The Devil Made Me Do It!

 

Once this young man asked to chat with me and we met in a public place to have coffee. He introduced himself and we sat at a table and began to talk. John (not his real name) began to tell me of his current life. He was very open that he was a hardened drug dealer and that he was in a lifestyle that involved guns, drug dealers and Satan. He said to me that he prayed to Satan to fill him with anger and hatred towards his enemies, which now included his wife.

He had recently been served divorce papers from his wife. They had two small boys. He was angry towards her and though he did not threaten her, he was making reference again to his lifestyle of drug dealing, guns and his prayers to Satan.

He was saying these things in a challenging way. He kind of reminded me of kids on the playground who challenge each other.  I leaned forward just a bit, looked him in the eye and asked, “Then why are you here? Why am I talking to you? It sounds like you like your life.” He verbally “beat his chest” a little more attempting to impress me with his lifestyle.

To be honest I was getting angrier and angrier at each word he would say. I was not angry with him, as a person. For him personally I was filled with compassion and sorrow for his lifestyle. But the spirit that he was carrying around was trying to be very intimidating like a gangster in a bad black and white movie. 
 

I asked, “Do you really like your life?” He responded with the same rhetoric. He seemed stuck as though he did not think that his life could change. I then said, “There is nothing for us to talk about as long as you like your life, however if you want to make a change then I can help, but only if you really want to make a change. I hear all these things you have and can do, what I don’t hear is what you want to do.”

I told him that he had the ability to choose. “God protects your will”, I said. “Even though the pressure to act a certain way can feel intense, neither God nor Satan can decide for you.  So what do you want?” I asked again.

He then dropped his head and said, “I want to change. I don’t like this life and I want to change.” I then asked him, “Do you want God’s help?” He paused as if to reflect for a moment, then he said “yes”. I told him about how God needed to live inside of him through the death of His son, Jesus and by the power of Holy Spirit, and then things would begin to change for the better.

I asked if he would pray with me and he said, “yes”. He acknowledged and asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior and then asked Holy Spirit to fill him and be his constant companion and best friend. When we finished he looked at me with a different face. His face was relaxed and he seemed freer.

I immediately contacted one of our leaders at our church. They invited him to a men’s small group: a group that had men with similar backgrounds.  The strengths, accountability and authentic relationships with the men in the small group, would over time be used by Holy Spirit to transform his mind, will and emotions to reflect his new spirit.

I shared this not only because it is a great story of God’s love and mercy towards John, but also it equally emphasizes the power of our will.

John had the ability to say no to Satan and yes to God. God always protects this right. No matter how “impossible” we feel our situation is, there is always a decision that can be made. Nothing happens without a decision. Good or evil all start with a decision.

Judas betrayed Jesus because he allowed Satan to enter his heart. The drug dealer, John and Judas both had the gift of choice. Sometime these decisions are progressive, meaning one small choice at a time, but they are always our decisions not God’s or Satan’s.

So the 1960’s comedian Flip Wilson was NOT right when he would say, “The Devil made me do it.” If a hardened drug dealer could change his mind and will to do something different then what “Life Giving” decision can we make for our lives today.

We can make “Life Giving” decisions and with God’s help, the sky is the limit according to Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV.

So make some great decisions today and remember,

Be Life Giving!

Alex Anderson

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