This is how it works.
Satan tempts us with pleasure—a sinful pleasure, anything that gratifies ourselves above God will do. He tempts us to open the door of our heart and embrace this desire… that promises to satisfy and fulfill us.
If we open the door and invite the sinful pleasure in, it will gladly come in and entice us… but it does not come in alone. Here is the hitch: when we open the door to let the pleasure in, we are blinded by our desire and do not see that satan has attached himself to this “feel good” thing.
They are a package deal. We cannot enjoy the sin without the enemy taking up residence. And, sadly, although he disguised himself with pleasure, since we invited him in he has every right to be there. He has legal access into our life because we opened the door.
And he is not a nice houseguest. He does not even stay in the area in which we invited him into. If we invited him in through premarital sex, for example, he will not stay there and merely accuse us with shame in this one area. No, the enemy does not honor these bounds. He does not just accuse us here; he will take over the house. He will berate the very essence of our being. He will attack our security, our identity, and our self worth. He will, like acid, begin to erode our confidence and disposition.
If you have invited a sinful pleasure in, you may wonder why you feel depressed, or lethargic, or an oppression that you cannot identify. This is evidence that the enemy of your soul has snuck into your life. This is why we must guard the door of our heart. This is why not sin is benign. This is why Romans 6:23 tells us that the effect of sin is death. Death. Sin brings death—because it is attached to our enemy and it separates us from God, who is Life.
So, be aware when sinful desire knocks at the door of your heart. Resist it, knowing that the enemy of your soul comes with it. “…Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” James 4:7-8
So, here is the key. Here is our means of redemption: God Himself. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7
In Him, we are cleansed. We are redeemed. We are restored. And, we are given wisdom and understanding so that we can discern who is knocking on the door of our heart. “Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23