Around 1973, the comedian, Flip Wilson, no relation to me, created an expression that became famous. One of his characters, Geraldine, said, “The devil made me do it.” While people have been using that excuse since the Garden of Eden, whether or not they actually said it in those words, it suddenly was ingrained in our culture. Now, it is no longer my fault; the devil made me do it.

While the devil deserves credit for some of the things we do, a lot of it is not his fault. James 1:14-15 says, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.” Most of the time, our biggest problem is the reflection that stares back at us from the mirror. And yet, it has become an easy copout to say, the devil made me do it.

Martin Luther said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” As humans, there are potential temptations around us every day. Technology has made it even more so. Social media will often throw up a picture or an article that we have no control over, but how we respond once we see it is within our control. Do we continue to stare at it, do we delete it and quickly move on, or do we allow our imagination to carry it to another level? That’s what James was talking about. We are enticed with lustful thoughts which will draw us away from God.

When I was young, many Christians felt that owning a t.v. was sinful. I have heard of people who hid the antenna in the attic so no one would know they had a t.v. I was told about a preacher who constantly preached against having a t.v. And yet, in his old age, he would sit for hours watching one. Was his preaching targeted at a weakness he had?

I was preaching at a Camp Meeting several years ago when a young person came up to me after the service. We had a great conversation. It really got interesting when he asked, “Is it a sin to watch sin.” In other words, while we may not commit adultery, it is okay to watch something where a couple is committing adultery. Do we make heroes out of thieves and murderers? Where do we draw the line? Once our brain sees an image, it is impossible to forget it. Not only that, but the sinful values the media present as normal have an effect on all who watch, especially the young. We are seeing the consequences of that today. Seeds sown over the past several years are producing a harvest of ungodly and unbiblical philosophies.