#123 THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

Flip Wilson's characterization of "Geraldine" brings a lot of laughs with the line, "The devil made me do it".  Geraldine is simply putting into words what so many have believed about their               own sins.  But it is a misunderstanding of personal choice.  God set before man two ways: life and death.  The Bible says, "The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:9) On one hand there is the way of life: Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6) On the other hand the way of death: Paul said, "The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) We must choose either life or death.  Neither God nor the devil forces that decision.  In the Garden of Eden the choice was plain: "And the Lord God commanded the men saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest therefore thou shalt surely die."(Genesis 2:16-17) Had Adam not been an agent of moral choice the two possibilities would not have been given.

God has always said, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19) Israel was told, "Choose you this day whom you will serve." (Joshua 24:15) No power forced Israel to serve the true God, though they were God's chosen.  They had to make their own choice, and often they served other gods.  There are not enough devils in hell to keep people from repenting.  The Bible says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."(II Peter 3:9) No man can say that he had no choice but to succumb to temptation for we read: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (I Corinthians 10:13) If man yields to temptation, the devil is not to be blamed.  God's promise is, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."(James 4:7)

In the same way, Jesus will not force us to accept him.  He invited, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." But we must accept the invitation.  The Lord told some of his critics, "Ye would not come to me, that ye might have life."(John 5:40) Paul spoke of some that "oppose themselves", II Timothy 2:25, and Peter referred to false prophets who "bring upon themselves swift destruction."(11 Peter 2:1) George Eliot said, "It is one thing to be tempted, and another thing to fall.  One cannot constrain me if I do not consent.  If I do but keep possession, all the posse of hell cannot violently reject me; but I am cast out when I cowardly surrender to the devil's summons." "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man; But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:13-15)

No, the devil doesn't make us do it.  He can only tempt us.  It is we ourselves who are to blame if we choose to give in, for we will never be tempted above what we are able to bear. (I Corinthians 10:13)