"The Devil Made Me Do It!"

Several years ago a Liberian man, a professing Christian, whom we had known personally for many years was sent to prison after being found guilty of molesting a child. His crime was proclaimed by newspapers and radio networks in Monrovia. It was a huge and public embarrassment to the name of Christ.

After serving time in prison, he was released and, to our dismay, showed up at our doorstep not once but several times. Noticeably absent in the conversations with him were the marks of true repentance. In fact, not only did he not take full responsibility for his crime, he implied the crime might not even be his fault. A woman had informed him, he said, that his crime was really her fault. She had "witched" him.

I believe this woman's "confession" raises a question worthy of consideration. Can an outside force cause me to sin?  Can "the devil make me do it"? Is God somehow responsible since He allowed the temptation?

Stockx.change Billy Alexander

James 1:13-16 say the following:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.   

This passage is clear. Personal responsibility is unavoidable. While I don't doubt for a minute that Satan and his host of horrid demons can set their sites on individuals for specific attack, clearly no one can be forced to sin against his will. 

This skewed thinking is not unique to spiritistic cultures. If, as some teach, the "demon of lying" makes me lie, the "demon of adultery" forces me to commit adultery, or the "demon of alcohol" is the root of my drunkenness, I am not responsible for my sin.  If truly "the devil made me do it," I am simply a victim.

According to James 1:13-16, I sin because I want to sin. I sin because I am deceived by Satan and the deception "du jour" seems, for whatever reason, desirable. (See Gen. 3:6.) And full repentance is the only thing that fixes it.

Stockx.change eyebiz

See the satirical Book Review: Humility and How I Attained It by I.M. Phake
See Breaking Out of the Hate Cycle.
See Witchcraft and the Undermining of the Virgin Birth of Christ.