When faced with trials or sin, I often hear people say, “This is the work of the devil.” Just recently I had this same thought as I headed out of the door to church with a not-so-happy disposition. I thought this must be the work of the devil because it seemed as though there were many Sundays like this. It was either unpleasant things said or something bad just happened as we hurried the children out of the door. Having a bad mood on the way to church was definitely unpleasant and not something we had in mind.

Even though I thought about attributing this Sunday morning’s foul mood to the work of Satan, I quickly remembered that with my sinful nature, I didn’t need Satan’s help in stirring up anger. I am well capable of that. No help needed in this arena. I am not denouncing the work of Satan as I believe the devil is quite prevalent in the world. What I’m denouncing is our quick tendency to blame others, e.g., Satan (or our spouse, or our children, etc.), instead of owning up to our own failure. When we sin, let’s be clear and admit that it is our fault. Yes, the devil can deceive and attribute to our failure, but it is only when we give him a foothold. When we admit our sin, God is faithful to forgive us if we repent and ask for forgiveness. Next time we’re tempted to blame others, check our own hearts and more than likely the person to blame is yours truly.