Buffeted by Satan's temptations!

(Thomas Watson, "The Lord's Prayer")  LISTEN to Audio!  Download Audio

Why does God allow His people to be buffeted by Satan's temptations? He does it for many wise and holy ends.

God allows His children to be tempted, to test their love.
Our love to God is seen, when we can look a temptation in the face, and turn our back upon it. Though the devil comes as a subtle serpent, and offers a golden apple—yet the one who loves God will not touch the forbidden fruit. When the devil offered Christ all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them—such was Christ's love to His Father, that He abhorred the temptation. True love will not be bribed. When the devil's darts are most fiery, a saint's love to God is most fervent. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:15

God allows His children to be tempted, to test their courage.
Many have no heart to resist a temptation. No sooner does Satan come with his solicitations, but they yield. They are like the coward, who as soon as the thief approaches—delivers his purse. He is a valorous Christian, who brandishes the sword against Satan, and will rather die than yield. The heroic spirit of a saint is never more seen than in a battlefield, when he is fighting with the red dragon, and by the power of faith puts the devil to flight!

God allows His children to be tempted, that they may be kept from pride.
Pride keeps grace low, so that it cannot thrive. As the head swells, the other parts of the body waste away. Just so, as pride swells—grace wastes away. God resists pride; and, that He may keep His children humble, He sometimes allows them to fall into temptation. "To keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh—a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud." The thorn in the flesh was to burst the bubble of pride! Better is the temptation which humbles me, than the duty which makes me proud! Rather than a Christian should be proud, God lets him fall into the devil's hands a while, that he may be cured of swelling pride.

God allows His children to be tempted, that they may be fitter to comfort others who are in the same distress, and speak a word in due season to such as are weary. Paul was trained up in the fencing-school of temptation, and was able to acquaint others with Satan's wiles and stratagems, 2 Corinthians 2:11. A man who has ridden over a place where there are quick-sands, is the fittest to guide others through that dangerous way. Just so, he who has been buffeted by Satan, and has felt the claws of the roaring lion—is the fittest man to deal with one who is tempted.

God allows His children to be tempted, to make them long more for Heaven, where they shall be out of gunshot, and freed from the hissing of the old serpent! Satan vexes and molests the saints. He lays his snares, and throws his fireballs! But this only makes the children of God long to be gone from hence, and pray that they had the wings of a dove, to fly away and be at rest! Heaven is the place of rest, no bullets of temptation fly there! The eagle that soars aloft in the air, and sits perching upon the tops of high trees—is not troubled with the stinging of serpents below. Just so, when believers have got into Heaven above, they shall not be stung by the old serpent! The devil is cast out of the heavenly paradise.

Heaven is compared to an exceeding high mountain. It is so high, that Satan's fiery darts cannot reach up to it! Death calls the saints off the battlefield, where the bullets of temptation fly thick—so that they may receive a victorious crown!