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The Danger of Security:
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Phil Bray
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Are you guarding the back door?
I fear that far to often we as followers of Jesus are blindsided by Satan’s attack. Jesus promises, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (Jn 6:37). This is a staggering promise of eternal security. Those who come to Jesus, who cling to Jesus, treasuring Him as Savior and Lord are promised that under no circumstances will they be cast out. They will not be turned away from Jesus. They will not be rejected and sent into eternal judgment. This is comforting, encouraging, and awe-inspiring. Jesus deals definitively with our sins!
Yet, I fear that many times our confidence in God’s unending grace can lead us to an unhealthy slothfulness in regard to a hungry pursuit of Christ. We shift into a passive, effortless version of following Jesus akin to coasting. We are not actively pursuing Christ. We are not training our hearts to love and delight in Christ. We are not seeking first the kingdom of God. As a result we are often caught flatfooted when Satan slips in the back door of our life unnoticed.
Learning From Israel's Story
In the book of Numbers we read the story of king Balak of Moab who hired a diviner named Balaam to come and curse Israel as they were journeying toward the promised land. Balak and Moab were “in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.” (Num 22:3). Balaam comes but YHWH does not allow him to curse Israel. Three times he attempts to curse Israel in order to perform his services for the king so as to receive his monetary compensation. Each time, God forces Balaam to bless Israel! Israel is blissfully unaware of this dramatic defense that God is performing on their behalf against the idolatrous soothsayer hired by Moab.
Israel is confident in their position as God’s people. In fact they are resting in the security of God’s promises. As Balaam states, “Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you.” (Num 24:9). Like Israel, we who are in Christ are often blissfully unaware of the raging enemy screaming for our destruction. We are confident in our position as God’s people, confident in Jesus’ gracious promises to keep us and not lose any who have been given to Him. We stop looking about for the enemy. We stop being vigilant to his attacks because no one is able to snatch us out of the Father’s hand (Jn 10:29) or separate us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:35-39).
Satan cannot destroy us eternally. He is prevented from cursing us, just as Balaam was. It is important to keep reading though. After the final blessing instead of cursing Balaam says to Balak, “And now behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.” (Num 24:14). He then offers an oracle of Israel’s supremacy over the nations of Moab, Edom, Amalek, and Asshur. Balaam then leaves and returns to his place. What happens next is tragic. “While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and YHWH was angry against Israel.” (Num 25:1-3).
Moab shifts from attempting to destroy Israel in a frontal attack by divine cursing into a seductive honey trap designed to destroy Israel through deceptive corruption. The women of Moab seduce the men of Israel into worshiping the god of Peor, Baal of Peor, through some form of sexual ritual. The men of Israel, unconcerned about a frontal assault against them militarily because of God’s faithful promises, are easily deceived into bringing destruction, misery, and sorrow upon themselves through rebellion against YHWH. Marriages and families are ruined. A plague breaks out among the people, a plague sent by the Lord upon the guilty participants. By the end of the day 24,000 people had died. Balak cannot attack them militarily and succeed, but he succeeds in bringing about the death of 24,000 Israelites by turning them against the Lord in such a way that they reap a whirlwind of awful consequences.
Guarding Your Heart Against Subtle Attacks
This event happened by the counsel of Balaam! He could not curse Israel and so he advised the king to seduce them into immorality and idolatry so as to bring about horrific consequences upon the people. “And Moses said to them, ‘Have you spared all these women? Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against YHWH in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of YHWH.” (Num 31:15-16).
Do you realize that Satan cannot take you out of the Father’s hand but that he can work to seduce you into immorality and idolatry so as to bring about horrific consequences in your life? Do you realize that in your comfort of eternal security you have stopped watching the back door of your heart so that the enemy has slipped in quietly in order to begin seducing the desires of your flesh, stirring up a love for the world and the things of this world so that you turn away from the good way of Christ into the way of darkness that leads to misery, brokenness, and despair? Followers of Christ cannot be separated from Christ, but they may destroy their marriage, their credibility to minister in the name of Christ, or even their physical health by succumbing to Satan’s temptations.
A Call to Stay Vigilant
Stay alert! Watch and pray lest you fall into temptation! Jesus warned us that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Mk 14:38). You cannot lose your salvation. There is forgiveness in Christ. Israel eventually inherited the promised land, but not before thousands of families were rent asunder by betrayal, immorality, idolatry, and death. Your sin has consequences. Sin brings sorrow, suffering, and brokenness. Jesus forgives. Praise God, Jesus forgives! Yet, you do not want to destroy your family, ministry, or health by failing to vigilantly and vigorously watch against the enemy of temptation. Trust in Christ. Walk in the way of Christ. Watch for temptation and pray for the strength and wisdom to avoid it. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Pet 5:8).
I fear that far to often we as followers of Jesus are blindsided by Satan’s attack. Jesus promises, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (Jn 6:37). This is a staggering promise of eternal security. Those who come to Jesus, who cling to Jesus, treasuring Him as Savior and Lord are promised that under no circumstances will they be cast out. They will not be turned away from Jesus. They will not be rejected and sent into eternal judgment. This is comforting, encouraging, and awe-inspiring. Jesus deals definitively with our sins!
Yet, I fear that many times our confidence in God’s unending grace can lead us to an unhealthy slothfulness in regard to a hungry pursuit of Christ. We shift into a passive, effortless version of following Jesus akin to coasting. We are not actively pursuing Christ. We are not training our hearts to love and delight in Christ. We are not seeking first the kingdom of God. As a result we are often caught flatfooted when Satan slips in the back door of our life unnoticed.
Learning From Israel's Story
In the book of Numbers we read the story of king Balak of Moab who hired a diviner named Balaam to come and curse Israel as they were journeying toward the promised land. Balak and Moab were “in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.” (Num 22:3). Balaam comes but YHWH does not allow him to curse Israel. Three times he attempts to curse Israel in order to perform his services for the king so as to receive his monetary compensation. Each time, God forces Balaam to bless Israel! Israel is blissfully unaware of this dramatic defense that God is performing on their behalf against the idolatrous soothsayer hired by Moab.
Israel is confident in their position as God’s people. In fact they are resting in the security of God’s promises. As Balaam states, “Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you.” (Num 24:9). Like Israel, we who are in Christ are often blissfully unaware of the raging enemy screaming for our destruction. We are confident in our position as God’s people, confident in Jesus’ gracious promises to keep us and not lose any who have been given to Him. We stop looking about for the enemy. We stop being vigilant to his attacks because no one is able to snatch us out of the Father’s hand (Jn 10:29) or separate us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:35-39).
Satan cannot destroy us eternally. He is prevented from cursing us, just as Balaam was. It is important to keep reading though. After the final blessing instead of cursing Balaam says to Balak, “And now behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.” (Num 24:14). He then offers an oracle of Israel’s supremacy over the nations of Moab, Edom, Amalek, and Asshur. Balaam then leaves and returns to his place. What happens next is tragic. “While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and YHWH was angry against Israel.” (Num 25:1-3).
Moab shifts from attempting to destroy Israel in a frontal attack by divine cursing into a seductive honey trap designed to destroy Israel through deceptive corruption. The women of Moab seduce the men of Israel into worshiping the god of Peor, Baal of Peor, through some form of sexual ritual. The men of Israel, unconcerned about a frontal assault against them militarily because of God’s faithful promises, are easily deceived into bringing destruction, misery, and sorrow upon themselves through rebellion against YHWH. Marriages and families are ruined. A plague breaks out among the people, a plague sent by the Lord upon the guilty participants. By the end of the day 24,000 people had died. Balak cannot attack them militarily and succeed, but he succeeds in bringing about the death of 24,000 Israelites by turning them against the Lord in such a way that they reap a whirlwind of awful consequences.
Guarding Your Heart Against Subtle Attacks
This event happened by the counsel of Balaam! He could not curse Israel and so he advised the king to seduce them into immorality and idolatry so as to bring about horrific consequences upon the people. “And Moses said to them, ‘Have you spared all these women? Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against YHWH in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of YHWH.” (Num 31:15-16).
Do you realize that Satan cannot take you out of the Father’s hand but that he can work to seduce you into immorality and idolatry so as to bring about horrific consequences in your life? Do you realize that in your comfort of eternal security you have stopped watching the back door of your heart so that the enemy has slipped in quietly in order to begin seducing the desires of your flesh, stirring up a love for the world and the things of this world so that you turn away from the good way of Christ into the way of darkness that leads to misery, brokenness, and despair? Followers of Christ cannot be separated from Christ, but they may destroy their marriage, their credibility to minister in the name of Christ, or even their physical health by succumbing to Satan’s temptations.
A Call to Stay Vigilant
Stay alert! Watch and pray lest you fall into temptation! Jesus warned us that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Mk 14:38). You cannot lose your salvation. There is forgiveness in Christ. Israel eventually inherited the promised land, but not before thousands of families were rent asunder by betrayal, immorality, idolatry, and death. Your sin has consequences. Sin brings sorrow, suffering, and brokenness. Jesus forgives. Praise God, Jesus forgives! Yet, you do not want to destroy your family, ministry, or health by failing to vigilantly and vigorously watch against the enemy of temptation. Trust in Christ. Walk in the way of Christ. Watch for temptation and pray for the strength and wisdom to avoid it. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Pet 5:8).