Do Not Be Conceited

Do you think you can beat Satan?
Suppose a tree is laden with apples.
If Satan were told to pick just one, which would he pick?
Would he not pick the largest, the loveliest,
the most richly colored apple?
Even if he could not pluck that large apple from the branch,
if he took one bite, or even left a small scratch,
that apple would lose its worth.
However much a damaged apple boasts and shows off its other sides,
who would cherish it?

I want you to gain deep wisdom.
Satan makes people stumble not through deep wounds but through small scratches,
and then drives them away from God forever.
But the farmer, too, is guarding the faithful apples.
So be humble always, like ripened grain that bows low,
and keep your soul safe from Satan
as you would keep a single drop of water in the middle of a desert.