Paternity Testنموونە

Who is a Child of the Devil?

I remember being on a bus one day in Guatemala City. Like any other day, a preacher got on and began boldly sharing the gospel with the uninterested crowd. He spoke with passion about God and the need for everyone to put their trust in Jesus. I always looked up to these preachers and would sometimes get off at the same stop to chat with them and encourage them for being so bold.

One of those days, I remember the preacher saying something that struck me: "Though everyone is God’s creation, not everyone is God’s children." As a preacher myself, I was already thinking of when and where I could use that line—pretty lame, I know. But then I thought, what does that really mean? If not everyone is God’s child, then whose children are they? There’s no such thing as a spiritual orphan, if someone isn’t a child of God, they must be a child of the devil. Right?

But hold on! Isn’t it a bit drastic to call someone a child of the devil? I mean, it seems harsh, even offensive. In a world that values tolerance and inclusivity, labeling someone as a “child of the devil” will definitely get you canceled. But that’s the hard truth that Scripture points to. Jesus Himself didn’t shy away from this truth. He spoke directly to those who rejected Him, saying they were following their father, the devil, because they desired to carry out his will.

So, what does the spiritual DNA of a child of the devil look like? What traits are passed down in his genetic makeup?

Well, Scripture tells us that the devil is the father of lies and that there is no truth in him. A child of the devil will be influenced by the lies of the devil rather than by the truth of the Spirit. They indulge in deceitful desires, obey the devil, and disobey God. Maybe they ask the same question the devil asked in the garden: Did God really say?

But what about Christians? Don’t we sometimes disobey, too? I know I do. Though we are made new in the spirit, we are still living in a “body of death”, as Paul calls it, which is affected by sin.

But there’s something different about a sinful child of the devil and a sinful child of God, and it’s this: a child of God can’t continue to sin. That doesn’t mean we won’t ever sin. Let’s be honest, I’ll probably sin a few times before breakfast. But when we do sin, we feel uneasy about it. We can’t keep sinning without feeling remorse and a strong urge to confess. It’s as if the Holy Spirit won’t let us sin and walk away without first convicting us.

For now, we fight, but one day, when Christ returns, we will be fully transformed, completely free from the influence of our old, sinful nature, and made perfectly in His image.

Let’s pray: Lord, show me the lies that I have believed. Give me a sorrow for sin, quickness to confess, and strength to obey. Cleanse me according to your promise and make me grow in your truth. Amen