Gospel.com Blog

Whose fault is it when we sin?

We’re all familiar with the old saying “the Devil made me do it!”, but I don’t think most of us would take that excuse very seriously if we heard it from somebody who’s done wrong. But it does raise interesting questions: what exactly is Satan’s relationship to sin? Are there situations in which the Devil actually could make us sin against our will?

Our Daily Bread tackles the question and lays out the Christian understanding of Satan and his role in tempting us to sin:

The devil tempts believers, but he doesn’t make us sin. James tells us that God isn’t to blame either: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13). He is good and holy.

So who is to blame for our sin? James says, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (v.14). Just as a fisherman uses bait to lure his prey, so our own evil, unchecked desires lead to giving in to temptation and sin.

When we disobey God by sinning, let’s not shift the blame or justify our actions with the faulty “the devil made me do it” theology.

Our sin is our own; the devil may tempt us toward sin, but we’re the ones who make the final decision to obey or disobey God. I’ve always found this Christian understanding to be simultaneously sobering and comforting: on the one hand, we can’t wiggle out of the responsibility for our sins by blaming the devil; but on the other, we can rest assured that the devil has no power to make us disobey God.

What do you think? Has anyone ever tried the “Satan made me do it!” line on you, and how did you react?

Earlier this week I ran across a post on Experimental Theology that discusses different approaches to the theology of demons. The author provides two viewpoints on either end of a spectrum: the Liberal and the Literalist. The former being a sort of demythologizing of the New Testament and the latter a sort of high-alert “demons are everywhere!” approach. Most people fit somewhere in between those two stances.

Hop on over and read the entire article, the author presents some fascinating descriptions of where those views on demons go wrong.

The post got me thinking about whether or not belief in God necessitates a belief in the devil and demons. Can you believe in God without believing in Demons? It would seem to follow that if one believes in a higher supernatural power like God, you then they open up the possibility for other beings who exist on the supernatural plane: some of which would be sources of evil. The Bible would seem to corroborate this, yet few people actually live as if this is part of reality.

Truth be told, I personally put little stock in demons. What little belief I do have in the power of demons is balanced by my trust that God is far more powerful than any demonic force that may or may not exist. In short, I don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about the powers of darkness; I’d rather spend time focusing on the good in the supernatural realm. Yet, the evidence points to evil forces in the world, so should I believe in them and—like the demons do towards God—”shudder?”

What about you though, what role do you see demonic forces play in our world? Do you believe that Satan has a hand in everything, is mainly an impotent being, or doesn’t even exist?