Oswald Chambers: Peace - Life in the SpiritSample

Satan is never represented in the Bible as being guilty of doing wrong things: he is a wrong being. Men are responsible for doing wrong things, and they do wrong things because of the wrong disposition in them. The moral cunning of our nature makes us blame Satan when we know perfectly well we should blame ourselves; the true blame for sins lies in the wrong disposition in us.

In all probability Satan is as much upset as the Holy Ghost is when men fall in external sin, but for a different reason. When men go into external sin and upset their lives, Satan knows perfectly well that they will want another Ruler, a Savior and Deliverer; as long as Satan can keep men in peace and unity and harmony apart from God, he will do so (see Luke 11:21-22).

Reflection Questions: Who do I blame for my sin? What does Satan gain if I lead an upright and moral life? What does he lose if I mess up so badly that I recognize my need for peace apart from my own efforts?

Quotation taken from Biblical Psychology, © Discovery House Publishers