In theory, if it is torqued the proper spec (which is pretty high...something like 150 or so) it shouldn't matter cause it won't come off. But for safety sake it might prevent the nut from coming all the way off if it did get loose.

And when I did the axle on my wifes 97 civic and my buddy's 94 Accord, the axle nut came loose real easy with a few taps on the breaker bar, so it shouldn't be too hard. Either put the wheel back on after removing the centercap or hubcap so the axle doesn't move under the weight of the car, or have a friend hold it still with the brakes (with the car on (doesn't have to be running) to get full braking power).