Is It True That Only "breaking the Hedge" Exposes the Believer to Successful Satanic Attacks?
Direct Answer
Not exactly. The Bible shows two ways Satan touches a believer: (1) when the believer “breaks the hedge” by sin and unbelief, giving him a place; and (2) when God Himself permits a test. But only the first gives Satan a real advantage. When God allows a trial, it is limited and turns to the believer’s good—not to Satan’s victory.
Scriptural Explanation
- Job did not sin, yet Satan could afflict him only because God allowed it—and with strict limits (Job 1:10–12; 2:6). That was testing, not defeat. Job’s faith stood.
- “Whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him” (Ecclesiastes 10:8). That’s the warning: step out of the Word’s protection and you invite the bite.
- “Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). Place is given by disobedience—anger, lies, lust, unforgiveness (see Ephesians 4:25–32; 2 Corinthians 2:10–11).
- “Be sober… resist… steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8–9). The hedge is faith and obedience. Submit to God, then resist (James 4:7).
- God’s tests are bounded and faithful: “He will… make a way to escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13). They refine, not ruin (1 Peter 1:6–7). And the sheep cannot be plucked from His hand (John 10:28–29; Romans 8:35–39).
- Dwelling “in the secret place of the most High” is the place of kept protection (Psalm 91).
Simple Clarifying Logic
- If the only way Satan could touch a believer were personal failure, what about Job and Peter? Job was upright, yet tested (Job 1:1; 1:12). Peter was sifted, yet kept by Christ’s intercession (Luke 22:31–32). Those were permissions for proving, not permissions for Satan to conquer.
- When we break the hedge—leave the Word, harbor sin—we open a door. Then the serpent has a bite, and Satan gains an advantage.
- When God permits a trial while we remain under the Blood, Satan is on a leash. He may afflict circumstances, but he cannot overthrow faith. God turns it to our strengthening.
Reinforcing Statement
Stay under the Blood, stay with the Word, and give no place to the devil. If God allows a test, it will purify you. If you break the hedge, repent quickly and close the door.
Final Conclusion
No. Satan can touch a believer either by our breaking the hedge (which gives him an advantage) or by God’s limited permission for testing (which cannot defeat faith). Only breaking the hedge grants Satan a real foothold; God-permitted trials are bounded and work for the believer’s good.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
To take on the whole armor of God
62-0701 §50
But Satan makes it appealing. Certainly. It's appealing. Sin's appealing. But the enemy keeps finding a better bait. He'll strip her off a little more, and do this, and do that. And don't worry, he'll never make her completely naked. She'd be horrible then. See, he knows just what to do. But Satan keeps bringing sin in. And that was the original sin. That's the way he's going out: with the same thing as the kingdom come in, the warfare. Now watch. But God doesn't have to do anything more to his, make it any more ap...
To see Jesus
54-0718E §24
And we see Satan, then, tell Him, said, "Now, if You be the Son of God, let's see You do a miracle for me now. I will give You something to do, and if You'll do it, I'll believe You're the Son of God"---in so many words. "Now, here You're hungry. Now, You can turn these stones into bread." Nothing bad about it. "You make them bread, and eat, sit down there and eat. And turn them stones to bread, and I'll believe You." Why, Jesus could have done that, I believe. But He said, "It is written, man shall not live by bre...
The greatest battle ever fought
62-0311 §112
Now, what did Satan do? Satan had the others anointed. Now, Satan anoints his servants. Oh, sure, uh-huh, sure! He anoints his servants. What does he anoint them with? With unbelief. Satan and his demons anoints humanity to disbelieve God's Word. Now, if you want to confirm that, you turn to Genesis 3:4. Let's just turn back there and listen just a minute, see if that ain't his first tactic. That's the first thing he did; he never leaves his same tactics; he does it all the time. Now, just see if that's what it is....
Awakening Jesus
63-0117 §53
Could you imagine Job enjoying being broke out with boils, and all these things gone, losing all of his wealth and his children and everything? It wasn't very easy. But God was proving to Satan that He had somebody He could put confidence in. Maybe He's trying to do the same thing in your case, and the rest of you. "Oh, they'll forsake you. They'll..." Oh, no. Job ... they couldn't make Job do that. No sir. See, He was only trying to prove them. You remember, in a few minutes, He said, "Oh, ye of little faith. Coul...
The unfailing realities of the living God
60-0626 §46
If Satan can't keep the truth from them, he makes fanatics out of them; throw them off on this side and that side, and they get all kind of stuff, of bloods and oil, and sensations, which is not even Scriptural. But stay on the blueprint. Stay on the highway. Stay with the Scripture. Don't leave It. That's why Jesus come, that man would not be deceived and go off the side, but stay right in the Word. The great Saint Paul said, "If an angel from heaven come and preached any other Gospel than this that's been preache...