Last time it was noted God is often blamed for letting things happen to us. It is wrongly asserted that because He is all-powerful He could prevent problems plaguing us.
You may recall Flip Wilson saying with an impish grin, “The Devil made me do it.” That line was his hallmark expression spoken to absolve himself from the consequences of his devilish pranks.
Although this line worked for Flip Wilson in a-make-believe-world, it doesn’t work for us. Why? Because the Devil cannot make us do anything. Surprised? Follow this Bible-based reasoning.
Just as God is the least source of our problems, the Devil is the second least source of our problems – for at least two reasons.
“But, how about what happened to Job?”
The book of Job is not an allegory. Job is not every man; every man is not Job. Job is the only man who had a right to charge God for what He endured because of God’s pact with Satan. Listen to the narrative from Job 1:8-12:
“And the Lord said unto Satan, Hath thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.”
Suffice it to say, Satan brought total devastation upon Job, but how did Job – not knowing the pact between God and Satan – react to his personal dilemma?
We pick up the narrative in Job 1:20-22:
“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped. And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”
Oh, the two reasons we know the Devil is not one of the main sources of our problems.
First, Job is not an allegory. If Job were an allegory at the end of our life time would it not be that God owed each one of us double what we had lost at the hands of the Devil?
Second, what can a person expect when putting the Enemy in charge of their life as I did when I drank my first beer December 31, 1951 when 17 years old?
Scripture warns us in the following three places:
Proverbs 20:1: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink in raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
I Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
James 4:7: Submit yourselves therefor unto God. Resist the devil and he will flee from thee.
Just as the Devil was unable to hamper Job until God gave him permission, the Devil is unable to hamper us until we give him permission.
How can the Devil be a primary source of our problems? When we allow him to do be.
On September 22nd the third least source of our problems.
