The devil made me do it!

The devil made me do it! “"Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.” Matthew‬ ‭18:7-9‬

Thats a hard word from Jesus, speaking of a spiritual amputation of the part of us that causes us to stumble or hurt others. The things that bring offenses, snares or sin cycles of behavior, is serious to God. As a child of God, the importance of crucifying the flesh daily, should be evident reading the words of our Lord Jesus! Our behavior does affect our eternity.

Even in the beginning of creation, the Lord God spoke to Cain before he murdered his brother. “Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.” ‭‭(Genesis‬ ‭4:6-8‬)

For God to tell man that he must master it demands us as a true child of God to take responsibility for our behaviors. We often want to blame Satan for every bad situation we find ourselves in. Although he’s usually behind the conflicts, he doesn’t have to do much in most cases, just suggest a thing and man takes the bait! Then begins his downward spiral of destruction because of his own actions.

We would be very wise as a child of God to stop making excuses for our bad behaviors. To stop making allowances for sin and rebellious attitudes against Gods word. Excuses will not hold up as we stand before the King to give an account for the way we chose to run our own personal lives.

Your relationships test your love toward God. Your authenticity as a child of God is shown by the fruit that is made manifest in our everyday life. All heaven is watching, angels are recording and the enemy is looking to find a place to land and work in a believers life. Failing spiritual tests will only cause one to retake the test!

The most powerful weapon against offense is humility. Humble yourself under the hand of God, repent quickly, forgive always, and make no excuses for your own actions. Do a spiritual amputation on the area of destructive behavior! The blood of Jesus is available to wash us and make us clean from the poison of offense and sin cycles. So thankful for the finished, completed work of Jesus and His instructions to help His children!