The devil Made Me Do It

God does not bring temptation into our lives.

“each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”

Don’t blame others for your bad choices and sin. Not even the devil.

Sin tends to build on itself. One bad choice tends to beget another. One lie usually leads to more lies. The chain has to be broken somewhere. Break it with scripture and repentance.

A big principle in the Christian life is that we are willing to forego worldly pleasures in anticipation of our heavenly home. Christians, release your fixation on instant gratification. It will lead you down dangerous paths.

Some of the most common excuses for giving into temptation…..

“I’m only human”
“so and so did this or that”
“The devil made me do it”
“it caught me in a weak moment”
“they deserved it”
“The Lord had me go through this to help me relate to others.”
“God’s grace is sufficient for me” (that is not an excuse!)
Satan's purpose for tempting us is to distract us from our relationship with the Lord
Temptation generally follows a pattern. The devil doesn’t have any new tricks...

1. An idea is planted in the mind.

2. The imagination gets involved—a person dreams about fulfilling a certain desire.

3. There is a willful decision made to sin against the Lord.

4. He or she makes a choice—the person gives consent to the idea of disobeying God.

5. The final step is sin.