Why is ‘the devil made me do it’ not a valid excuse?

The first instance of "the devil made me do it" used as an excuse was
in the Garden of Eden. Eve says, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate"
(Genesis 3:13). Her excuse did not get her off the hook (verse 16),
and it won't help us much, either.

Yes, the devil and his demons tempt us to sin (Genesis 3; Luke 4; 1
Peter 5:8). But "the devil made me do it" is far too often used to
excuse our own bad choices. Except in an instance of demon possession,
the devil cannot make us do anything. The devil is absolutely worthy
of blame for much of the evil in the world, but using the devil as a
scapegoat for our own sinful choices is counterproductive to achieving
victory over sin.

Demon possession is a condition in which a demon or demons have
complete control over a person. Demon possession involves demons
actually inhabiting a person and controlling his or her actions (see
Mark 9:22). Christians cannot be demon possessed. The indwelling Holy
Spirit will not allow it (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18). Therefore, the
devil and his demons cannot control a believer. They cannot make us do
anything involuntarily. So, rather than blame the devil, we need to
look at ourselves.

James 1:4 declares, "Each person is tempted when he is lured and
enticed by his own desire" (emphasis added). Why do we sin? We sin
because we are sinners. We are plagued by and infected with sin
(Romans 3:10-23). While demonic oppression and influence are real, the
primary problem is our sinful natures. "Now the works of the flesh are
evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,
enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions,
divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these"
(Galatians 5:19-21). Notice, it's the "works of the flesh" in this
list, not the works of the devil.

As Christians, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us overcome
sin (1 John 4:4). We have everything we need for life and godliness (2
Peter 1:3). If we sin, we have no excuse. We cannot blame the devil.
We cannot blame our circumstances. We can only blame ourselves. And,
until we recognize that the problem resides within us (Romans 7:20),
we will never arrive at the solution.

It may sound harsh to tell someone that the problem is himself and his
own choices. But it's no harsher than a doctor telling a patient to
quit smoking and that the tobacco company is not to blame for his poor
health. To find a cure, you have to start with a correct diagnosis and
then move to the correct treatment. The correct diagnosis is sin. The
treatment is to submit to God and obey His Word. God can enable us to
achieve victory over sin (Romans 7:24-25; 1 John 5:3-5).

If you are a Christian and you commit a sin, the devil did not make
you do it. He may have tempted you to do it. He may have even
influenced you to do it. But he did not make you do it. You still had
a choice. God never allows you to be tempted beyond your ability to
withstand, and He always provides a way of escape (1 Corinthians
10:13). A Christian saying "the devil made me do it" is denying the
truth of 1 John 4:4, "Little children, you are from God and have
overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the
world."