The Devil made me buy this Dress ... you silly-nilly!

[2PhiloVoid]

Prior NOTE: This thread is for folks of any religious stripe to "weigh in" on how it felt in the past when they confronted what, according to their own conscientious ideology, was perceived as the temptation to make .........a bad moral choice.

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And here, in the month of Jack-o-lanterns and all things that go bump in the night, I've pondered to what extent, and how, the Devil might not just be deceiving us but also actually INFLUENCING us ...

Yes, I know, I know! We can all ask the question, "How do we know there's a Devil who is trying to deceive us or is directly influencing our human decision making processes?" Well, that is a good question, but for this little exorcise, I'd like for us to ponder the moments in our lives when we've felt like something was driving us to do an act that we kind knew was wrong.

The question to ponder here (so as not to turn this into a 'confessional' party) is not 'what did you do that was bad' but rather "Why do you think you sensed what you sensed when you felt tempted to do something you thought you shouldn't do ...?"

To start things off for anyone's further wandering and pondering is this classic 3 minute comedy piece from Flip Wilson, "The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress!"

Enjoy a few chuckles or so, if you dare!

 

[Shrewd Manager]

"Why do you think you sensed what you sensed when you felt tempted to do something you thought you shouldn't do ...?"

Pressure to exhibit an attitude that is not a beatitude. Exhibit A: self-reliance.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:2)

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Pressure to exhibit an attitude that is not a beatitude. Exhibit A: self-reliance.

The first thing that pops out at me here is that you've identified the feeling of temptation as a "pressure," and I think that is a very apt term. The question is then, from where does this "pressure" come and who is creating it?

So, in your case, it seems you're sharing with us that you at times have felt pressure to resort to self-reliance rather than to "lean upon the Lord not with our own understanding." Would this be an accurate reflection of what you're saying, or should there be something else I might want to add to your insight that I'm missing?

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

(Rom 12:2)

Ewww.......great verse! Thank you!

 

[bèlla]

Greetings,

Wonderful idea and presentation! You’ve outdone yourself this time.

Problem:
Wanting to give up or turn my back on something I’m meant to stick out.

Precept:
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. —1 Corinthians 13:7-8

~Bella

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Greetings,

Wonderful idea and presentation! You’ve outdone yourself this time.

Thank you, LaBèlla! I appreciate the compliment. As you know.....................I try. I really try.

Problem:

Wanting to give up or turn my back on something I’m meant to stick out.

That's a profound thought, but for the sake of some of our readers (like me) who are cursed with a male brain, could you reiterate it so that I might better apply my hermeneutical acumen and better understand what you're saying. I'd hate to misconstrue your valid point for what might resemble a Japanese proverb, "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down." And I've never been too overly keen on that proverb.

Precept:

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. —1 Corinthians 13:7-8

~Bella

Oh, that's awesome, and it comes across loud and clear, and I "get it"! Thank you for citing those verses. Awesome!

 

[awitch]

I'm supposed to be cutting back on junk food and spicy food because I started to get heartburn.
The other night I ordered spicy boneless buffalo wings with dinner because they're really good and I was really hungry even though I knew I shouldn't.

Since I'd rather not take responsibility for my choice, I'm pretty sure that a supernatural monster who hangs out at Applebees tempted me into spending $8 to get them because he thought a human with heartburn is absolutely hilarious.

Ha ha, just kidding. The wings weren't that good.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I'm supposed to be cutting back on junk food and spicy food because I started to get heartburn.
The other night I ordered spicy boneless buffalo wings with dinner because they're really good and I was really hungry even though I knew I shouldn't.

Since I'd rather not take responsibility for my choice, I'm pretty sure that a supernatural monster who hangs out at Applebees tempted me into spending $8 to get them because he thought a human with heartburn is absolutely hilarious.

Ha ha, just kidding. The wings weren't that good.

See?......that's how temptation works. You bite into the 'deal' that's offered and presto! You find yourself $8 bucks shorter with a case of ghastly regurgitated hot sauce! And you know very well who's behind it. Just go look in the restaurant's kitchen, bro!

Yeah! That's what I thought!

 

[Shrewd Manager]

The first thing that pops out at me here is that you've identified the feeling of temptation as a "pressure," and I think that is a very apt term. The question is then, from where does this "pressure" come and who is creating it?

The devil loves to raise the blood pressure. He knows all the 'hacks' for the flesh, chief among which he knows the life is in the blood (why his minions are constantly craving the fresh children's variety). So by turning up the heat, he does indeed put us under pressure to

resort to self-reliance rather than to "lean upon the Lord not with our own understanding."

So he uses these kind of tactics in an effort to separate us from the love of God, to tempt us away by our own desires conceived by compression or stimulation of the blood, then awaiting that unguarded moment...'prowling around as a lion seeking who he may devour'.

Related examples are things that change blood sugar (candies, chocolate, stimulants like coffee), cheap thrills (violent movies, entertainment, TV sports 24/7 etc). And of course, the mortal sins and so on. Sure he has an extensive wall chart!

It's a good exercise to monitor those things in different situations. And to submit to God in placid prayer:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Does this shed any light into your enquiry or on how Flip Wilson got caught out...?

 

[2PhiloVoid]

The devil loves to raise the blood pressure. He knows all the 'hacks' for the flesh, chief among which he knows the life is in the blood (why his minions are constantly craving the fresh children's variety). So by turning up the heat, he does indeed put us under pressure to

You may have to explain what you're overall meaning is here, because I'm not quite following. You lost me somewhere within your second sentence ...

So he uses these kind of tactics in an effort to separate us from the love of God, to tempt us away by our own desires conceived by compression or stimulation of the blood, then awaiting that unguarded moment...'prowling around as a lion seeking who he may devour'.

Sure, Satan's tactics--whatever all those may actually be--are used in his effort to draw us away from The Lord, although I've not seen it articulated as "compression or stimulation of the blood"; I'm not sure how much of a biblical phrasing that may be, so you may have to elucidate all of this a bit more for the rest of us and tell us why you've chosen this way of saying it.

Related examples are things that change blood sugar (candies, chocolate, stimulants like coffee), cheap thrills (violent movies, entertainment, TV sports 24/7 etc).

Are you saying that these things are in and of themselves "bad"? I mean, I'm a fairly regular coffee drinker and I like the occasional bit of chocolate, shows like Criminal Minds and movies like Avengers and Star Wars, etc. Are these all by necessity to be seen by us Christians as "devil's ploys," too?

And of course, the mortal sins and so on. Sure he has an extensive wall chart!
It's a good exercise to monitor those things in different situations. And to submit to God in placid prayer:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Does this shed any light into your enquiry or on how Flip Wilson got caught out...?

Being that I'm not Roman Catholic, I don't really follow the script in delineating between 'mortal' sins and 'venial' sins; all sin is a problem. And while I like Psalm 23 as much as anyone and am encouraged by David's pastoral message, I think it takes more to "deal with the Devil" than to just recite Scripture, although that is a good start.

As for Flip Wilson, I'm not overly familiar with him as a person other than remembering the various comedy sketches I saw him do on t.v. when I was a little child, so if you know something about his life that you'd like to explicate further for our benefit, please bring it forward for us to evaluate in this "exorcise."

I do know that I like the little classic sketch he does in the OP video above, and I think there is some truth in it ... two truths in fact.

Thanks for your great comments thus far, Shrewd Manager.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Wow! Lot's of very spiritually strong folks here, I see! No one's been tempted. That's awesome! [2PhiloVoid hits the "applause" button.]

 

[awitch]

Wow! Lot's of very spiritually strong folks here, I see! No one's been tempted. That's awesome! [2PhiloVoid hits the "applause" button.]

They know better than to go to Applebees.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

They know better than to go to Applebees.

Or maybe that's the trick! One has to have eaten at Applebees to be tempted. So, we could test this theory by getting everyone together and taking them out for a wonderful dinner, and we'll see what they order and what happens afterward, ay? I'll keep my sociology notepad handy to record the various outcomes ...

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Greetings,

Wonderful idea and presentation! You’ve outdone yourself this time.

Problem:
Wanting to give up or turn my back on something I’m meant to stick out.

Precept:
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. —1 Corinthians 13:7-8

~Bella

In reflecting a little more upon the subject of my OP and upon your very nicely laid out and succinct comments above, I think I'll follow the same format just so folks can maybe see that I'm not just expecting myself to be exempt from this "Halloween exorcise," so here it goes:

Problem:
Not realizing as a 7 year old child that there is a large, non-Christian corporate, social reality in which one can exist, one that is not necessarily moral or righteous and continues to further its own economic agenda whether or not we sense it doing so. And it seeks to engulf one's innocence and to impose upon one's mind things, sometimes things that in God's design should have been very wonderful if they had been done or provided at certain times of life in other ways.

Yet it not only imposes these things, but does so even when one does not look for, ask for, or desire those things at that moment in one's life. And this corporate reality attempts, and often succeeds in sending a wave of temptation, like an existential tsunami, which can and often does sweep away the innocence of one's young, even 7 year old mind.

Precept:
The Devil really, really does roam about as a lion seeking whom he may devour ... and that is a scary thought no Halloween or Horror movie can capture. So, we need to spiritually armor up ourselves and our children and remain armored up in the LORD just as Paul has told us to do!

2PhiloVoid

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Greetings,

Wonderful idea and presentation! You’ve outdone yourself this time.

Problem:
Wanting to give up or turn my back on something I’m meant to stick out.

Precept:
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. —1 Corinthians 13:7-8

~Bella

Sorry, I had to edit and rewrite my previous post for more clarity and impact. So, there it is, such as it is.

 

[bèlla]

The Devil really, really does roam about as a lion seeking whom he may devour ... and that is a scary thought no Halloween or Horror movie can capture. So, we need to spiritually armor up ourselves and our children and remain armored up in the LORD just as Paul has told us to do!

Your summation really resonated with me. I’m reminded of the little girl devouring the bible by flashlight. My parents didn’t know what to do with my hunger or how to protect it.

~Bella

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Your summation really resonated with me. I’m reminded of the little girl devouring the bible by flashlight. My parents didn’t know what to do with my hunger or how to protect it.

~Bella

I hear ya! I wish my parents had been much more aware of the nature of the society around them, but I guess in their own way, they tried to protect my young mind and body as best they could.

Anyway, thank you for your offering your thoughts on this thread, especially since it doesn't seem to be one that resonates with very many people. Or maybe it does, but it makes people kind of ............ **sigh**

The Peace of Christ be upon you, Sis!

 

[bèlla]

I hear ya! I wish my parents had been much more aware of the nature of the society around them, but I guess in their own way, they tried to protect my young mind and body as best they could.

I think that’s true for most. We do our best and He fills in the gaps.

Problem:

Anyway, thank you for your offering your thoughts on this thread, especially since it doesn't seem to be one that resonates with very many people. Or maybe it does, but it makes people kind of ............ **sigh**

Precept:
Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown. —Proverbs 4:5-9

Don’t apologize for the things He lays on your heart. Scatter the seed and trust it lands where it should. The thread was an excellent idea and would be a useful journaling tool.

The Peace of Christ be upon you, Sis!

And you as well my friend.

~Bella

 

[awitch]

Anyway, thank you for your offering your thoughts on this thread, especially since it doesn't seem to be one that resonates with very many people. Or maybe it does, but it makes people kind of ............ **sigh**

I feel this thread might be better served in one of the Christian-specific sub forums. If most of the people here don't even acknowledge the existence of Satan or devils, there's no reason to think they are tempted by him/them.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I feel this thread might be better served in one of the Christian-specific sub forums. If most of the people here don't even acknowledge the existence of Satan or devils, there's no reason to think they are tempted by him/them.

Yes, I can see your point. But I did attempt to frame this OP in such a way that folks of any religious stripe could "weigh in" on their personal experiences with having confronted what, according to their own consciousness ideology, they perceived transpired when faced with making..................a bad moral choice.

Of course, now that I've actually reiterated the OP, maybe a passer-by will see this and think: OH, so that's what he means! Yeah, folks, this thread is open to ANYONE of any religious persuasion, not just those who, like me, believe in a literal Devil. (Sheesh!)

And I do appreciate your having shared your experience at Applebees. I know that must have been very trying.

 

[Robban]

Prior NOTE: This thread is for folks of any religious stripe to "weigh in" on their personal experiences when having confronted in the past what, according to their own consciousness ideology, they perceived transpired when faced with making..................a bad moral choice.

*******************************************************

And here, in the month of Jack-o-lanterns and all things that go bump in the night, I've pondered to what extent, and how, the Devil might not just be deceiving us but also actually INFLUENCING us ...

Yes, I know, I know! We can all ask the question, "How do we know there's a Devil who is trying to deceive us or is directly influencing our human decision making processes?" Well, that is a good question, but for this little exorcise, I'd like for us to ponder the moments in our lives when we've felt like something was driving us to do an act that we kind knew was wrong.

The question to ponder here (so as not to turn this into a 'confessional' party) is not 'what did you do that was bad' but rather "Why do you think you sensed what you sensed when you felt tempted to do something you thought you shouldn't do ...?"

To start things off for anyone's further wandering and pondering is this classic 3 minute comedy piece from Flip Wilson, "The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress!"

Enjoy a few chuckles or so, if you dare!

I read the devil is the father of lies,

so if he tempts you and you fall for the temptation,

then he ascends to the heavenly court to accuse you.

you deny it was your fault.

Who is the liar?

Is he not telling the truth?

In Judaism there is no devil, there is the Yetzer Hara,

one,s own evil inclination, it,s aim is to draw a soul away from seeking it,s source, but the tactics are the same or similar.