One of the reasons I believe God does not want us to engage in sin is the weakening effect of sin upon a man. Isaiah refers to Lucifer as the one who weakened the nations. How does Satan weaken the nations? It is through sin, you see, sin makes a man lose his strength in all domains. Sin weakens the moral, physical, and I dare say even intellectual powers. The strength to withstand life’s difficulties is reduced through familiarity with sin.
The Weakening of moral authority.
To understand the effects of sin on morality, compare the life of David before his great sin and after the fall. Prior to sleeping with Bathsheba and killing Uriah, David was a GREAT KING. He was regarded as a warrior in battle, the slayer of giants. He commanded the respect of all the Israelites.
But the chapters, after his fall, showcase a weak man. A man who no longer has the parental authority to discipline his children or the kingly power to govern the nation. When Amnon, his firstborn son, commits the shameful sin of raping his sister, Tamar. David remains silent. Perhaps the guilt of self-condemnation made him lose the moral courage to punish the wicked son. For two years He remains silent. He understands that any condemnation on Amnon’s sin would be a direct self-condemnation of his sin with Bathsheba.
Things get out of hand, and Absalom takes matters into his own hands. He kills Amnon for raping his sister. Again, David is unable to punish Absalom for killing Amnon because he knows that he is equally guilty of murdering Uriah.
The weakening of David’s power extends past the rule of his own family, as he now becomes incapable of ruling the Kingdom. The irresoluteness of David, and his failure to serve the Israelites, gives Absalom the chance to take over the Kingdom. A coup is staged, and the man who at one time could fight giants runs away from the Palace barefooted because he is afraid of his own Son!
Notice that all these events take place after David’s repentance recorded in Psalms 51. Therefore, to engage in sin with the hope of repenting and assuming that everything will return to normalcy is to engage in self-deception.
Weakening of Physical Strength
You all know the story of Samson, right? The strong man who was brought down by a woman. It was not the shaving of his head that made him weak. It was the persistent violation of God’s law. If Samson had been shaved unknowingly while being faithful to God, his strength would not have been lost. Speaking of the effects of sin on Solomon, Mrs. White makes an astounding statement, and she states that the king, who was once noble and manly, became enervated and effeminate¹.
What a wonder! Sin transformed the noble king to become physically weak and womanish.
I believe with all my heart that the weakness so apparent among men today is owed to a large degree to the secret sins they perform in their bed-chambers.
The lack of manliness, the physical debility, and the emasculated men we have today are the result of sin.
Let men and women turn back to the principles of holiness, and there shall be a return to youthfulness, vigor, and strength.
Like Caleb, who wholly followed the Lord, we shall be able to say in our old age, I am yet as strong as I was when I was a youth². Why? Because obedience to God preserves physical strength.
Weakening of Intellectual Powers At the beginning of his reign, Solomon was regarded as the wisest man. His intellectual prowess was renowned worldwide, such that the Queen of Sheba traveled from the South to see for herself. One of the highlights of his wisdom was in determining the mother of a disputed child. His keen discernment led to the preservation of the child’s life, what a contrast was seen in his later years. Sin had weakened his intellect to the point that he erected pagan altars and engaged in the sacrifice of children in a bid to please his pagan wives. The king, who at the beginning of his reign preserved life, was now a slave and a tool for the taking away of human life. A deeper look into the practice of child sacrifice will reveal to the 21st-century Christian that abortion is the modernized form of child sacrifice. It is therefore amazing to witness the liberals advocate for that which is contrary to proper reason when guided by Biblical principles. But then stepping aside from the Bible, which strengthens the intellect, will automatically lead to the weakening of the intellect.
In His letter to the Romans, Paul speaks of a class of people who “ Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools ” Romans 1:22
How is this foolishness manifested? It is demonstrated through yielding to unnatural passions.
In an age of political correctness, it is depressing to see how sin has robbed men of the ability to think. That basic knowledge such as the difference between a man and a woman is a subject of debate, this shows the depraving effect of sin on the mind. It is foolish to engage in sin. Sin made Adam and Eve, foolish to think that God who inhabits eternity would not see them hidden in a bush. Sin made Judas, the sharp accountant foolish to think that the King of the universe can be valued at thirty pieces of silver.
Sin made Pilate foolish to think that yielding to the demands of the mob would give him peace and success. In the end, he became mad and suicidal.
May God rescue us from the weakening of sin. May God preserve us from the foolishness of sin.
- Prophets and Kings page 58 par 1
- Joshua 14:11
Reflections: "This Thing Called Sin"