I can remember growing up the devil was mostly a conceptual idea more than an actual being. He also, on some level was something of a scapegoat. Kind of a “the Devil made me do it” attitude, although not quite so foreword with the wording. At the very least, I would think that it wasn’t entirely the sinner’s fault, because he was tempted.
I see now though that that reasoning isn’t correct. People aren’t tempted by what they’re not already inclined to do.
To use an example, I wouldn’t steal a car. I don’t mean to say that I’m superior in some way to folks who would, but that it’s just not part of my natural inclination. There’s other things I’m inclined to do, but stealing a car just isn’t one of them. If the opportunity arose to steal a car, it wouldn’t be much of a temptation because the inclination isn’t really there to begin with.
But, perhaps lying. Give me the right circumstance and the temptation to lie can be a great struggle. Because in a real and relatively active sense, that struggle is alive in me.
It strikes me that most of the time, when the devil tempts people, he does little more than remind them of what they sinfully already desire to do. I think that’s somewhat of James’ thought when he writes this:
… Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
Granted, James isn’t talking immediately about the devil’s temptation, but he is talking about when we are tempted, regardless of where that temptation itself originates from.
I’m reminded that we have to own our sin. Unless we take full ownership of it, we can never truly repent of it. If we don’t own it, we can never truly appreciate Jesus’ work for us, because on some level, we must believe that we didn’t need it all that badly.
