savior's words. For if the truth is as they say, and Christians have made Christ their help, and He has the Father for His refuge, then Christians have fled to one who Himself has need of aid, and we call Him our Savior who is saved by another. This cannot be: Heaven forbid. Christians say therefore to those who are accustomed to thinking this way: You tell us another of your errors; you are traveling off the royal and straight path; you are falling into thorns and pitfalls; you have wandered from the truth. The Son is in all things equal to the Father: the mark and impress of His substance: the Most High, just as the Father is Most High.

Satan then made use of these verses, as though the Savior were a common man. Because he is entirely darkness, and has his mind blinded, he did not understand the force of what was said, that the psalm is spoken in the person of every just man who is aided by the Highest, even the God of heaven. And besides this, he did not know that the Word being God, was made man, and was Himself now being tempted in accordance with the plan of salvation. He therefore, as I said, supposed the words were spoken of a common man, or even of one of the holy prophets.

But it is monstrous for Christians, who accurately know the mystery, and believe that He is God and the Son of God, and that for our sakes He became man like us, to imagine that the verses were spoken about Him. To say then, "You have made the Most High your refuge," does not befit the person of the Savior. For He is Himself the Most High: the refuge of all: the hope of all: the all-powerful right hand of the Father: and whoever has made Him his defense, no evil shall approach him. For He shall command the angels, who are ministering spirits, to guard the just.

The Purpose of Angelic Aid
For just as human fathers, when they see the path rough and impassable, catch up their infants in their hands, lest perhaps their tender feet should be hurt, being as yet unable to walk over the hard road, so also the rational powers do not permit those who are as yet unable to labor, and whose understanding is still childish, to toil beyond their strength, but snatch them out of every temptation.