The thief

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
This verse occurs during Jesus’ discourse on Him being the good shepherd and the gate for the sheep. He contrasts Himself with the thief – Satan – who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy”.
Satan opposes God, and all that God does. God wants to bless us, so Satan acts against this by offering us instant gratification – knowing that human nature is to take the pleasures now, without thinking about the possible consequences. As Balaam counselled Balak to send in the young Midianite women to seduce the children of Israel into sin, so that God’s hand of blessing would be removed (Rev. 2:14), so too Satan tempts us with things that are contrary to God’s Word. They may seem pleasurable, but in the end we will fall into bondage and destruction. Satan will offer us what seem to be blessings, in order that in the end he might steal and kill and destroy the work of God in our lives. This is why we hear of people being miraculously healed through occultic practices and eastern religions.
In contrast to this, Jesus has come that we may have life, and have it to the full. Satan has managed to convince the world that Christianity is boring and irrelevant, that Christians are miserable people who don’t know how to have a good time. This couldn’t be further from the truth. True Christianity is being connected to God, the Creator of the universe, the source of life. True Christianity is having a sure hope of eternity in paradise. People talk about ‘living life to the full’ – to the Christian, this doesn’t mean partying hard and spending up large. Rather, through Jesus we find the real meaning of why we are here. We are made complete in Him.