What they knew #2: God protects from sin
“…but [we know] he who was born of God [Jesus] protects him…” (Jump to full passage above)
Do not overlook the conjunction. The Christian is protected from sin. In the first phrase, John said that the one born of God does not continue in ungodliness. In this second piece, John says they are protected.
It is too natural to figure that the things we want are in some manner good, but they are not. Sin is never excellent but always harmful. We need to be protected from the harm. There are fences erected around sinful ways, but they are not solid. We can still run through them. The Christian is not jailed-up behind rows of concertina wire. Rather they have been enabled by God to escape from the consequences of sin; think, run the other way.
Again, consider this phrase in the structure of “we know.” In this John is not teaching doctrine but reminding. You know that sin is harmful and you know that God protects you from the practice of sin.
What they knew #3: Satan is real but isolated
“We know…the evil one does not touch him….” (Jump to full passage above)
Think back to that dog’s invisible fence. Suppose your city has a dog-hater. He gets his jollies enticing dogs into busy streets with bits of food. The result is that the heretofore happily isolated dogs get maimed and killed. The fences put up were for the good of the pets. The pet may not have had enough brain-power to get it, but their loving owner did.
Satan knows what juicy bits we have a devil of a time ignoring. “Here doggy, doggy,” says the evil one. If he could just get us close to the street he could grab our collar and throw us into the traffic. The Christian knows that the evil one cannot do this. Satan cannot touch the children of God.
Now, just like we can hear God’s voice we can hear Satan’s. He can yell from someplace, but that is as good as it gets for him. He cannot touch us. He is outside of the invisible fencing. Satan is real but isolated.
Just for us
When you hear the voice of Satan ignore it. Satan knows you hear. He may even tell you that when you are doing your best to ignore him he knows you can hear his voice. Look then, to Jesus. Call to God for help. He is your master and a loving one. On purpose, acknowledge Satan, your old ways, Jesus and your new ones. Acknowledge that he who is in you is stronger than he that is in the world. Use of scriptures in the heat of the moment can be very helpful. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you. Tempted you will be. Fall? You don’t have to. One call, that’s all. 1
Leave a Reply