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JD Abshire
No Colin, I do not think it is biblical to blame evil spirits for our sins. There's no doubt the devil and his minions work overtime presenting us with temptation but according to James 1:13-15. "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." If I understand this correctly: 1: Man is tempted or allured from self restraint by his own inward nature, his fleshly desires. 2. Once we indulge in the desire mentally or physically it becomes sin. Christ said In Matthew 5:28 "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?". 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." (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Reminds me of a joke an attorney told. A guy was before the judge pleading his case and stated, "Your honor, it wasn't really me that beat this man up. I don't know what came over me, must have been an evil spirit. Please don't put me in jail". The judge responded. "Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm releasing your evil spirit on his own recognizance but you will be spending 90 days in jail". We can blame the devil and his evil spirits for presenting the temptation but WE are both culpable and responsible for our actions.
Walt Pryor
We are continually being challenged by Satan to do things that are displeasing to God, but we are capable of fighting those temptations with our own willpower at least to a great degree. We can overcome these temptations by our own willpower and practice! Yes, here it comes! We will never be perfect! Please do not take this statement as an excuse to be weak. Discipline comes from practice. Just as a healthy body comes from exercise and healthy eating, we must also make our minds healthy by making the decision to do something else at that time. Guess what that is? How about reading ebible.com? I love reading the truth in the statements and explanations here. This is a gold mine of knowledge and truth. Spending time here greatly alleviates any compulsion to displease God. I also suggest exercise. We can all use more exercise. We honestly cannot say; The Devil made me do it! Rom 6:13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. Heb 12:4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Jas 1:15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Andy Mangus
No, It is NOT biblical to blame any evil spirit or anyone's influence for anything that we do, say, think or conjure up in our mind. We each are accountable for and unto any of our thoughts, actions or deeds. As Christians, we are to seek to live and do the will of God on a daily basis. We are to put our trust by faith in the one whom created us. We are to seek His righteousness all day long. We are to be aware of the 'wiles of the devil' in his schemes and darts he casts our way in which he will use any means necessary to influence us to stumble or fall. Oh, for sure the devil and his minions will tempt us with many means and methods he can conjure up. But, we are to "stand strong in the face of adversity, leaning not on our own understanding but putting our total trust IN The Lord to do that which only He is able!" He is whom we look to for instructions, directions and life on this temporary home here on Earth! God is not a God that can be mocked for only He is pure, Holy and Righteous, for IN Him and by His mighty hands all things were created, even the angels and the heavens above! It is only by His boundless Grace and Mercy that He didn't destroy man and all of His creation. (You all know this: God almost did just that in 'The Great Flood'! Praise The LORD that He had 8 righteous to save and put on the Ark) But, God provided a way to escape His wrath! He provided a Savior! "He gave His only begotten Son to be born in a manger". "And, His name shall be called Immanuel, which is God with us". (Matt 1:23) "Praise God He provided a Savior! And, His name is Jesus Christ". ~~~Andy~~~
Tunde Ajibola
Firstly, Christian should understand who they are in Christ Jesus Col 1:13 expressly stated "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" This shows to us that we are not under the control of the evil one as the bible also said in 1 John 5;18-19 "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." We have been given power over the evil one because of the death of Christ Jesus. In short, a Christian only sins because he decided to walk in the way of the devil, but it's not like the devil has any power over him. 1 Cor 11:3 talked about the subtility of the devil and the man Paul was scared that Christians should not fall for his scheme, but meanwhile we have a solution and that is to defeat all knowledge that puffs itself against the knowledge of God by our staying true to the truth of God's word. In short, when a Christian sins, he sins because he is not aligning with the truth of God's word. Col 2:6-7 "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." Gal 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. So walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the desire of the flesh." Control yourself because the only spirit that controls a new creature is the Holy Spirit. Rom 8:9 "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Rom 8:13-14 "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
Melanie Spindler
Excellent answers, all, above. I too believe that spirits exist and work to trip you up, but it is our own flesh nature & sinful desire that causes us to stumble. I cite Paul in the passage I like to call "Spiritual Schizophrenia" (and I mean no disrespect to the mental health community), Romans 7:14-25 (from the Amplified translation): We know that the Law is spiritual, but I am a creature of the flesh [worldly, self-reliant—carnal and unspiritual], sold into slavery to sin [and serving under its control]. For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent). So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer I who do it [the disobedient thing which I despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not. For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want to do, I am no longer the one doing it [that is, it is not me that acts], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. So I find it to be the law [of my inner self], that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully delight in the law of God in my inner self [with my new nature], but I see a different law and rule of action in the members of my body [in its appetites and desires], waging war against the law of my mind and subduing me and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is within my members. Wretched and miserable man that I am! Who will [rescue me and] set me free from this body of death [this corrupt, mortal existence]? Thanks be to God [for my deliverance] through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind serve the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness, my sinful capacity—I serve] the law of sin. Dizzying! Put very simply: 2 natures war within us-- the Spirit of God and his sanctification of us; and our own flesh and sin appetites. But no mention anywhere of "the devil made me do it."
Bryan Naidoo
No, there is no reason to blame spirits. Man sins because of his or her choice.There are two spirits that roam the universe. The good spirit and an evil spirit. We are surrounded by these spirits. Man is Created with the power of choice, to either do the right thing or the wrong thing. As much as we call these spirits by various names, it is man who have given them these names. If someone upsets you, you have a choice to either respond with caution or with anger. We then call this the spirit of anger. If one sees a young girl dressed in a way to entice you, you have a choice to either to give yourself to the evil spirit, which we call "lustful" or walk away not allowing yourself to create thoughts. The bible tells us that God set before us a blessing and a curse. When we do the right thing there is a blessing, and of course the wrong thing will bring a curse. The choice belongs to mankind.
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