Foothold for the Devil

It is curious to me that Satan has to ask Jesus permission to come against Peter, enticing him eventually to deny Jesus, but just a few verses earlier in Luke 22, Luke records that “Satan entered into Judas…”

I realize it is an argument from silence, but it bothers me that Satan appears not to have to ask permission to come against Judas, enticing him eventually to betray Jesus.

Why is that?

Is there a reason Satan would have had unrestricted access to Judas but had to ask Jesus’ permission to tempt Peter?

I think the answer might be tucked away in a little verse in Ephesians 4:27. The context is the danger of allowing the sin of anger to go unchecked, and Paul adds, “give no foothold to the devil.”

It appears that unconfessed sin provides a landing zone in the life of the Christian for Satan to unduly tempt or influence the believer.

No permission needed.

No one else to blame.

We provide the foothold for Satan’s activity in our lives when sin goes unchecked, unrepented.

Judas apparently provided that foothold by perpetually stealing from the funds provided Jesus and the disciples for their expenses.

I remember Dean Sherman, our favorite YWAM teacher, saying that the best spiritual warfare we can engage in is not rebuking and binding Satan and his demons, but rather closing the windows in our lives opened up to his activity by our own sin.

Here is the antidote!

This is what removes landing places for the enemy in our lives!

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness!