When I hear someone say, “the devil made me do it...” images of comedian Flip Wilson dressed as his alter ego Geraldine immediately come to mind. Anytime Flip’s alter ego Geraldine got into difficulty this was the excuse “she” offered…
blame it on the devil... the perfect scapegoat.
blame it on the devil... the perfect scapegoat.
Satan becomes the scapegoat so that the individual in trouble saves face. It’s easier to be a victim of the tactics of Satan, than to accept responsibility for ones own choices and actions. Blaming the devil is an “excuse” that argues, often effectively in religious contexts, that one’s behavior is in response to devilish forces and influences that overwhelm you and rendering you powerless to resist. Sort of a theology of blame... blame anyone or anything, but don’t blame yourself!
The first instance of “the devil made me do it” used as an excuse was in the Garden of Eden. Eve says, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13). Her excuse did not get her off the hook (verse 16), and it won’t help us much, either.
Yes, the devil and his demons tempt us to sin (Genesis 3; Luke 4; 1 Peter 5:8). But “the devil made me do it” is far too often used to excuse our own bad choices and sinful behavior. Much easier to believe we are controlled by invisible evil forces as if lulled into a trance like state and manipulated beyond our will to do sinful things. The devil cannot make us do anything we are not willing to do ourselves. Satan the Devil is absolutely worthy of blame for much of the evil in the world, but using the devil as a scapegoat for our own sinful choices is counterproductive to achieving victory over sin.
There is one exception, something as rare as hens teeth... an instance of demon possession Demon possession is a condition in which a demon or demons have complete control over a person. Demon possession involves demons actually inhabiting a person and controlling his or her actions (see Mark 9:22). I’ve not seen such a person. I’ve heard stories about people in southeast Asia being possessed by demons... but never witnessed such. I believe that real Christians cannot be demon possessed. Maybe the defining word would be “real” or genuine, the opposite of unreal or fake. The indwelling Holy Spirit will not allow it (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18). Therefore, the devil and his demons cannot control a person’s believer. They cannot make us do anything involuntarily. So, rather than blame the devil, we need to look at ourselves. What influences you to make the choices you make and do the things you do?
James 1:4 declares, “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire...” Why do we sin? We sin because we are prone to sin. Sin is a choice, something you decide to do conditioned by unholy influences found in this fallen world.
We are plagued by and infected with sin (Romans 3:10-23). While demonic oppression and influence are real, the primary problem is our sinful natures. “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Galatians 5:19-21). Notice, it’s the “works of the flesh” in this list, not the works of the devil.
As Christians, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us overcome sin (1 John 4:4). We have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). If we sin, we have no excuse. We cannot blame the devil. We cannot blame our circumstances. We can only blame ourselves. And, until we recognize that the problem resides within us (Romans 7:20), we will never arrive at a lasting solution to our problems with sin.
It may sound harsh to tell someone that the problem is himself and his own choices. But it’s no harsher than a doctor telling a patient to quit smoking and that the tobacco company is not to blame for his poor health. To find a cure, you have to start with a correct diagnosis and then move to the correct treatment. The correct diagnosis is understanding sin. The treatment is to submit to God and obey His Word... ALL the time, not just when its convenient or comfortable. God can enable us to achieve victory over sin (Romans 7:24-25; 1 John 5:3-5).
If you are a Christian and you commit a sin, the devil did not make you do it. He may have used the lures of a fallen world to influence you to do it, but even that is only because you allowed yourself to be exposed to and influenced by unholy things. But he did not make you do it. You still had a choice. Sin is born in the heart... and works its way outwardly... first as a decision, then a choice and finally an act.
God never allows you to be tempted beyond your ability to withstand, and He always provides a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). A Christian saying “the devil made me do it” is denying the truth of 1 John 4:4, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Think about this the next time you want to dodge responsibility for the not so good choices and decisions you make. You can’t blame the Devil... whatever you did, you did it all on your own!
