The Devil Made Me Do It

“The devil made me do it!”  Some of you may recognize that line,and the picture, as one of the favorite sayings of Geraldine Jones from the early 70’s. (Some of you might have even went back and said that line again in your best Geraldine voice). She was a character of comedian Flip Wilson and many of her sayings became part of our culture still used today. We like to use that line, “the devil made me do it” as an escape for being accountable for our own actions.

To be completely frank, there are a whole lot of people way more important than you and I that the devil is working on. He’s not worried about us, his concentration is on those in power in higher office that have a lot more influence than we do. He will use his demons to work on us if we may be advancing God’s kingdom too well, but normally we are our own worst enemy.

The Apostle John, in his first epistle, wrote about all of us seeking after “the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life”.  These are all worldly things that advertise itself as things we need to be successful. This world system,and our own fleshly desires, are usually what get us in trouble, not the devil. It’s hard to admit that because we want to seek someone or something else to blame for the sin that besets us. We automatically look for a scapegoat to blame so we don’t have to be accountable.

This flesh of ours has a need to find pleasure. Our eyes are the windows to our souls and what we let into them has an impact on our thought life. And the pride of being successful or rich or popular  in life drives us to do things that do not glorify God. That’s why we have to take the example of the Apostle Paul and beat our bodies into obedience to God (not literally).

Which one are you struggling with, or maybe it’s all three of them?  Whatever the situation, understand that “the devil didn’t make you do it”, it’s your own flesh, your own eyes, or your pride that made you do it. Repent and turn back to God.

Have a great day and God bless.