Proverbs 10:2
“Treasures of wickedness profit nothing:
but righteousness delivereth from death.”
There is a difference between “the sons of men” and “the sons of GOD”.
Ecclesiastes 9:12-18
“For man also knoweth not his time:
as the fishes that are taken in an evil net,
and as the birds that are caught in the snare;
so are THE SONS OF MEN
SNARED in an evil time,
when it falleth suddenly upon them.
This wisdom have I seen also under the sun,
and it seemed great unto me:
There was a little city,
and few men within it;
and there came a great king against it,
and besieged it,
and built great bulwarks against it:
Now there was found in it a poor wise man,
and he by his wisdom delivered the city;
yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Then said I,
Wisdom is better than strength:
nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised,
and his words are not heard.
The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.”
One of the differences between the sons of men (unrepentant sinners) and the sons of GOD (all of GOD’s faithful children) is that the sons of GOD are protected by GOD’s instructions, laws and commandments. The LORD has warned us not to continue in unrepentant sinning so that we do not become Satan’s property, his children, his servants. Satan has authority over his children; but GOD’s children are free from Satan’s control, power and dominance. As GOD’s children through Jesus Christ we have been given spiritual authority over Satan and his unholy angels.
The LORD says when we walk in faithful obedience which includes confessing and repenting of sins as they come up; then continuing to resist sin; then we can ask for whatever we desire according to GOD’s will and we will have those things we’ve asked for. Not everything we ask for, as faithful children, is given to us. It’s only those things that are in accordance with GOD’s will; but we have an abundance of blessings and promises to call upon and we do have an abundance of answered prayers also. We have assurance that GOD will do what is best for HIS kingdom, it’s not always what we would choose, but without a doubt the LORD will glorify HIS name.
Satan cannot devour everyone. That’s because Satan doesn’t have authority over everyone.
1Peter 5:8-9
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
Romans 6:16
“Know ye not, that to whom
ye yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death,
or of obedience unto righteousness?”
Romans 8:13-14
“For if ye live after the flesh,
ye shall die:
but if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body,
ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of GOD,
they are the sons of GOD.”
2John 1:8-9
“Look to yourselves,
that we lose not those things
which we have wrought,
but that we receive a full reward.
Whosoever transgresseth,
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ,
hath not GOD.
He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ,
he hath both the FATHER and the Son.”
Remember GOD’s testimony about His son Job? Satan had to get the LORD’s permission to afflict and persecute Job. There was a limit that GOD set on Satan even though HE allowed Job to be tested for a certain period of time. Job belonged to GOD and was HIS servant, HIS child, HIS heir.
Job 1:8
“And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered MY servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth GOD, and escheweth evil?”
GOD said Job was HIS servant.
GOD said Job was perfect.
GOD said Job was an upright man.
GOD said Job feared HIM.
GOD said Job put away sin and resisted sinning.
How could Job be perfect seeing how “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of GOD” (Romans 3:23); and, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)?
The answer is that when we keep GOD’s covenant of salvation (which includes daily confession, repentance, asking for forgiveness of our recent past sins then to continue resisting sinning again; we are made perfect. We are walking after the Spirit of GOD, not after the flesh. We are cleansed from all past sins. We are made righteous by GOD’s grace and mercy because we have heard HIM, we have believed HIM and we have by faith obeyed HIM even when we through the weakness of our sinful nature fall and sin again. A righteous man falls seven times and gets back up again. This means we don’t stay in the unclean defilement of unrepentant sinning; we turn from it and turn back to GOD.
Proverbs 24:16
“For a just man falleth seven times,
and riseth up again:
but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”
Proverbs 11:4-5
“Riches profit not in the day of wrath:
but righteousness delivereth from death.
The righteousness of THE PERFECT
shall direct his way:
but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.”
Psalms 41:1-2
“Blessed is he that considereth the poor:
the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
The LORD will preserve him,
and keep him alive;
and he shall be blessed upon the earth:
and THOU wilt not deliver him
unto the will of his enemies.”
A sinner falls in sin and stays there stuck in sin.
A just man falls into sin but turns back by faith keeping GOD’s covenant of salvation. He is no longer justified and righteous when he sins. He becomes unjust, unclean and unforgiven. As soon as he does what’s required by GOD he is forgiven of his past sins and he is made just and perfect again.
Ezekiel 18:20-22
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.
The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father,
neither shall the father
bear the iniquity of the son:
the righteousness of the righteous
shall be upon him,
and the wickedness of the wicked
shall be upon him.
But if the wicked will turn from all his sins
that he hath committed,
and keep all MY statutes,
and do that which is lawful and right,
he shall surely live,
he shall not die.
All his transgressions that he hath committed,
they shall not be mentioned unto him:
in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.”
Ezekiel 18:24-30
“But when the righteous
turneth away from his righteousness,
and committeth iniquity,
and doeth according to all the abominations
that the wicked man doeth,
shall he live?
ALL his righteousness
that he hath done shall not be mentioned:
in his trespass that he hath trespassed,
and in his sin that he hath sinned,
in them shall he die.
Yet ye say,
The way of the Lord is not equal.
Hear now, O house of Israel;
IS NOT MY WAY EQUAL?
are not your ways unequal?
When a righteous man
turneth away from his righteousness,
and committeth iniquity,
and dieth in them;
for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
Again, when the wicked man
turneth away from his wickedness
that he hath committed,
and doeth that which is lawful and right,
he shall save his soul alive.
Because he considereth,
and turneth away from all his transgressions
that he hath committed,
he shall surely live,
he shall not die.
Yet saith the house of Israel,
The way of the Lord is not equal.
O house of Israel,
ARE NOT MY WAYS EQUAL?
are not your ways unequal?
Therefore I will judge you,
O house of Israel,
every one according to his ways,
saith the Lord GOD.
Repent, and turn yourselves
from all your transgressions;
so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”
Ezekiel chapter 33 says the same things as chapter 18.
Ezekiel 33:17
“Yet the children of thy people say,
The way of the Lord is not equal:
but as for them, their way is not equal.”
Ezekiel 33:20
“Yet ye say,
The way of the Lord is not equal.
O ye house of Israel,
I will judge you every one after his ways.”
The New Testament reinforces these truths as well. Matthew 7:22-23 is one example. There are many more examples of this throughout the New Testament given by Jesus Christ Himself, His disciples and His apostles.