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"We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them."
(1 John 5:18)
What a powerful verse of God's Word. John teaches us that we are no longer under the bondage of sin; it cannot dominate us as it once did when we did not know Christ. We do not make a habit of sinning. Also, as we pointed out in yesterday's devotion, Jesus keeps us. We are safe in the arms of Christ. John closes this verse by telling us that we have victory over Satan.
Notice that John calls the devil the evil one. In verse 19, John refers to Satan as the wicked one. He murders, lies, and deceives. Jesus called him a murderer and a liar in John 8:44. He specializes in temptation. He wants you to sin and be like him and not like God. He is also the accuser. Revelation 12:10 calls him the accuser of our brethren. Peter gives a vivid description in 1 Peter 5:8 when he writes, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
The devil is a very real and powerful foe, but he can only do so much to us. John tells us that he cannot touch us. The word translated "touch" means to attach oneself to, to fasten, or to hold on to. John uses the word in John 20:17, where it is translated as "cling".
The devil can harm you if you let him, but he cannot hold you or fasten to you or take you with him when you die. Do you know why? Because Someone much more powerful has you in His grasp, and He will not let go of you. Jesus said in John 10:28, "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."
Mankind has great skill in creating protective places for the things that are important to us. Take for example Fort Knox, near Louisville, KY, built in 1936 for the purpose of housing or keeping safe our national gold supply. Fort Knox has also over the years served as the temporary home of the original Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and three volumes of the Gutenberg Bible. Fort Knox is a two-story facility with a two-level concrete and steel vault. The door of the vault weighs 30 tons, and no one person has the combinations to open it. Construction materials are as follows: 16,500 cubic feet of granite, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete, 750 tons of reinforcing steel, and 670 tons of structural steel. The facility has its own emergency power plant and water system, and in the basement, there is a pistol range that the guards use to practice. (Source "The Gold Vault" p. 1-2 and "The US Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, KY" p. 1-2)
The gold bars in Fort Knox are most secure, but followers of Jesus are a million times more secure in Him! We are prized, protected, and personally guarded by none other than the Son of God! Paul said in Romans 8:38-39 that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
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