“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)
What is the purpose of our adversary tempting us if he is well aware of the truth of that verse? Why attempt to cause us to stumble along the path that he knows we will not be removed from, to try to cause those who are hid in Christ eternally to commit a grievous error, a sin against the Almighty?
What does he gain from that?
He is doomed to a thousand years of chains, doomed to an eternity in the Lake of Fire, no differently than the nice little old lady down the street who will die in her sins because she rejected the calling of the Living God. Why does he concern himself with us when he knows we are eternally accepted in the Beloved?
“And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.” (Mark 1:12)
In my mind when I read those passages I see Satan standing before the Most High and saying, “Why should I do this? He is your Son, He is God, and God cannot fall into temptation.” And the Creator of all reality simply replies, “Do what you have been told to do.”
The Lord Jesus Christ could not succumb to temptation, no one can be tempted with what he already possess. So why bother with those who are assured in the truth that they are heirs to the Kingdom of heaven, who know, without a shadow of a doubt the truth of John 10:28.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
You may say that when we sin others may see or know of that sin, that it will be revealed, and therefore we have dishonored the name of the Most High by our actions, no differently, in fact in the same manner, that David did.
“Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.” (2nd Sam. 12:14)
Very true, and you would be correct, sins that we commit that are known by the wicked may cause them to mock His name, by the lost to question their thoughts of heeding the call, and by our brothers and sisters in Christ to doubt the validity of our profession of faith, over salvation.
Here Satan gains an advantage, for there are few things more sweet to him than seeing the name of the Living God dishonored. A strange sort of enjoyment for him, one based in pride, jealousy and envy, but that is his concern, not ours.
“But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numb. 32:23)
But hear this now and contemplate it at length. What of those sins we commit that no one on this planet knows about and will never find out, will never be revealed to anyone? Sins that only God Himself knows about?
Now it becomes personal, now you do not need to be concerned in any way with what others will think of you, because no one will ever know.
Except God, He knows.
Loss of fellowship? Possible chastisement? Not a complete quenching of the Holy Spirit, but hindering Him, in a sense that any man of dust can hinder God, from working further in your life for His glory? Does that benefit our adversary as well?
I do not speak of the hypocrites here, those who are only professing Him with their lips, but of those who truly are born-again, who still harbor, for a period of time, seasons of sin within themselves, unbeknownst to any but their Father in heaven. Are opportunities to further the Gospel withheld from these, and is that the advantage of our adversary then?
If you desire to be used by God for the glory of God, then you must submit to the will of God. When we sin, whether openly or inwardly, Satan has accomplished his desires.
