Blaming all our sins on the devil and his minions is a handy excuse. At least if, like me, you believe there is a devil. But does the Scripture uphold this type of idea, especially in terms of those who are believers in Christ? It says that Satan and his demons can tempt (2 Corinthians 11:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), and they have traps and schemes to trip us up (Ephesians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Timothy 3:7). Certainly the world as a whole is strongly influenced by them ( Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 2:14;15). But Christ has been victorious over them, and we share in that victory (Colossians 2:15; 1 John 4:4; Romans 16:20). The ultimate problem that we have is the fifth column in our own soul, the part that wants to sin (James 1:13-15; Romans 7:14; Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, while I believe it is helpful to know that we have an enemy that we need to be on guard against, we also need to recognize that, in the final analysis, we make our own choices and should not use Satan as an excuse.
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