8924. Fear not, because God is come to tempt you. That this signifies that the life of heaven will not perish; this is merely that it may be known that it exists, and what is its quality; this is evident from the signification of "not fearing," namely, that they will die, as being that they will perish in respect to the life of heaven (see n. 8922); and from the signification of "to tempt you," as being to teach that there is a life of heaven and what its quality is. That this is signified by "tempting," is because all spiritual temptation teaches and confirms such things with man. For temptations are to the intent that the faith of truth, and the affection of truth, and afterward the affection of good, may be implanted and inrooted, and that thus the man may receive new life, which is the life of heaven. [2] For temptations are combats with evils and falsities, and when the man conquers these, he is confirmed, for he fights from truths and for truths against falsity and evil. That he fights from truths and for truths, the man is not sensible of at the time, because truths are in the interiors; and therefore they do not come manifestly to sense, which is of the exteriors; but that it is from them and for them is evident from the fact that there is combat and afterward victory, which is not possible except by collisions of things opposite to each other: the opposites are evil and good, and falsity and truth. [3] But be it known that the man does not fight, but the Lord for the man, and indeed against the hells, which then attempt to attack and subdue the man (see n. 840, 1661, 1692, 8159, 8168, 8172, 8175, 8176). From all this it is evident that by the words "Fear not, for God is come to tempt you," is signified that they ought not to fear that the life of heaven will perish, for this comes to pass that they may be taught and know that there is a life of heaven, and also what its quality is. (But concerning temptations, see what has been already said and shown, n. 2272, 2768, 3318, 3927, 3928, 4249, 4299, 4341, 4572, 5036, 5246, 5356, 6144, 6574, 6611, 6657, 6663, 6666, 6829, 8131, 8273, 8351, 8367, 8370, 8403, 8567.)