And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Ephesians 2: 1-3
I grew up in the 1960s. A popular comedian named Flip Wilson, on his weekly TV show, would do something naughty or outrageous, then look directly into the studio camera, grin that grin of his, and say, “The Devil made me do it!”
That catchphrase caught on in my house and in just about every other house in North America. Husbands, wives and children knew they could quote this bit of theology to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. “The Devil made me do it” was the excuse that got us off the hook with a parent, boss, spouse, or teacher. While it lasted.
Eventually, everyone across the continent was saying it. So the catchphrase soon grew stale and fell out of use. No one uses it anymore. But the truth behind the phrase remains. Paul tells the believers in the church in Ephesus that unbelievers do what they do because they “walk according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” The prince of the power of the air is Satan, the Devil.
When you as a Christian walk according to the lusts of your flesh, fulfilling the desires of your flesh and of your mind, you voluntarily follow the Devil’s prompting and leading. You act that way because that’s how the Devil wants you to act. The Devil wants you to watch pornography, engage in sexual immorality, masturbate, and fulfill the desires of your flesh.
The only difference between your pre-Christian life and your life today is that you can no longer use the Devil as your excuse. Because the Devil can’t make you do anything, can he? Yes, he can tempt you, lure you, entice you and lie to you, but he can’t force you to look at anything wicked, ever. You are no longer a child of wrath. You have a new nature, a new master, a new hope, a new power. You have the indwelling Holy Spirit, and all that you require to live a godly life. If you fall by looking at porn, don’t blame the devil. In fact, don’t blame anyone.
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