He Made Me Do It
The devil made me do it.
This statement is used to describe a situation where someone has done something bad. More importantly, it indicates that the person was not in control of the bad thing they did.
Have you ever used that excuse? The devil made me do it.
We get that expression directly from the Garden of Eden.
I always thought of the Garden of Eden as “thee” whole place until very recently. But the garden was only a portion of Eden. The garden was inside Eden. Eden was “the” place. The garden was just a part of it, and it was located in the eastern portion of Eden.
I thought I knew the story very well, but then a few words jumped off the page and made me stop and think. Let me show you.
“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden…” Genesis 2:8 NKJV
How did I miss that? The garden was planted toward the east in a place called Eden. And, it was watered by an outside source, “Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden…” Genesis 2:10 NKJV
The river did not end in the garden, but continued on, eventually parting into four riverheads, “The name of the first is Pishon…The name of the second river is Gihon…The name of the third river is Hiddekel;…The fourth river is the Euphrates.” Genesis 2:11-14 NKJV
I like to imagine how special and beautiful those flowing waters must have been.
If you have ever taken Highway 199 from Grants Pass to the coast, you will find yourself driving alongside the Smith River for a portion of your journey.
It is said The Smith River in California is one of the cleanest rivers in the United States. You can read all about the Smith River, but until you see it, it’s hard to imagine. The water is the clearest river I have ever seen. It really is a gorgeous drive.
I imagine these four rivers splitting from the garden inside Eden, were much more beautiful.
Adam and Eve had everything they could possibly want or imagine and yet…the devil made me do it.
I think sometimes we give him too much credit, but more than anything we often don’t give him enough credit.
This being has caused more hurt, death, and damage than any other created being, ever, anywhere. I think he must rather enjoy human's depicting him as a cartoon character or hideous, dressed in a red body suit and holding a pitch fork. He is neither.
He is crafty and he is wise. We cannot outsmart him or outrun him. He has thousands of years of experience. We will never win against him, by ourselves.
He is called “son of the dawn”, “morning star”, and “son of the morning”. His very name means “light-bearer.”
Ezekiel the prophet describes him in chapter 28 as, “…the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
“The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.
“You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.”
He was perfect. He was full of wisdom and beautiful. But apparently that was also his undoing.
Verses 16-17 “…you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.”
He began his life as a glorious cherub covering God's throne, his life will end some day in a lake of fire and brimstone. Revelation 19:20
When God created him, he named him Lucifer, and he was perfect in every way. Lucifer means “morning star”. Did you know there is only one reference in the Bible to the name Lucifer? Only one. The prophet Isaiah wrote about it.
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!” - Isaiah 14:12 NKJV
Lucifer was once an honored name and now it only conjures images of darkness. Once called Morning Star, he is now known only as Satan; the devil; evil one; father of lies; the tempter; the accuser; the dragon; the serpent and we don’t stand a fighting chance against him.
John 5:30 says we can do nothing on our own. We can’t do it alone, but we can do it with the help of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught His followers to pray, “Deliver us from evil,” because we cannot resist the devil in our own strength. The believer in Christ has been delivered from the penalty of sin (Romans 8:1), but we are still in a daily battle against sin and the devil. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to help us resist temptation and overcome sin in our lives. Praying “deliver us from evil” is a recognition of our own limited abilities and a means of asking for God to step in and help us… (Source:gotquestions.org)
The bible tells us there is no truth in him. So, if Satan is whispering in your ear that you are no good, that you will never be good enough, that God cannot possibly love you or save you…you remind him of who you are! You are the child of God! You are a child of the King and as an heir, you have rights and privileges. You have a home and riches beyond comprehension waiting for you!
“On the darkest days, when I feel inadequate, unloved and unworthy, I remember whose daughter I am and I straighten my crown.” Author unknown
“…Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13 KJV
by Jeanette Stark - Friday, March 17, 2023