Spent no less than a decade studying the differences between Law and Grace, to harmonize the surface conflicts that do exist in the Bible i.e. upholding the Law yet not being under the Law. The breakthrough came for me when I realized I was not listening to Every Word of God.
Luke 4:
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Takeaway: "Man shall LIVE by Every Word of God."
How I used to hear: Some of mankind shall live by every Word of God, especially me, but those who don't listen/believe, won't and will instead burn alive forever in hell.
The same hard of hearing problem existed for me with Mark 4:15
Mark 4:
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
Takeaway: Satan does have access to the mind and heart to perform theft of Word, within.
How I used to hear: Satan does enter the heart to steal from other people, but not from me. That was wrong. The fact that I openly DENIED it happens to me meant I WAS being stolen from, because I did NOT BELIEVE it happens to me and I was NOT LISTENING to Jesus.
Now follow the narratives. IF Mark 4:15 is true, then mankind is not just mankind. Mankind is them and the adversary (and his ilk), stealing from us all, internally. It is thought theft by other parties that are not mankind, performed internally. What this means is that there are TWO PARTIES being engaged by Every Word of God. IF it does happen to "me" then ther eis "me" and the THIEF, mankind and devils, overlapped in one set of shoes. There are thousands of examples of this fact in the scriptures, of Satan and devils working within mankind. One of the most open facts in the scriptures. Yet we don't seem to be able to SEE OR HEAR IT. Most can understand the unsaved for example being slaves of the devil, YET we don't see the DEVIL in that picture, with them, enslaving.
2 Corinthians 4:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Acts 26:18
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
NOW my dilemma of harmony is solved regarding LAW vs. GRACE.
Grace is for mankind. Grace is NOT for the devil and his own. The latter party is sentenced to forthcoming eternal fire in the LOF, beyond any doubt. So we have TWO completely opposite end games involved with what appears on the surface to be only "me." There is no such thing in the scriptures as "an individual person." There is the person and there is the opposition party(s.)
Look at the LAW in real Light. We know Satan, the devil, is a sinner. 1 John 3:8. We know that the LAW is for sinners. 1 Tim. 1:9. We know that Satan also reacts in automatic RESISTANCE to the LAW and all of Gods Words. Satan is predictable in this way. So when anyone denies the Word of God, is it "just them, the individual, the "only me?" NOPE! It is the "resistor" called into action within them, stealing, enslaving.
These facts are exampled in Peter. Satan resisted Jesus to His Own Face from within Peter. Peter also denied Jesus. Was it just Peter, the individual? NOPE! It was Peter being pawned, owned, gamed, enslaved, blinded by SATAN in his words and actions.
This state of affairs is best exampled in Romans 9:18-24, which scripture set has been mangled for centuries by ignorance. Paul was describing the construct of ME, the person. The person being a vessel of honor, and the vessel(s) of dishonor being the internal resistance we all face from our spiritual adversaries.
And it is only GOD who will allow any person to be able to see the difference. Otherwise the "resistance party" remains at least partially in control, by crowding out the narratives of God. Again shown in Romans 9 with Pharaoh. Gods Words were meant to raise up the "resistance party(s) in Pharaoh." There was Pharaoh, and there was the resistance within from Satan that was not Pharaoh.
So, we ask, why does God make "me" this way?
Paul tells us why in Romans 11:32
"For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all."
Will that MERCY extend to the devil and his? NOPE! God deals in the exact OPPOSITE fashions with "them."
One receives mercy. The other, not.
And once this is seen by a believer, they will understand the FEAR of God in this present life is very well founded. Because God is not dealing with just "me."