Misery loves company. It is this way with sin; sin loves company. If a sinner is engaging in sexual promiscuity, he may entice others to do the same. Perhaps belittle them, or make fun of them if they do not. Or in an effort to make his own actions seem righteous, create a contest out of it; one which he’s winning and would be discontent to lose, of course only giving greater rise to sin.
1 John 3:8 says that those who practice, routinely participate, in sin are “of the Devil,” or children of the devil. Not because they were born of him in the sense of being created within him, but rather in likeness. In the way that believers are Children of God, having been recreated in His image, the sinner is a child of the Devil; created in his image.
The sinner, living in, devoted to, sin is a devil. He is no better than the Devil. Both have been mastered by sin and both rage against the living God and His Christ. Both would seek, albeit one sometimes unwittingly, to drag others into the flames of hell with them; perhaps to make the journey more bearable. A vain attempt.
I cannot claim to know fully the motives of the Devil, but the fact that I have at once been his child brings to me two points: thanksgiving and humility; thanksgiving first that I have been brought to repentance and acceptance of the Gospel. That I have been recreated in God’s image to no longer bear the image of the devil, and in that way am united to God, able to crucify the deeds of the flesh, glorify Him and be satisfied by Him. Then also humility, because it was not be my strength that I am no longer a child of the Devil, it was by God’s strength in His great mercy and love.
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Tags: Christianity, devil, faith, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Religion, repentance, sin
