Thief Part 2; Devil Steal From Child of God?

Devil is not the thief

Deceiver, but not the thief

What can the devil steal? The thief Bible study, I suggest that you read ASAP.

The devil is not the thief that comes to kill, steal, and destroy. This deception will deter you from focusing on the kingdom. Jesus tells us to “…seek first his kingdom, and his righteousness…” [Matthew 6:33 (RKJNT)]. In addition, John records Jesus saying “But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you…” John 6:27 (NLT) [read John 6:22-40].

Please do not waste your time and energy trying to recover what you believe the devil stole or took from you. It is not what God wants, it is a trick of the devil. Revelation 12 says the devil—Satan—deceives; “The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Revelation 12:9 (WEB) [read Revelation 12:7-12].

What Can the Devil Steal; the Thief part 2

1. Is there any truth to the idea or belief that the Devil stole anything from you?
2. If he did take or steal anything from you, when did it happen?
   • Before you became a Child of God (i.e., before you were Born Again)?
   • After you became a Child of God (i.e., after you were Born Again)?
     • How was he able to steal from you?
     • What did he steal from you?
3. So, if the Devil was “permitted” (by God) to steal anything from you (as in the case with Job {Job 1:6-12}), why would you want it back?

Is the devil the thief?

In case you missed it, the thief Jesus referred to were people, not the devil (explained in the thief Bible study). Shame on those who taught you this untruth. Hopefully, this article will convince you that you are protected by God our Father. If the devil was a thief, you—child of God—are protected. That thief could not steal from you without God’s permission. If God gives the devil permission to take something from you, it is not stolen—just taken.

Skip to the end.

God’s Protection

God protects His children from the devil. Children of God, do you doubt God’s ability to protect you from the devil?

See how much the Father has loved us! We are called God’s children. It is true, we are God’s children. People in this world did not know him and so they do not know us. 2 My dear brothers, we are God’s children now. No one knows yet what we shall be like. But we know that when Jesus comes, we will be like him. We will see him as he really is.

8 Anyone who does what is wrong belongs to the devil. The devil has done what is wrong from the beginning. That is why God’s Son came. He came to stop what the devil does.1 John 3:1-2, & 8 (WE)

The LORD is my light and my saviour; whom then should I fear? The LORD protects my life; whom then should I dread? (OEB) Psalms 27:1

David spoke of the Lord’s physical protection; the LORD rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul. “And he said: “The Lord is my rock, and my strength, and my Savior. I will hope in him. God is my strong one, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. He lifts me up, and he is my refreshment. You, O my Savior, will free me from iniquity. I will call upon the Lord, who is praiseworthy; and I will be saved from my enemies”.” (CPDV) 2 Samuel 22:2-4

Children of Israel

God protected the Jews (the children of Israel)!

Now the Lord said to Abram, Go out from your country and from your family and from your father’s house, into the land to which I will be your guide: And I will make of you a great nation, blessing you and making your name great; and you will be a blessing:

To them who are good to you will I give blessing, and on him who does you wrong will I put my curse: and you will become a name of blessing to all the families of the earth. (BBE) Genesis 12:1-3

[read Genesis 12:1-9; Exodus 14:1-21; Num 10:9-10; Psalms 121; 44:1-8; 89:5-37; Jeremiah 51:24-40; Isaiah 49:14-26]

Born again children of God

He also protects the church (the children of God)! If you are a child of God, the devil cannot touch you.

God’s power protects you through your faith, and it keeps you safe until your salvation comes. That salvation is ready to be given to you at the end of time. 1 Peter 1:5 (ERV)

1 John 5:18 tells us Jesus protects us and the devil cannot touch (harm or hurt) us; 1 John 5:18 “We know that any child of God does not do wrong things. The Son of God keeps him safe and the devil cannot touch him.” (WE)

[Read 1 Peter 1:3-12 (3-5); John 10:25-30; John 17:6-15; 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5; 2 Timothy 4:16-18; 1 Peter 5:1-8; 1 John 4:4-6 & 5:18-21]

NOTE: God’s word should not be taken literally (actually, exactly, or really) or word for word in every case. We need to know the difference between literal and figurative language. Literal means exactly as stated word-for-word; without changing. Figurative language is a word or phrase that changes course. It strays from the original; it is not word-for-word.

Challenge

“For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night.” (RKJNT)  ♦ “…the Lord will come just like a person who comes to steal in the night“. (WE). Is the Lord a thief who will come to steal. That would be true for those who take this Scripture literally.

Ask yourself, is the word thief in this verse used literally or figuratively? Is it literal in the sense of ‘the day of the Lord’ is like a thief or figurative as a comparison of the thief coming unexpectedly? Does the thief announce that it is coming to rob or to steal from you?

And know this, that if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you be ready also: for the Son of man will come at a hour when you do not expect. (RKJNT) Luke 12:39-40

Insulting God

Did you consider believing that the devil could steal from one of God’s children is an insult to God. He is our father, we are His children, He knows all things (1 John 3:20; Psalms 139:1-6, 147:4-6; John 2:24-25; Hebrews 4:11-13) and sees all.

So He knows when the thief—your thief (if you believe the devil is the thief)—the devil is coming to steal. Why would your Father not stop him? Jesus says in Luke 12:39 He would not allow it; if the thief cannot get in, he cannot steal. Proverbs 15:3 “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” (KJV)

John 10:10

Let’s go back to John 10:10 (see “Can The Devil Steal Anything From God’s Protected People?“). I expand the meaning of the word thief as a translation of G2812 κλέπτης kleptes (klep’-tace) which comes from the primary verb G2813 κλέπτω klepto (klep’-to) “to filch”:

• Webster’s Dictionary definition and word origin for “filch”: a middle-English word meaning “to steal (something that is small or that has little value)”.
• Nelson’s Bible Dictionary definition: “Any person who takes something which he does not own…”.

Kleptes (thief)

Just for clarity let’s see how Jesus uses the word kleptes and most of all to see to whom it refers:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal: (RKJNT) Matthew 6:19-20 [please read Matthew 6:19-24]

Sell what you have, and give alms; provide yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure in heaven that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. (RKJNT) Luke 12:33 [please read Luke 12:22-34]

Is Jesus referring to the Devil or a person/people in Matthew 6:19 and Luke 12:33?

• Sometimes we steal from ourselves, often by making bad choices! Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
• Teachers of God’s word steal from their listeners when they fail to teach the truth. We become holy by the truth and not false teaching. [read John 17:6-19 (focus verses: 9-19; 17-19); Acts 20:17-38 (focus verses: 25-31; 29-30)

Thief Wrap-up

We are certain that one who is a child of God will do no sin, but the Son of God keeps him so that he is not touched by the Evil One. 19 We are certain that we are of God, but all the world is in the power of the Evil One.

20 And we are certain that the Son of God has come, and has given us a clear vision, so that we may see him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 My little children, keep yourselves from false gods. (BBE) 1 John 5:18-21

Once again I ask, what can the devil steal from a child of God? Even if God’s protection failed, we can resist the devil and make him flee [James 4:7], so how can he steal anything? Remember according to Jesus in John 10:29, God is greater (more powerful and superior to all) than all.

Have confidence that God will protect you from the devil—the alleged thief—be blessed, ♥ Tim.

Scriptures to read and study

Note: parenthesis (#) enclose the key verses.

Luke 24:44-49; Romans 15:14-21; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 10:4 [read 2 Corinthians 10:1-11]; Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21; 6:10-20; Philippians 4:10-20; 2 Timothy 1:7 [read 2 Timothy 1:3-18; 2 Peter 1:3-11]; James 4:7-10 (10); John 17:6-19 [focus verses: 9-19; (15)]; Matthew 24:36-44 (43); Romans 2:17-21 (21); Ephesians 4:25-32 (28); Titus chapter 2 (10); 1 Peter 4:7-19 (15)

Related studies/lessons/snacks for further Spiritual growth:

Fruit of the Spirit; Helpful Qualities Just For You! – an estimated 19-minute read.

Respect God; It is Absolutely Good Advice For Life – an estimated 13-minute read.

Can The Devil Steal Anything From God’s Protected People? – an estimated 33-minute read.

See the latest on the Sound Truth Ministry website.

I look forward to your feedback via comment at the bottom of the page or by emailing [email protected]. Have a fantabulous day!