The Devil Made Me Do It
Flip Wilson as Geraldine
Do you remember Flip Wilson?
Born Clerow Wilson, Jr., Flip, who got his nickname from his army buddies because he was always Flipping Out (a term from the Sixties), brought several enduring characters to life, including Geraldine Jones, a sassy, confident female who popularized the expressions, "What you see is what you get," and "The devil made me do it."
But while we were all blaming the devil for our misdeeds back then, a growing number of people, including many Christians, were coming to question the existence of a spiritual entity that walks among us, trying to pull us away from God.
Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:11-12
In today's reading from Paul's letter to the young church in Ephesus, we hear of a fierce struggle, literally translated as a wrestling with the devil, hand to hand or face to face. But what do we truly believe?
Hollywood apparently does, with dozens of movies and television shows either based on the devil or casting the devil in a supporting role. But instead of helping to build an understanding of the nature and power of this force we know as Satan, these stories are so wrapped up in supernatural special effects, and the plot lines are so outrageous, we may just dismiss the whole idea of a devil completely.
It has been said that the primary goal of the devil is to make us believe he doesn't exist, and if that is true, it is working.
I don't remember when I last heard a pastor mention the devil in a sermon, but I live in the more liberal Northeast where sermons tend to deal with social justice and economics, rather than spiritual warfare.
So, what do we do about the devil? Do we buy into the warning from Paul, or toss off responsibility like Geraldine?
It is a personal choice, I guess, but just because a threat or danger may have a very low probability of occurring, it doesn't mean I should ignore the possibility altogether. Or, put another way, if I take Paul's advice and put on the armor of God, what have I got to lose?
If I choose to ignore Paul's warning, I guess I could always say, "The devil made me do it."
More to come...
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