Articles
The Danger of Success - Part 1
Satan is insidious and relentless. Oh sure, if you resist him he will flee (Jam. 4:7), but he’ll still be a lion, watching and waiting for an opportune moment to devour you (I Pet. 5:8). He’ll be back. We can’t ever let our guard down. Not even in our moments of triumph. Perhaps especially not in our moments of triumph. Whatever our success (physical, financial, or even spiritual), it does not intimidate Satan. Rather, it opens doors of opportunity to him.
When Rehoboam became “established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord” (II Chron. 12:1). Sometimes moments of triumph are quickly followed by spiritual failure. That is a sad tale that is repeated throughout history.
One danger of success is carelessness. Rehoboam and Judah ceased to be careful to follow God’s word. The same can happen to us today.
Addicts often think, “I can quit any time I want.” That is rarely true. Addicts are out of control and are fooling themselves if they think otherwise. But every now and then an addict will change their behavior. It usually takes a tremendous amount of effort to go a week without their vice, but then one week becomes two or three. Success! And danger. The voice in their head comes back stronger than ever, “I really can quit whenever I want” and with that voice comes the incredibly strong urge to return to their vice thinking they can successfully quit sometime in the future.
If someone is struggling with their weight, and they successfully go on a diet and shed the pounds, don’t you see how easy it would be for them to think, “I lost the weight once, I can lose it again, what is the harm in eating that box of donuts?” Their success has made them vulnerable.
Christians, in our struggle against sin, can easily fall for the same way of thinking. We can escape sin, and then carelessly go back, thinking we can succeed again. The tempter has deceived us though. When we go back, we are worse off than we ever were before.
“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first” (II Pet. 2:20).
Satan might lose you for a moment. You might triumph over him. But he doesn’t give up. This is just one way he sees our victories as a moment of opportunity. Next week, we’ll consider another.
