12/13/23 DON'T BLAME THE DEVIL

12/13/23 DON'T BLAME THE DEVIL

I don't agree with Flip Wilson's famous line, "The devil made me do it."

There is an evil spirit at work in the world who has a fully staffed network of evil spirits, but human wickedness springs from individuals who deliberately want to do evil or have been deceived into doing evil because they refuse to believe God and they willingly oppose God's revealed authority.

I don't place blame of evil action on spirits, such as "the spirit of anger," "the spirit of deceit," "the spirit of lust," "the spirit of ignorance," "the spirit of hiccoughs." I am not saying that there are not evil spirits who use specific evil methods. I am saying that humans do evil because they choose to do evil. We either produce the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit. All the demons in hell cannot make us sin. We choose to either trust God or not to trust God.

With that being said, I do believe that there are evil spiritual influences at work in the world. Sometimes there is a unified effort by Satan to stir up hatred, lust, deception, idolatry. In that sense I may say, "there is a spirit of (whatever) in the world."

When a wrestler (or other athletic adversary) finds a weak spot in his opponent he works on that weakness. This is true in business, politics, personal and international relationships. It is not surprising that the powers of darkness also use this strategy.

However, the attack of Satan and his minions is not the problem in society. The problem is the sinfulness of man, the willful blindness and rebellion of man, which gives place to evil spirits. This is the problem today with people of all ages, but especially seen in the demonic rebellion of young people.

There is an atmosphere (or a "spirit") of disobedience to parents, an atmosphere of rebellion of every kind. The attack of darkness is intensifying because the rejection of God allows darkness to thrive.

We see this in various passages. Here are a couple of those passages.
2 Thessalonians 2:7-12
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

(I designate [with brackets] some particulars appropriate to today's misguided pseudo-intellectuals)
2 Timothy 3:1-7
1 This know also, that [in the last days] [perilous times shall come].
2 For men shall be [lovers of their own selves], [covetous], [boasters], [proud], [blasphemers], [disobedient to parents], [unthankful], [unholy],
3 [Without natural affection], [trucebreakers], [false accusers], [incontinent (without self control)], [fierce], [despisers of those that are good],
4 [Traitors], [heady], [highminded], [lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God];
5 [Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof]: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 [Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth].