The Problem with Sin and Satan
“Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat.” – 1 Peter 5:8
Sin is in us (1 John 1:8, Romans 3:23). We desire sin and Satan knows it and will do anything to convince us to sin. He will because sinning is breaking God’s laws (1 John 3:4). Satan himself has been breaking God’s laws throughout time. He even did it from the beginning and will until the end. He will always cause problems. Therefore, the Bible warns us to always be on guard, vigilant and ready for his attacks. Satan is known to be tricky in his attempts to cause mischief in the world. He tricked Adam and Eve into eating the fruit that God told them not to (Genesis 3:1-7).
Satan will even try to cause mischief with God in the heavenly battle in Revelation 12:7-9. Take a glimpse into what will happen in the battle:
“Then there was a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough, and he and his angels lost their place in heaven. The giant dragon was thrown down out of heaven. (He is that old snake called the devil or Satan, who tricks the whole world.) The dragon with his angels was thrown down to the earth.”
We are like him and sin against God. At times, we desire to do what we want and what Satan tells us rather than listening to God. God did send Jesus to save sinners and won the battle over Satan and sin so sin cannot control us. We were slaves to sin and Satan until Jesus fulfilled God's plan of salvation for sinners like us (Romans 6:17, 20-23).
Sin is a continuous battle for people and that is why we should not underestimate the power it has and the devil’s power to convince us to do what God commands us not to do. It is easy to fall into the same pattern of sin like desiring to be rich, lying, or making things or people idols over God (Galatians 5:19-21).
However, there is hope for sin and sinners and that is the power to do what God desires from us by help from the Holy Spirit and being made righteous by Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus paid the punishment for our sins on the cross. He is the propitiation for our sins. This means that by dying for us, He freed us from the guilt of our sins and restored us to God (Romans 4:24). God now can show us mercy because Christ satisfies our debt of sin to Him. Praise God that He shows us so much mercy and now sin and Satan have no power in our lives.
