We’ve all heard of people who supposedly make a deal with the devil.  It is depicted as a person trading their eternal soul for… power, wealth, revenge on enemies, or some other temporal desire.  Those of us who name Jesus as Lord would never think of making a deal with the devil.  Then again… maybe we do on some level and don’t realize it.  Of course I mean deal in a much lesser sense than trading the soul in exchange for something else…

Every time we say no to God and yes to sin… we have made a deal with the devil.

Too harsh you say? Think about it… sin is rebellion against God by breaking one of His commands.  The reason we break His commands is because we think the reward for doing so is greater than the reward of keeping His command.  Satan whispers in our ear, “Surely you won’t die!  God wants to keep you from enjoying life.  What’s the harm in just trying it once?  It’s not all that big of a deal.  Come on,” he says, “live a little!  You’ve got the rest of your life to follow God… loosen up.”

God created us.  As Creator, He has the right to legislate right and wrong… what is best for us and what is harmful.  God has decreed that breaking His commands have temporal, eternal, emotional, and spiritual consequences that cannot be dodged (Ask David about that one!).  Satan contradicts God on every point… knowing God is right… because he is a liar and the father of all lies.

When we’re tempted… and choose to sin… we have chosen to believe Satan’s lie.  We’ve chosen Satan over God.  We’ve made a deal with him… trusting that what HE says is true over what God decrees is true.  We’ve chosen not to believe God when He said, “A man cannot take fire into his bosom and not get burned.” We ignore, “Be sure your sin will find you out,” and “What a man sows that he will also reap.”

The reason for our rebellion against God so as to make a deal with the devil is because we’re selfish… self centered… self consumed.  And this is the reason Jesus said, “If any man is willing to come after me he MUST… DENY HIMSELF…” (Luke 9:23a).  Only as we crucify ourselves… our passions and desires… will we be able to “Draw near to God.”  And in so doing we will be able to “Resist the devil” and he will flee from us.