Every terrible things a man does is always the devil. Could this be true? Let's go into the scripture to see what the Bible says.
Before going into the Word of God, the truth is "it's not the devil, but your flesh" why? You gave devil the authority to control you and you listened to him.
Truly, God chased the devil and his angels out of Heaven, but two things God didn't do to him was, God never took back the power He bestowed upon him and God never gave him the authority to force a man doing wrong/evil things.
So what's the point here? the point is, devil never has that power and authority to persuade a man committing sin but only "advises" yea! I mean a very concurrent "advice" that may persuade man to fall into temptation
But when you fall into that very temptation, what would the devil do? he will definitely rejoice but what about you? You will feel relaxed and comforted because you've achieved your aim on those things he advised you about. But if you get caught, then nothing else from you than to say, "it's the devil". Now, think deeply down yourself. Is it the devil? or you? See reasons below why it's your flesh.
Point one: As a human who has given his/her life to Christ, all Powers and Authorities on earth has been given unto you because you are in Christ Jesus (Matt 28v18). Philippians 4vs13 also says "i can do all things in Christ that strengthens me.
So, Christ in you and you in Christ has given you the authority to resist the devil whenever he's coming to deceive. Though, his advise maybe coming concurrently but we must keep on resisting him using the name of Christ. At the end he will flee (James 4v7).
So you have the power to say yes or no to the devil. It depends on you. If you say yes, it's you and if you also say no, it's still you. This is no attach to the devil because you have 100% of controlling yourself.
And do you know also that if devil advise is approaching, if you are in Christ, Holy Spirit also will be there with you for guidance. But the decision is yours depending on who you want to listen to.
Point Two: The Bible already told us in James 4vs7, that we should face the devil and he will flee. An example from Jesus, Christ resisted the devil so many times.
If we check the book of Matthew 4vs3-4, when Jesus had finished fasting for forty days and forty nights, He was hungry and the devil came with his advise that Christ should turn the stones before him to bread, then immediately, Jesus rebooked him.
But if we should check the case of eve, she listened to the devil's advice, despite God had already her and adam not to eat the forbidden fruit. Eve subjected her flesh to the devil's advice instead of having maximum control on it. (Genesis 3vs6).
Back to the case of Jesus, devil failed the first time doesn't give him a lost hope, he kept on coming to Christ till the point of death. But what was the result on the Cross of Calvary? Jesus resisted him, He rebooked him, He won and conquered. He resurrected the third day. Hallelujah!
The point here is, devil was always coming to Christ with deceitful advise but Jesus didn't listen. Had it been Jesus listened, it would have been that, Christ subjected Himself to the devil and i bless God that ain't happen. Had it been it happened, there wouldn't have been salvation for me and you. So God is merciful for saving us.
We might be thinking devil was beside Jesus when he was advising Him and that's why Christ could be able to resist him. The answer is No. The devil was advising Christ from the heart the way he's advising us too. Why from the heart? Devil is a spirit but Christ has already came to us in human form (flesh) before He died and resurrected. So those times Jesus was with us in physical, devil always come to His heart to say all sorts of deceitful words the way he's doing to everyone today.
Point three: Joseph had every opportunity to sleep with his master's wife because his master's had already left the house. But what happened to Joseph when the woman came? He refused to listen from the devil, he shunned the devil, revoked the devil, he rebooked and resisted the devil and finally, he conquered the devil. (Genesis 39vs7)
Our spirits are willing to do God's will but the flesh is going in contrary.
If our flesh is not our greatest enemy, the Bible wouldn't have said "reckon your body dead to sin and make it alive unto God(Roman 6vs11). Our flesh do tempt us, but we have power over it except if we wanna lie.
The devil is not our greatest enemy, but the initiator of the works of flesh to manifest. As we can see the works of flesh goes thus in the book of Galatians 5vs19-21 which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like
And the fruits of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5vs22-23).
If we always walk in spirit, fruits of the spirit will surely manifest but if we walk/work in flesh, works of flesh will manifest.
Therefore, by the power of Christ bestowed upon us, we can resist the devil from his deceitful advise the way Jesus and Joseph did. If we don't want to resist him, but give him ears, then the works of flesh will manifest and that's our fault not the devil because he only advises and not persuade.
So we have the power to allow or stop him controlling our flesh. It depends on us. The devil is just an initiator of the works of flesh to manifest. So our greatest enemy is our flesh not the devil.
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