“It’s Not Me, It’s The devil.”

It is one of the oldest excuses in human history, first uttered in the Garden of Eden. Thousands of years later, these same words echo across courtrooms, street corners and news headlines in every corner of the world.

I once watch a crime proceeding involving a murder case involving a couple. Following the tragic death of the woman, the man’s crying defense to the authorities was simply; “it’s not me, it’s the devil.” It is a familiar line; an instinctive shield people reach for when caught in the fallout of their own choices.

At the conclusion of the trail, the judge pronounced a sentence that chilled the room:

“The sentence of this Court upon you is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

To many, those words sound like routing legal words read from a judicial ledger. But in a widely share video of another judge from another country delivering that exact sentence, his voice visibly trembled as he spoke. Listening to his hesitation makes one inescapable truth clear; “this is not mere legal jargon. It is an earthly court declaring that a man deserves to die for the crime he committed.

This brings us to a spiritual reality every one of us must confront; we are all facing a verdict.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” -Romans 6:23

Courts of law across the globe echo the truth of the scripture every single day, even without realizing they are quoting the scripture. Broken laws carry non-negotiable consequences, loss of freedom, conviction, and the ultimate judgment death.

Yet, in many legal frameworks, even after a judge pronounces a death sentence, an executive authority, such as a state governor holds the constitutional power to intervene. The court establishes the conviction, but the governor holds the power to grant a full pardon.

In the ultimate courtroom of eternity, God is the Holy and Righteous Judge, His moral law is perfect, and the consequence of human sin is spiritual death. We cannot shift the blame to the devil for choices we willingly make, because accountability rests on our own shoulders. Yet the same God who demands absolute justice is the very One who offers divine clemency.

“But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” -Romans 5:8

God’s objective is not to watch you perish under the weight of your sin, but to rescue you from it. Salvation begins the moment we stop making excuses, take full responsibility for our sin, and turn toward the Redeemer who paid our debt in full once on the cross.

If you are carrying the heavy burden of guilt, secret sin, or spiritual conviction today, do not run from God, run to God.

Repentance is not merely feeling sorry for the consequences; it is making a deliberation decision to turn away from sin and surrender yourself to the Life that only Jesus Christ can give. Lay down your defenses today. Confess your wrongdoings to God, accept His sacrifice for your sins, and receive the free gift of eternal life, Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in His will not perish but have Eternal Life.” -John 3:16

Your past does not have to dictate your final sentence.
The Judge is ready to Pardon you, if only you will come to Him now!!!