The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, “. . . He forces demons out of people with the help of the ruler of demons.”
Mark 3:22
I n Mark 3:20–30, people are calling Jesus the devil. They are saying that the fact that demons are being released from people means that Satan is letting them go. They are blaming all of Jesus’ work on Satan, and this is so obviously blasphemy (any word or action that insults or devalues God).
But what about when you blame stuff in your life on Satan? When you say stuff like “The devil is doing this or that to me,” could you possibly be blaming Satan for something that God needs to let happen in your life?
Remember, God disciplines those he loves. And sometimes discipline can look like an attack from the enemy. You have to beware of giving Satan too much credit. When you do you can miss out on what God is trying to do in your life. Not all bad things are really bad—a lot are actually happening for your good. They are purifying you, teaching you, and leading you back to God. So don’t be too quick to blame everything bad on the enemy. He doesn’t have that much power over you. So don’t give the Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you (see Eph. 4:30) by giving the bad guys credit where credit isn’t due.