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.
For him will I accept
52-0718 §20
Satan said, "Oh, yeah," said, "you got him hedged up. You're blessing him, and giving him everything You can--You could give him." Said, "Sure, he will serve You like that." Said, "Let me have him, and I will make him curse You to Your face." "Now," he said, "he's at your hand. I will break the hedge, but don't you take his life." And Satan done everything but take his life. He took his children, he broke him out with boils, he spoiled all of his goods, he made him a pauper, and he set on an ash heap, back there, i...
God in His Word
57-0323 §14
Now, God doesn't tempt men, but God tries men---tests them. God cannot tempt you, but God can test you. And every son that cometh to God must be tested, or child-trained before he can be a son. And if we can't stand chastisement, the Bible said, "We become illegitimate children and not the children of God," because a child of God is born of God, and he will stand the test anywhere, any time on any condition. That's right. A child that's born of God. "He who is born of God, does not commit sin." Notice. Now Job was...
I have heard but now I see
65-1127E §25
Now, Satan had come up before God, because he could come before God and accuse the Christians (or, the believers) all the time. So he accused Job of many things, and said that Job, the reason he could serve God, because everything was coming good for him. But said, "If you'll just let me have him, in my hands, I'll make him curse you to your face." I want you to notice that the confidence that God had in a believer. See? In other words, God said to Job ... or, said to Satan like this: "You can't do it! He's a just...
Three kinds of believers
63-1124E §36
Sometimes believers put to the test, not sometimes, every time! For every son that cometh to God must be chastened, tried, child-trained! Remember the trials, the dusty roads, the hot sun of persecution, but the loyalty of your heart beats that material till she's ready to go into the mold. God's children is made up correctly on His Word, for they are living examples, and the Word of God living through them, see. The trial comes to shake you, to put you to the very bottom, to see where you'll stand, see. Tested, tr...
The reaction to an action
59-0810 §24
God tests. Like Job, they accused him that he was a secret sinner. And Job was righteous. There was no man on earth like him. And yet, God let the devil take everything he had. And when they accused him of being a secret sinner, he knew that he was righteous before God. He knew he had done no sin. But God lets those things happen to see what you'll do. You see, He and Satan had a proposition. Satan said, "I will make him curse You to Your face." God said, "You can't do it." And the test had to come. And your test c...