The Triumphant ChurchWe ultimately make the choice to yield to the Holy
Spirit and walk in line with the Word and do what's
right. The Holy Spirit assists us, of course, but we have
to yield to His gentle promptings.
It's the same way with the devil. The devil will help
and encourage people—saved and unsaved alike if they
will allow him—to do what's wrong in every way he
possibly can. The Christian is not under his dominion,
but Satan will still try to work through a Christian's
flesh to get him to do wrong if the person allows it.
Satan has dominion over those who walk in
darkness, so he can greatly assist them in wrongdoing.
But in one respect, you can't say that all the evil
committed by those in darkness is entirely the work of
the devil either.
According to the Scriptures, the lust of their own
fleshly nature is also involved in wrongdoing. Just as
the Holy Spirit assists us to do right, the devil assists
anyone walking in darkness to do wrong. But it's still
the person's responsibility what they do because people
have free choice.
EPHESIANS 2:1-3
1 And you hath he quickened [made alive], who
were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now
WORKETH in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation
[lifestyle] in times past in THE LUSTS OF OUR
FLESH, fulfilling the DESIRES of the FLESH
and of the MIND; and were by nature the
children of wrath, even as others.
The Scriptures tell us that the devil, or "the prince