Jesus’ Words in Red Can a Christian be a Devil?

Jesus’ Words in Red

Can a Christian be a Devil?

"Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!"

Jesus called two of His closest followers’ devils

Judas and Peter

When our thoughts or actions do not line up with Christ

We need to be like Peter and repent

Because there are no “good” or “cute” little devils

Can a Christian be a Devil?

There has been a lot of debate on

whether a Christian can have a demon?

Can someone God has chosen have a demon?

Jesus had 5000 followers and out of

them Jesus said He has chosen twelve.

But one of His chosen, He said “is a devil!"

The Greek word is…

diabolos (dee-ab'-ol-os); a traducer; specially, Satan

The KJV uses this word in the following

ways - false accuser, devil, slanderer.

The scriptures tell us which disciple it is…

 “Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot”

Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

His betrayal or treason was sealed with a kiss.

But before the betrayal, Judas was in

charge of Jesus and the disciples’ money.

In John 12:5-6, we see Judas

helped himself to the funds.

Judas’ thoughts were about himself not

Jesus, or the poor Jesus was ministering to.

It seems clear that the disciples were unaware

of Judas’ thoughts and actions up to the end.

John 13:27-30

“Since Judas had charge of the money,

some thought Jesus was telling him to

buy what was needed for the Feast,

or to give something to the poor.”

One of the other disciples was also

accused of being the devil or Satan.

When Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked

Him for saying he would suffer, be rejected

and put to death and rise again in three days.

We see Jesus called him Satan…

“But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples,

 he rebuked Peter.

"Get behind me, Satan!" he said.

"You do not have in mind the things of God,

but the things of men." 

Mark 8:33

We see Peter later denies Jesus, yet Peter lives

a life fully dedicated to Christ and His work.

What gave Jesus the right to

call Judas and Peter a devil?

It was their thinking.

 We are told we are to put on the mind of Christ.

  If you are like me, there have been times when

Jesus could have said to me, “You are a devil”.

Why?  Because my thoughts

were not of God, but of the devil.

For Judas…

It was thoughts of greed.

For Peter…

 It was emotional objection to God’s will.

For you and I…

 It might be the anger toward the person

who cut us off on the highway.

 

We sometimes make light of the devil with sayings…

“You little devil” or “ You cute devil” or  

“pretty little devil” and “the devil made me do it”

We should be aware that we can be among

Jesus’ closest followers and still be a devil.

There is nothing “cute or

pretty” about being a devil.

If we find ourselves not having the mind

of Christ, be like Peter, not like Judas.

Receive the Lord’s rebuke.

Turn from the thoughts that

betray the teachings of Christ. 

Scripture Reading

John 6:70-71 NIV

70 Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!"  71(He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)