"The devil made me do it"

This is the worst excuse for bad behavior that's ever been stated. Although Flip Wilson is given credit for coining the phrase, it's actually been an excuse used since the Garden of Eden. The only command God gave to Adam and Eve to not do something was when he told them they were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet, both of them ate the fruit. When God asked Eve what she'd done, she answered, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate" (Genesis 3:13). In other words, Eve was telling God, "The devil made me do it."

Let's be honest about the situation. The devil can't make a person do anything. Everyone, even Christians, can be tempted by the devil; however, whether or not they fall to those temptations are acts of their own free will. This is explained in the book of James. Each person "is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire is conceived, it gives way to sin . . ." (James 1:14-15). The devil may whisper in a person's ear, but all he's doing is making a suggestion. This is the temptation or enticement to sin. The person may think about whether or not not they should do whatever they're tempted to do and walk away. Other people allow the temptation to become a desire, can't deny themselves what they see as the rewards of acting, and commit a sin against God. Notice the passage states "they are dragged away by their own evil desire". This is their own personal action, not the devil actually forcing them to do anything.

Christians have someone to help them overcome these temptations. "This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:3-4). The devil creeps around and tries to entice people to sin; the Holy Spirit is within to act as a counterbalance to the evil. As silly as it seems, the old cartoon of the devil whispering in one ear while the angel whispers in the other is a good illustration. The devil tempts a person and the Spirit reminds them how God expects them to react. Most of the time, the Spirit being a stronger and more influential force will help overcome the temptation. At other times, the person will ignore even this strong signal and fall into sin. It's the person's choice. The devil can't force anyone to disobey God and the Spirit will never force the person to obey. If that were the case, people wouldn't have free will.

Some people will argue the devil can force people to sin. They'll lay out all of the examples, both Biblical and modern, of demon possession. In the case of modern cases of possession, some documentaries go so far as to point out the person being possessed was a Christian at the time. If that's what you hear, you should know the people behind the production have no idea what they're talking about, even if they're a member of the clergy. Yes, the devil and his demons can possess people and control their words and actions. If it's a true case of possession, then it could be said "the devil made them do it". However, if the person is truly a Christian, they can't be possessed and the devil can't force them to do anything. Jesus promised the disciples he would send the Holy Spirit and said "But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you" (John 14:17). The Spirit dwells within each believer and, although he won't force them to do something, he also won't allow an evil spirit to indwell the person in which he resides. The question must be asked: If Jesus drove out evil spirits - call the acts exorcisms if you want - why wouldn't the Spirit prevent those same demons from indwelling a true Christian before they could get there?

Whether it's a because they play a practical joke on someone or they do something illegal, people mock God by saying "the devil made me do it". Except in the case of demon possession, the person who breaks God's laws are going to be held accountable for their actions. Sure, the devil pays in the end, but until that time the sinner is to blame for his or her choice. The possessed person will be held accountable if they never accept Jesus and the teachings of the Bible. For more serious crimes and actual sins against God, people use the excuse as a way to play the victim and lay the blame on someone else. Some even get away with it because the court system rule the person is suffering some mental condition. However, God is not the same as the world's courts. He knows the devil didn't make anyone do anything and will hold them responsible for their choices.


* All quotes are from the New International Version of the Bible.