Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

How many of you have ever heard people say, “The Devil Made Me Do It,” when they were referencing some sin they had committed.

People often will blame Satan for their sins.

Tonight, we are going to take a closer look at who really is behind all of those evil things we do and think about.

You might be surprised that it is not who you think it is.

Read Text.

Pray.

Discuss the omnipresence of God vs. Satan.

1. God is not the source of temptation (v.13)

Consequently Satan is also not the main source of our temptation, though he does tempt

2. Temptation Comes from Our Sinful Desires (v.14-16)

Picture of a stillborn birth - promise of life, but results in death

Life Cycle of Sin:

Sinful desires lure our hearts

We consider sinning against God in our hearts

We act on that desire and commit sin

Sin produces death

Romans 5:21

5:

3. How Can I Resist?

Not all sin is generated from our internal desires.

Some of our sin can be generated by temptation by Satan, or more likely one of his demons.

However, they cannot make us do anything.

While they create a spirit of sin like bitterness, jealousy, envy, and so on, nowhere are we commanded to rebuke these spirits, but rather we are called to resist sin and the devil will flee.

Listen to how Wayne Grudem describes this in his Systematic Theology.

In marked contrast to the practice of those who today emphasize “strategic level spiritual warfare,” in no instance does anyone in the New Testament 1) summon a territorial spirit upon entering an area to preach the gospel, 2) demand information from demons about local demonic hierarchy, 3) say that we should believe or teach information derived from demons, or 4) teach by word or example that certain “demonic strongholds” over a city have to be broken before the gospel can be proclaimed with effectiveness.

Rather Christians just preach the gospel, and it comes with power to change lives!

Therefor though the New Testament clearly recognizes the influence of demonic activity in the world, and even, upon the lives of believers, its primary focus regarding evangelism and Christian growth is on the choices and actions taken by people themselves.

Similarly, this should be the primary focus of our efforts today when we strive to grow in holiness and faith and to overcome the sinful desires and actions that remain in our lives and to overcome the sinful desires and actions that remain in our lives and to overcome the temptations that come against us from an unbelieving world.

We need to accept our own responsibility to obey the Lord and not to shift blame for our own misdeeds onto some demonic force.”