“The Devil Made Me Do it!”: Ezekiel 18:1-32
https://www.biblehub.com/bsb/ezekiel/18.htm
The phrase “The devil made me do it” is a well-known English idiom used to deflect blame for one’s own actions by attributing them to external satanic influence.
The catchphrase was coined and made famous by American comedian Flip Wilson in the early 1970s. On his hit variety show The Flip Wilson Show (1970–1974), Wilson portrayed the sassy character Geraldine Jones, who would do something mischievous or impulsive (like buying an expensive dress) and then exclaim, “The devil made me do it!” with a grin.
It became a national meme and cultural staple. Wilson even won a Grammy for his 1970 comedy album titled The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress!
While Flip Wilson popularized the exact phrasing as comedy, the underlying idea of blaming the devil (or a serpent) for sin is much older. The first biblical example appears in Genesis 3:13, where Eve tells God after eating the forbidden fruit: “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” This is essentially the original “the devil made me do it” excuse.
The phrase is almost always used humorously or ironically today, but it carries deeper theological and moral weight, especially in the context of original sin, Ezekiel 18, and personal responsibility: It implies a denial (or minimization) of personal agency. Scripture consistently teaches that while the devil (or temptation) can influence or deceive, he does not force people to sin. Humans retain moral responsibility for their choices. In Genesis, God holds Adam and Eve accountable despite the serpent’s role. He doesn’t accept the excuse. This aligns directly with Ezekiel 18: God rejects the idea that people can fully blame others (ancestors, circumstances, or external forces) for their own wrongdoing. Each person is called to repent of their own actions.
Explanation: The ancient Israelites had their own “Flip Wilson.” Ezekiel 18 addresses a proverb popular among the exiled Israelites: “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” (Ezekiel 18:2). The literal physical allusion is to the reaction of biting into a sour grape or unripe fruit, which makes the teeth feel “set on edge” because of the sharp, puckering sensation. The proverb originated among the people of Israel during the Babylonian exile, when they were questioning why judgment was falling (and whether prophetic warnings would ever come true)…which places it in the early- to mid-6th century BC. Ezekiel’s rebuke suggests it was a current, familiar saying rather than something he invented. The people were blaming their current suffering (exile in Babylon) on the sins of previous generations rather than repenting of their own sins.
God responds through Ezekiel: “The soul who sins shall die.” The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” (Ezekiel 18:20, ESV)
• The chapter repeatedly emphasizes repentance and personal accountability: “A wicked person who turns to righteousness will live; a righteous person who turns to wickedness will die. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but urges them to change” (Ezekiel 18:21-32).
This is a call to individual moral responsibility within the covenant community, countering fatalism or generational blame-shifting. It echoes Deuteronomy 24:16 (fathers and children not put to death for each other’s crimes under Mosaic law). It does not address the origins of human sinfulness or Adam’s role.
“Original Sin” means, (drawn from passages like Romans 5:12-21, Psalm 51:5, Ephesians 2:1-3), all people are born with this fallen condition (often called “concupiscence”), so “we sin because we are sinners” by nature, not merely by choice. Through Adam, sin entered the world, bringing death to all of God’s creation…including a corrupted human nature inclined toward sin.
“Death” is a cosmological fact that insinuated itself into a perfect world through Adam and Eve’s decision to “be their own boss,” contrary to God’s command. It is not an immediate physical phenomenon where life ceases; it is an insidious infection in the cosmos that slowly kills everything. It’s called “entropy.” Science recognizes it: “A certain property of a body, expressed as a measurable quantity, such that when there is no communication of heat the quantity remains constant, but when heat enters or leaves the body the quantity increases or diminishes.” Sometimes called the thermodynamic function, in laymen’s terms it means creation (and everything in it) is slowly dying.
That’s the irreversible curse…
The salient points in chapter 18 are as follows:
- God rejects the sour-grapes proverb as a false excuse for blame-shifting.
- He asserts that every life belongs to him, so he judges each person directly.
- He gives examples of three generations to show that a righteous man may live, a wicked son may die, and a righteous grandson will not be punished for his father’s sin.
- He adds that repentance matters: the wicked who turns from sin will live, while the righteous who turns to wickedness will die. The main point; The chapter teaches moral accountability: present conduct matters, and God is not unjust in judging individuals according to their own deeds. It also holds out mercy, because repentance can interrupt judgment and lead to life.—it counters excuse-making.
We might ask how Christ can bear others’ sins if Ezekiel applies. Answer: Ezekiel addresses human-to-human generational guilt in judgment, not God’s sovereign provision of a voluntary substitute (the innocent for the guilty) as an act of mercy. Ezekiel 18 combats fatalism and promotes repentance, while original sin explains why repentance and a Savior are universally needed.
Application: A fitting personal response is to let Ezekiel’s message move us from blame-shifting to self-examination before God. The chapter calls for honest repentance, because God deals with each 0f us according to our own ways, not as an excuse for inherited guilt.
- Confess where we have been tempted to justify ourself by pointing at family, culture, leaders, or circumstances.
- Believe the chapter’s warning seriously: present faithfulness matters, and repentance is not optional.
- Take hope in the chapter’s mercy: God calls the wicked to turn and live, so the door to restoration is real.
- Pray for a clean heart and a steady obedience that matches your profession of faith.
- The text invites humility rather than defensiveness. A good response is, “Lord, search me, make me responsible, and keep me from hiding behind the sins of others.”
Prayer: “Heavenly Father,
I come before You with a humble and open heart. Your Word through Ezekiel confronts me with the truth that each person stands responsible before You for his or her own ways. I confess that I have too often tried to blame my family, my past, my circumstances, or even the sins of others for my own failures. Turn my heart from this excuse-making and make me truly responsible before You.
Lord, I repent of every hidden and open sin. I turn away from unbelief, pride, and disobedience. By Your Spirit, give me the courage to face my own heart honestly and to humble myself under Your hand. I commit myself to walk in Your statutes and keep Your ordinances, not to earn favor, but out of love and gratitude for Your grace.
Keep me from hardening my heart when You speak. Where I am tempted to say, “The fathers ate sour grapes, and our teeth are set on edge,” remind me that I am called to face my own sin and to live faithfully now. Grant me a watchful heart that examines my ways daily, that repents quickly, and that persists in faithfulness.
Lord, I commit to heeding this warning. I choose to live for You, to obey Your Word, and to guard my heart against the deceit of sin. May my life honor You, and may I not be ruined by my own iniquity, but be found faithful in Your sight.
In Jesus’ name, amen”
Live boldly out there today…
Resources:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+18&version=NIV
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+18&version=KJV
https://www.bible.com/bible/114/EZK.18.NKJV
https://joelkime.com/2021/09/28/are-you-avoiding-taking-responsibility-ezekiel-18-part-2/
https://929chapters.com/2010/08/22/ezekiel-18-%E2%80%9Cindividual-responsibility%E2%80%9D/
https://www.biblestudytools.com/ezekiel/12-22.html
https://mypastoralponderings.com/2020/09/26/no-more-sour-grapes-my-sermon-on-ezekiel-181-4-25-32/
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