The Devil Made Me Do It

1 John 4: 4, Dear young friends, you belong to God and have already won your fight with those who are against Christ because there is someone in your hearts who is stronger than any evil teacher in this wicked world. TLB

I remember as a child listening to a comedian who made the statement, "The Devil made me do it." It's interesting how we can still sometimes fault Satan or others for our own actions. However, if we are a Christian, the Bible tells us that the Greater One lives in us. In other words, we have already overcome the spirit of Antichrist when we received the Holy Spirit into our hearts. We have also overcome the world as well.

What is it in us then that causes Christians to stumble and sometimes fall back into sin or our old ways? We are required by Jesus to take responsibility or ownership for our own actions and behavior as God's children. Before you became born again, you were driven by the same spirit that is at work in the world. It was all about self and what self desired, but now that you have given yourself to the Lord, and His will, your life is to be all about Him. Paul tells us in Romans 7 that he had no good thing in his flesh. He had no power on his own to quit sinning, but God had mercy on him and revealed Jesus to him as the victory over his sin.  

Now that we're born again, God has given to us His HOLY Spirit. The Holy Spirit is alive and dwelling within our spirit to give us victory over our flesh nature. Flesh nature simply means that part of you that still desires the things of the world. Now that you're born again, you don't have to live your life any longer serving the desires of your flesh nature. We have the Spirit of God, who gives us the power over the world and our flesh (Adamic) nature. Consequently, we can serve our HOLY God with this same earthen vessel that used to be in bondage to the power of sin.  

As a Christian, you must practice walking in holiness and righteousness by faith. Paul tells us in Philippians that he had not apprehended all that God had apprehended him to accomplish. However, he didn't allow that to stop him from pressing onward. Every day that you wake up to live another day is an opportunity to die to the old flesh nature and live more for God than you did yesterday.  This will require that you strive in your walk to draw closer to the Lover of your soul and withdraw from the lusts and filth of this world.  

If you feel as though you have very little passion for the Lord, and you struggle to overcome carnal lusts and temptations, then this is your word from the Lord. The more we practice walking in holiness and righteousness by faith, the greater our passion for God will grow. I must decrease in order that He might increase in my life. However, if I don't strive to draw nearer to Him, my flesh nature certainly won't cheer me on to do so. If you are born again, you have the power of God dwelling in your spirit. I challenge you to activate the power of God in your heart through hunger for more of God and watch as He sets your heart and life on fire for Him.

Be That Burning Light That Leads Others to God,

Pastor Asa Dockery