The last time I was in Las Vegas for the National Association of Broadcasters convention, I walked into a gift shop and saw a black shirt with a grinning cartoon devil at a poker table. Underneath the devil were these words: “The Devil Made Me Do It! Las Vegas, NV.”
While it is understandable that people in “Sin City” may want to blame their partying ways on someone else, the Bible is clear that while Satan tempts, it is our fallen nature that causes us to sin so freely. Even we who have professed faith in Christ still fall into sin since sanctification is life-long process.
On a recent Core Christianity program, Dr. Michael Horton explained that Satan’s greatest tool is deception and that the best way to combat his attacks is through knowledge of the Bible and confidence in Christ’s finished work on the cross. He said,
We have to know what Scripture says in order to be able to discern when [Satan’s] twisting it, but we also twist scripture ourselves. I don’t think it’s very easy to distinguish. I can’t in my own life distinguish between Satan and my flesh. In either case, I think that Satan is taking advantage of the weakness of my sinful nature, but ultimately it’s my sinful nature that gives him fodder and makes me susceptible to his temptation and to his false teaching. In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us that the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is our offensive weapon here. The defensive weapon is the perfect righteousness of Christ.”
It is certainly comforting to know that Satan is a defeated foe, but many Christians still struggle with spiritual warfare and temptation. That’s why it is such a blessing that Core Christianity creates a forum for listeners to ask pressing questions about the Christian faith. If you’d like to read Mike’s entire answer, click here. If you have any questions about the daily radio program, feel free to contact me at charley@ambaa.com
