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itullian
Guest
Is the devil always involved in our wrong behaviors, or are some of them just because the flesh is weak?
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bzkoss236
Guest
I would say that most of it is weak flesh, but the demons that roam this world do try and tempt us with worldly desires. Even in the times when demons are tempting us, it is our own weakness that brings us into sin. That is why we need to keep in Christ, so that we can always look to him for strength.
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StrawberryJam
Guest
You must be claiming that you are unable to make your own decisions, or are limited in capacity to do so to make such a statement.
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IrishRush
Guest
Free will. It’s why we pray for strength - strength to resist the temptation to commit or repeat sins.
The devil doesn’t always make you do it. Sometimes you just have to cowboy up and take responsibility for you actions.
The devil doesn’t always make you do it. Sometimes you just have to cowboy up and take responsibility for you actions.
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itullian
Guest
um, it’s a question
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StrawberryJam
Guest
Here’s a helpful tip to those who are even just taking a basic exam in grade school. Anytime you see the words always or never, you really have a great way to approach it.um, it’s a question
In this case, you loaded the question to begin with by adding DEVIL in all caps.
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roveau
Guest
It remains a question though.
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Nigel7
Guest
What a rude and utterly presumptuous thing to say.
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Nigel7
Guest
Certainly the devil is out to tempt us and trip us up, but I do not think that we always need to be nudged by him in order to make bad choices in our lives. We are quite capable of doing that on our own.
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bzkoss236
Guest
Okay, summary:
No, the devil can’t make you do anything. In the end it is always your free choice.
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itullian
Guest
no, i know he cant make you, but is he always involved?
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bzkoss236
Guest
I would say no. Granted, it is hard to say which is just us and which is the devil tempting us, but I would say that he isn’t always involved. I would say he is more involved with people who have a stronger faith, because they need more of a push. But with people whose faith is weak, they don’t require as much, if any “assistance” in doing wrong. This is just my reasoning, and I don’t think there is really any church teaching on how involved the devil is with our sinning.
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itullian
Guest
thank you
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TheHolyTrinity
Guest
There are a number of ways:
Satan denies the difference between humans and God, enthroning humans themselves as the gods of their own lives, with full self-determination. You can use whatever tactics you want in business to get ahead. If you get angry with someone, you can beat them up, and if they do something really awful to you, homicide may be justified. Satan has accomplished his ends.
Satan can certainly not make you do anything if you still posses free will.
If Satan has a hold on others around you then living a life of free will (outside influences) could be difficult to maintain. This would be significant if one is vexed with a demon though harassment, tormented or troubled by an evil spirit.
If Satan can interfere with that advice from God and get the person off track and keep them off track, he will probably win the battle.
Satan and his demons exercise a subtle influence over the world. The influence is subtle in that few people in the world really believe demonic influence is taking place. The results are not subtle at all; as we look around the world, we can see the high human cost of demonic control.
Satan denies the difference between humans and God, enthroning humans themselves as the gods of their own lives, with full self-determination. You can use whatever tactics you want in business to get ahead. If you get angry with someone, you can beat them up, and if they do something really awful to you, homicide may be justified. Satan has accomplished his ends.
Satan can certainly not make you do anything if you still posses free will.
If Satan has a hold on others around you then living a life of free will (outside influences) could be difficult to maintain. This would be significant if one is vexed with a demon though harassment, tormented or troubled by an evil spirit.
If Satan can interfere with that advice from God and get the person off track and keep them off track, he will probably win the battle.
Satan and his demons exercise a subtle influence over the world. The influence is subtle in that few people in the world really believe demonic influence is taking place. The results are not subtle at all; as we look around the world, we can see the high human cost of demonic control.
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patrick457
Guest
I won’t really say that he is always actively involved, since we also have our fallen natures to take into account.
The thing is while there is obviously a danger of underestimating the harm that Satan can do, some people (unfortunately including some Christians) simply just overestimate him and make the Devil to be very much like a sort of ‘god of evil’ that is the exact polar opposite of God, in a sort of dualistic, Cathar-esque way.
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JRKH
Guest
It may depend on how you define “involved”…
Since it is by the devil’s involvement that we even have the knowledge that allows us to sin…one could say that every sin stems from the devil’s involvement…But that is stretching the point.
In Mt 5:37, Jesus says this about swearing…“Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”
It is not unreasonable to extrapolate from this that anything that is sinful “comes from evil”
So - if something “comes from evil” is that the devil, “being involved”?
Personally - I say yes. Perhaps not “directly” like a demonic attack but still “involved”.
Peace
James
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lynnehelen
Guest
The author of Dark Night of the Soul said that the 3 great temptations are World, Devil, and Flesh. If this is correct, then temptation by the Devil and temptation through the weakness of the flesh are two separate things.
(I only read a little of the book, I think I have the correct source.)
(I only read a little of the book, I think I have the correct source.)
Did you mum ever say to you as a child, “If he told you to jump off a cliff would you do it?”?
They tempt you over and over again but it is ultimately your choice whether you actually do it or not.
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Dorothy
Guest
No, the devil isn’t always directly involved. In Scripture it points out that we contend with “the world, the flesh, and the devil.”
Thank God for prayer and Sacraments!
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Nigel7
Guest
Interesting quote that I read in a book late last night. Relevant to the OP’s question…
**“To lose one’s way is nothing more than the giving up of prayer.
Whoever does not pray does not need the devil to lead him off the path.
He will throw himself into hell.”
St. Teresa of Avila**
**“To lose one’s way is nothing more than the giving up of prayer.
Whoever does not pray does not need the devil to lead him off the path.
He will throw himself into hell.”
St. Teresa of Avila**
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