Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The devil made me do it
How often have we blamed the devil for our own sin nature?
How often have we missed the point that the best form of Spiritual Warfare is just good Christian Living?
Sigh.
A friend tells me, I have issues with lust (well what man doesn't? at least if he's honest with himself..) and my wife is a big support.
Sometimes when I'm walking down the mall, I see a woman in a mini skirt and I turn away and say to my wife:
"The devil is trying to Tempt me with that woman".
Sigh.
James tells us this:
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1:14 KJV).
So, is the devil out there tempting folk? Is our primary warfare against the Evil One? No. When Paul lists the three Great Enemies of our Souls, they are these:
The World - (World system, lust of the flesh, eye and pride of life)
The Flesh - (Our fallen nature)
and the devil. Notice the devil comes in 3rd, not first.
So. If that woman in revealing clothes or man in tight pants walks by and I'm tempted. Is it the devil tempting me? (the devil is not omni present, he is not God's opposite, but Michaels) Or is it my own sin nature?
I'shalom
How often have we missed the point that the best form of Spiritual Warfare is just good Christian Living?
Sigh.
A friend tells me, I have issues with lust (well what man doesn't? at least if he's honest with himself..) and my wife is a big support.
Sometimes when I'm walking down the mall, I see a woman in a mini skirt and I turn away and say to my wife:
"The devil is trying to Tempt me with that woman".
Sigh.
James tells us this:
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1:14 KJV).
So, is the devil out there tempting folk? Is our primary warfare against the Evil One? No. When Paul lists the three Great Enemies of our Souls, they are these:
The World - (World system, lust of the flesh, eye and pride of life)
The Flesh - (Our fallen nature)
and the devil. Notice the devil comes in 3rd, not first.
So. If that woman in revealing clothes or man in tight pants walks by and I'm tempted. Is it the devil tempting me? (the devil is not omni present, he is not God's opposite, but Michaels) Or is it my own sin nature?
I'shalom
