"The Devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal. He was in a bind, 'cause he was way behind, and he was willing to make a deal. When he came across this young boy sawing on a fiddle and playing it hot. Well the devil jumped up on a hickory stump, and said, "Boy, let me tell you what! I guess you didn't you it, but I'm a fiddle player too. And if you care to take a dare, well I'll make a bet with you. Now you play pretty good fiddle boy, but give the devil his due. I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul 'cause I think I'm better than you." The boy said, "My name's Johnny, and it might be a sin, but I'll take your bet, and you're gonna regret, 'cause I'm the best that's ever been!"

This is the beginning to the song The Devil Went Down to Georgia, which was written and released back in 1979 by the "Charlie Daniels Band". If you are familiar with the tune, you may remember that "Johnny" wins the bet, gets the golden fiddle, and keeps his soul after soundly beating the devil in a fiddling contest. Now unless you're a fan of the devil, you have to celebrate the outcome of this make-believe story. We enjoy seeing the devil go down in defeat, just as is depicted in the book of Revelation; however, we know that unfortunately he too often does experience great success in this world. He has a great many effective tools to employ in his effort to drag this world down. But even though the devil may not have ever literally challenged any fiddle player named Johnny to a fiddling contest, and though Mr. Daniels may not have necessarily intended to teach any theological principles in his song, there are probably some lessons we can actually learn from this clash between Johnny and the devil.

What was it that the devil tried to exploit in Johnny? Was it his talent in playing the fiddle? Well, that is at least part of it - but it seems to be something even more basic than that. What about the pride in this young fiddler ("I'm the best that's ever been")? As the devil is so capable of doing with anyone, he tried to turn Johnny's pride in being an excellent fiddle player against him. Man's pride seems to be at the root of nearly every sin ever committed. Think back to the first sin in man's history - how did the devil, in this very real story, ultimately prevail over Eve and convince her to take a bite of the forbidden fruit? Did he not, in similar fashion to our introductory story about Johnny in Georgia, appeal to his victim's sense of pride? And Satan, in his mastery over man's sinful nature, has facilitated the repeating of this cycle time-and-time-again throughout man's history.

Pride will not only cause a person to commit sin, but it can also be the frequent cause of man's resistance to God's truths. Why is it that so many people, even among God's people, have such a difficult time accepting the sovereignty of God and all of its associated derivative concepts? Is it not due to man's pride preventing him from turning everything over into God's hands (where it certainly is, whether we accept it or not!)? It would seem many of us are just too proud to admit that ultimately we are not in control of our own lives. Consider this very simple statement from Proverbs 16:9: "A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." We read passages like this, we know