Blame It on the Devil

“Blame it on the ghosts, blame it on the ghouls, blame it on the imps, blame it on the goblins, blame it on the D-D-D-D-Devil, blame it on the D-D-D-D-Devil!” NLS

Some time ago, a joke was told in church about a passerby who saw the devil sitting on the steps of a church looking like a sad puppy. When the passerby inquired what was wrong, the devil replied, “They’re in there blaming everything on me, and I didn’t even do anything!” Even though I wouldn’t have felt sorry enough for him to ask what was wrong, I can’t say I would have blamed him for feeling the way he did! (EASY! I’m not a devil Apologist.)

While the joke was indeed funny, there is a real side to it all. These days Christians give the devil way too much credit; credit for things that maybe they need to attribute to tangible situations. Certain phrases like “The devil is busy”, “It’s nothing but the devil”, and a host of similar sayings, are used way too loosely in the church. While the Bible is very clear of demonic influence on the earth (Ephesians 6: 10-12), the fact that Christians are so powerless all the time that he is just so freely doing things doesn’t sound quite right. We tend to confess Holy Ghost and power, and being super saved, yet we give the devil equal time in our confession. So do we have power or not?

I think often we may tend to “overspiritualize” matters because we are not ready to face the reality that maybe it is not the devil. Maybe God is jarring us out of our comfort zone, we made a bad decision and are reaping what we’ve sown, or maybe, just maybe, life is not perfect and things happen! And yes, there are times when God uses the devil to test or buffet us (2 Corinthians 12:7), but the key here is that God at the reins, not the devil having his way. The Book of Job anyone? When God is in charge, there is no need for alarm; just faith unto obedience.

I’d also like to address the fact that we need to stop being so quick to say the devil is using someone because that person opposes us. Truth be told, some of us need to be opposed so that we can humble ourselves before we take on a haughty spirit and fall (Proverbs 16:18). Some of us need to be opposed because when God tries to tell us something in a soft way, we sometimes do not accept that he is talking to us. Then there are those of us who need to be opposed so that  God can thicken our skin and straighten our backs, or teach us how to forgive quickly and walk in love (Matthew 5:46). It’s easy to love those who love us, but what about those who oppose us daily?

I hope this little note causes all of us to be more open to the various reasons circumstances occur so that we can experience more honesty in our reality. Sometimes the reasons for what we experience are deep, and other times they are shallow. It’s good to know the difference. And on that note, let’s stop giving the devil so much credit. I think God wants his glory back!

Be smart, be discerning, and be blessed!