The Devil Made Me Do It (Part 1)

Who accuses them day and night before our God.

Revelation 12:10

In the 1970s, Flip Wilson coined “the devil made me do it.” His popular phrase gave the impression that we wouldn’t do wrong unless the devil made us do it. But does the devil have that kind of power?

Sometimes people portray Satan in such a way that we would think there’s a demon behind every bush after us. This can leave the impression that he has more power than what he really has on the earth. Others compare him to an evil fairy tale-type figure dressed in a red jumpsuit with a forked tail. However, if we study the Scriptures, we will have a more balanced approach to truth and lies about the devil.

Lie: Satan is equal to God.
Truth: Satan is a created spiritual creature, who is used for God’s purposes (Isaiah 14:12-20).
God is the Creator of all things in heaven and Earth. Satan was kicked out of heaven after iniquity was discovered in him (1 John 3:8). God is and will always be sovereign, and the devil can do nothing without getting permission from Him (Job 1:8-2:7, Luke 22:31).

Lie: Satan reads our thoughts and can make us do things.
Truth: Satan is a powerful spiritual creature with keen persuasion skills in deceiving and manipulating humans for generations (Genesis 3:1-6; 1 Chronicles 21:1; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
The devil has been studying mankind since the Garden of Eden and doesn’t need to read our minds. He knows how prone we are to the lusts of our sinful nature, lust of the eyes, and pride of life (1 John 2:16). Satan sets us up for failure through persuasion, and then condemns us for our poor choice to sin. However, he can’t read our minds or make us do anything because we are accountable for our own free-will decisions.

Lie: Satan can be outsmarted by our own ability and power.
Truth: Satan can be dealt with by the word of God when we are properly dressed in spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-18).
When Satan tempted Jesus, the Lord’s response began with “for it is written” (Matthew 4:4-11). The devil is defenseless against the word of God, and we are equipped with the sword of the Spirit to sever his influence over our lives. We follow Jesus’ example and speak the truth of God’s word to Satan’s lies.