Matthew 26:41

Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians

as the Lord has said: "The spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak."[47]

Irenaeus Against Heresies Book V

For as the Lord has testified that "the flesh is weak," so [does He also say] that "the spirit is willing."[60]

Clement of Alexandria Stromata Book IV " And Epicharmus, "This nature of men is inflated skins." And the Saviour has said to us, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."[66]

Clement of Alexandria Stromata Book IV

And they that are in the flesh cannot please God." And in further explanation continues, that no one may, like Marcion[67]

Tertullian On the Flesh of Christ

; He thirsted with the woman of Samaria; He wept over Lazarus; He trembles at death (for "the flesh," as He says, "is weak "[141]

Tertullian On Baptism

for our former sins, by mortification of our flesh and spirit, and lay beforehand the foundation of defences against the temptations which will closely follow. "Watch and pray," saith (the Lord), "lest ye fall into temptation."[206]

Tertullian On Prayer

This passage He confirms by subsequent ones, saying, "Pray that ye be not tempted; "[62]

Tertullian Ad Martyras

From the saying of our Lord we know that the flesh is weak, the spirit willing.[7]

Tertullian Of Patience

patience, "weak,"[154]

Tertullian To His Wife Book I

But we read "that the flesh is weak; "[32]

Tertullian To His Wife Book I

ourselves in some cases. Yet we read, too, that "the spirit is strong; "[34]

Tertullian On Monogamy

persevere in waging a war of extermination against the "better things? "The time for its indulgence was (the interval) until the Paraclete began His operations, to whose coming were deferred by the Lord (the things) which in H's day "could not be endured; "which it is now no longer competent for any one to be unable to endure, seeing that He through whom the power of enduring is granted is not wanting. How long shall we allege "the flesh," because the Lord said, "the flesh is weak? "[102]

Tertullian De Fuga in Persecutione

wever,) first of all, that by having, as His own, trouble of soul and weakness of the flesh, He might show you that both the substances in Him were truly human; lest, as certain persons have now brought it in, you might be led to think either the flesh or the soul of Christ different from ours; and then, that, by an exhibition of their states, you might be convinced that they have no power at all of themselves without the spirit. And for this reason He puts first "the willing spirit,"[32]

Hippolytus Dogmatical and Historical Fragments

But what it was before, that also it continued to be in nature and activity when united with divinity, even as the Saviour said, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."[315]

Hippolytus Dogmatical and Historical Fragments

and, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."[435]

Peter of Alexandria Canonical Epistle

o who, as it were from sleep, themselves leap forth upon a contest which is travailing long and likely to be protracted, and draw upon themselves the temptations as it were of a sea-fight, and the inundations of many waves, or rather are for the brethren kindling the coals of the sinners, with them also we must communicate, inasmuch as they come to this in the name of Christ, even though they take no heed unto His words, when He teaches us "to pray that we enter not into temptation; "[23]

Peter of Alexandria Canonical Epistle

For He would not have us go over to the ministers and satellites of the devil, that we might not be the cause to them of a manifold death, inasmuch as thus we should be compelling them both to be harsher, and to carry out their deadly works, but He would have us to wait, and to take heed to ourselves, to watch and to pray, lest we enter into temptation.[30]

Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book V

Wherefore neither let us be rash and hasty to thrust ourselves into dangers, for the Lord says: "Pray that ye fall not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."[15]

Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book VIII

as mindful of the words of the Lord. For, knowing that though "the spirit be willing, the flesh is weak,"[202]

Origen Commentary on Matthew Book X

But while men are asleep who do not act according to the command of Jesus, "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation,"[7]