Giving The Devil Too Much Credit

[George]

There is a movement in Christian circles today, which I find growing in stature and very discomforting to me. People are giving way too much credit to the enemy. Way too much credit. Satan is a defeated being. Christ defeated him in Luke, Chapter 4 using the scriptures. Satan is also limited in the things he can and cannot do by God, the Father. Satan may be the prince of this world but God is the King. That is why it is known as the Kingdom of God and not the kingdom of the devil. Not only that but by blaming all the wrong things that take place in a person's life on something or someone else it makes it that much easier to not take a look at our selves and our part in the whole situation. That is exactly what is going on at the present. By foisting off all our problems at the feet of the enemy we are not taking a look at our own part in the turmoil. That is wrong.

In Galatians and Romans Paul does a very good job of pointing out all the things that we do ourselves that cause Spiritual warfare. They are not works of the enemy but works of self.

(Rom 1:24) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

(Rom 1:28) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
(Rom 1:29) Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
(Rom 1:30) Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
(Rom 1:31) Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Notice that not once in these things does it mention the enemy. Not once. It is an observation and condemnation of self. Lusts of their own hearts and a reprobate mind. We do not need the devil to do these things for us; we are fully capable ourselves. Why else would the Apostle Paul spend so much time urging us to get rid of self (the flesh) and walk in a more godly way?

(Gal 5:17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Again we see the lusts of the flesh and not of the enemy. The machinations and doings of the human and not some other being.
(Gal 5:19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
(Gal 5:20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
(Gal 5:21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
(1Pe 2:11) Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

These verses show over and over again that it is not the enemy that is causing these problems it is we. We are our own worst enemy. If we do stay involved in these fleshly things we leave the door open for the enemy to sneak in. However it is clearly shown that a lot of the problems people in the world are attributing to the devil are nothing more than manifestations of self. It is really easy to keep from looking at my self if I can place the blame on someone or something else.
People have said how they cannot understand or control the things that are going on in their lives right now. It is my observation that the reason is we are looking in the wrong place. If I keep looking for the devil's work in my life when it is not his work but mine I will not find the answers I am looking for.

Satan IS the tempter, but not ALL of the sin that man commits originates with Satan – our own flesh is capable of sinning all by itself! This is clearly shown in the Bible. Look at what we are told in James:

(Jam 4:7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Look at John 16:11 which says, in part, “…because the prince of this world IS judged…” When the Holy Spirit came Satan had already faced judgment at the cross. Christ’s death accomplished a lasting victory over Satan as the sufficient payment for man’s sins.

The devil is a defeated enemy AND HE KNOWS IT! He knows his time is limited. 1 John 4:4, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." At the time of Salvation, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit Jesus has defeated the enemy. Greater is he that is in you (Christ), than he that is in the world (Satan).

(1Jo 5:4) For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

(1Jo 5:5) Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

It is extremely important to realize and understand that the enemy has placed things all over the place to allow us to fall into traps but is us that makes the conscientious decision of whether to fall into those traps or not. If you are a saved Christian the devil no longer controls your life. Every sin has its origin in the heart!

(Jer 17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer 17:10) I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Please note that in God’s own words we see that He searches the heart. He is not looking at the enemy. He has controlled and limited the enemy in the lives of Christians. God says that He gives to every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. We are being judged and rewarded according to the doings of our own heart and our own flesh. Notice also that Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above ALL things. All things means all things. That includes the devil. Stop and think about that friends. Our own heart is fully more capable of being deceitful than the very devil we attempt to blame our problems on.

Most certainly the enemy is a master of deceit and disguise. However we must make the decision and take the action to partake of his traps and snares. In Reformers Unanimous, one of the Ten Principles of Prosperity says: “Every sin has its origin in our heart.” In other words, before we did it we thought about it. We made the decision to sin. The devil had nothing to do with it.
Just a few of my own observations.

Yours in Christ,
George Groce