Saturday

BIBLE READING: Colossians 3-1 Thessalonians 1

Flip Wilson was a comedian in the sixties that use to do a routine that included him doing something silly and then stating, “The Devil made me do it!”  Well, his routine was funny, but it wasn’t Biblically accurate.  In fact, the Devil can’t make us do anything.  In the New Testament there are references that are made to the power of Satan that lead us to believe at one point in time he did have more of an active role in human affairs.  For instance, we often read of various people in the New Testament being possessed by demons and needing to be cast out by Jesus. Demons are agents of Satan and at one time had the ability to possess humans, however just as when miracles ceased, it is suggested that demon possession ceased as well.   Another example of Satan having some control over human affairs is found in I Thessalonians 2.18.  In this passage Paul writes that his desire is to come and visit with them in person, “but Satan hindered us”.  The Greek word for “hindered” indicates a “cut in the road, making the road impassable”.  Whatever it was that Satan did has not been made known to us; some even believe that Paul was attributing an illness or even the threats he had received form the Jews as coming directly from the devil.  Although the Devil still has power today, his power is somewhat limited in that neither he, nor his demons can force us to do anything.  God created us as free moral agents who have been gifted with the ability to make our own decisions.  Today, the only power that the Devil has over us is in the area of temptation.  In one sense he still tries to hinder us, by placing obstacles in our path that make our lives more difficult.  Even though the Devil may attempt to prevent us from living our lives for Jesus, we must remember that “greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world” (I John 4.4).  Whatever temptation or roadblock he places in our path, we still have the power of God within us to overcome it.  Satan may be powerful, but he isn’t as powerful as my God!