“The devil made me do it” is a common whimsical saying that seems to make satanic oppression akin to folklore. It is anything but light hearted and Satan has brought down far too many people to treat this subject in a light-hearted fashion.
In the first place that saying is a lie. Actually the devil cannot “make” us do anything. The Bible teaches that with every temptation there is a way out provided to us. 1 Cor. 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
This is not to say that it will be easy. Often it will not. Unfortunately, we inherited a sin nature; it was passed down through many generations beginning with Adam and Eve. In Genesis, the Bible explains how Eve was tempted and subsequently Adam joined the fray. Gen. 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” . . .
In this instance, he appealed to her desire to know what God knew and be like Him, not to mention the fruit looked delicious and appealing.
The important thing to remember is that the Lord does not tempt us. It is Satan that does it. James 1;13 – Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
Just knowing that it comes from Satan should make us uneasy. I mean what person in their right mind wants to do the bidding of Satan. I know I want to please God and certainly not Satan. When I fall victim to temptation however, I am handing a victory to Satan.
The Bible is clear that our thoughts are the key. This battle is fought almost entirely in the mind. Therefore, we must keep our thoughts pure. If we focus our lives on the righteous things of God we block out the unrighteous things of Satan. We must keep the door to our mind tightly shut and locked, and not entertain the temptations that are as sure to come as the sun arising in the morning.
Temptation in itself, is not a sin. Jesus was tempted in the desert and in the Garden as He prayed prior to His crucifixion. He shut Satan out (and up) by focusing on the Father and was delivered.
Remember this today when you are tempted. There is a way out and the “way” is following Jesus Christ and not the world. Satan can only tempt us with the things of this world which are passing away. The things of the Lord are forever and will never pass away. Think about Him and eternity and how you desperately don’t want to break His heart. He loves you so much that He gave His life in order that you might live. It’s the least we can do for Him.
John 14:6 – Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
April 13 2017 – Click here to listen