Satan’s Two Opposite Tactics

Satan tries to kill faith through compromise or legalism.(1) 

Compromise: He loves convincing people that God's sexual commands are outdated, Scripture isn't reliable, and hell doesn't exist. He even creates fake versions of Jesus to promote these lies (2 Corinthians 11:4).

Legalism: If Satan can't get people to compromise, he tempts them to focus on days and diets—Saturday sabbaths, holidays, and Old Testament law-keeping (Romans 14; Galatians 3:10-11; Galatians 4:9-11).

Satan hates these two solid truths:

1. Genuine Christians obey God's moral laws because we love Him (John 14:21).

2. Christ fulfilled the Old Testament external laws and freed us from external law-keeping (Matthew 5:17). 

Refuting compromise, Romans 6 explains that those in Christ turn from our old sin nature and seek to faithfully obey Christ.

Refuting legalism, Jesus explained that we can keep external laws and still be filled with evil (Mark 7:18-23).

Paul also explained this balance in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, when he said, “I myself am not under the law … though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law.”(2)

Powerful forces are seeking to take us into compromise or legalism. Resist, dear Christians! (James 4:7)  

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(1) Groups that compromise the gospel are addressed in the Ex-vangelical Collection of 1-minute devotions. Groups which focus on external law-keeping are discussed in All or Nothing: Christ's Fulfillment of the Law.

(2) The book of Galatians refutes legalism based on external law-keeping. Romans 6 refutes compromise and "cheap grace" attitudes. The law of Christ is summed up in the two greatest commandments, to love God first and foremost and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31). When we obey these two commands we end up obeying all of God's moral laws.

 Bible Love Notes