It is the inner man that is either still of Satan or of God. The inner man that loves doing hateful or dishonest things is still of Satan. People might have to do things at times that are evil but the inner man that is of God hates to do that. The person who loves to lie and loves to feel they have made a believer lie or hate or harm another is still devlish. The person reborn by the transformation of the inner man by words of life and spirit from Jesus the Christ and by action of the Holy Spirit sent in Lord Jesus' name is of God. This person has fellowship with those who are transformed the same way and some have fellowship with God Himself. They can choose to leave their fellowship with each other and with God or be drawn away from this fellowship. To God it is then as if they have died but they can be brought back to life by making a decision to stop straying like this and seek fellowship again with God. God can make that happen. He can do so in answer to the prayers of their brothers - the others born of spirit of God too. The person who sees it and prays for them is answered by God giving the one born of God life again. They were a child of God but they became as if they were a dead son or daughter by leaving fellowship with the Father. This need not be a permanent 'death' because God can bring them 'back to life' by granting them to repent and decide to stop straying in their actions and have a change of inner man again and seek to regain fellowship with God. God sonship is therefore permanent but death is possible yet temporary. And what if nobody interceded? Jesus too intercedes. He ever lives to do so, thankfully. Only in the extreme when all measures by God to bring back to fellowship a very persistent and stubborn wanderer are exhausted does a person permanently leave fellowship.
