“The devil made me do it” was a phrase made popular by the comedian Flip Wilson on his TV show in the 70’s. In an effort to be humorous, the character that he played would do something bad and he would say, “the devil made me do it”, as if to say that it was not his fault.
There is no doubt that Satan and his demons are working hard to tempt us to sin and trust in what sin promises more that what God promises. But sometimes, it’s our own sin nature that gets us in trouble and out of fellowship with God. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans that no one is good no not one. Not only do we have to contend with the devil but we also have to deal with our flesh. We are fighting a battle on two fronts. How can we survive and win with so much against us? The answer is obvious and yet no so easy.
We must first come to realize that we are sinners in need of a Savior. That Savior is Jesus Christ. We must submit ourselves to him by confessing our sins and by living holy lives for the glory of God. Then, and only then, do we have the power to persevere in this life and the attacks from the devil and have the power to submit our flesh under the authority of Jesus. See, salvation is the obvious part, and the not so easy part? Well, that ‘s pride – the part that says “we can do it” on our own. Another subtle lie from Satan.
Jesus tells us in John 15:5 that apart from Him we can do nothing, but with Christ we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). There is great joy in knowing that we are not alone, that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us and that we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus, who not only lived on this earth in the flesh, but he overcame all the temptations living a perfect life. Jesus knows what we are going through and it’s Jesus who gives us the power to live for the Glory of God.
Alētheia: Truth 
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