You know the classic song The Devil Went Down to Georgia, where Johnny outplayed the devil on the fiddle and not only saved his soul but also won a golden fiddle?
Well I’ve got bad news for ya. By beating the devil in their little fiddle competition, Johnny didn’t save his soul. Assuming he didn’t repent later, from the way Johnny acted, he may even have lost his soul.
Johnny’s key sin: pride. Dante in his Inferno intones that pride is the worst of the Seven Deadly Sins.
The devil loves pride, and hates humility – which is why the Lord was born into the world in very humble circumstances, and left this world in very humiliating circumstances. (The Romans designed crucifixion to not only give you an excruciatingly painful death, but also a humiliating death.)
Johnny’s fatal words: “But I’ll take your bet, you’re gonna regret, ‘Cause I’m the best there’s ever been”.
He drives home the point later: “I’m the best there’s ever been.”
That was music to the devil’s ears.
Johnny, you should have told the devil that you’re the worst there’s ever been. Even if you outplayed him on the fiddle, you still should have said he was the better player and deserved to win, and that he should keep that golden fiddle. You should have recited the Litany of Humility prayer every day, and lived it out. Then perhaps you wouldn’t have lost your soul.
In fact, that whole fiddle-playin’ contest was all a set-up by the devil – a ruse. The devil knew all about ole’ Johnny and all his weaknesses – observing him since he was a baby. He decided to one day exploit Johnny’s key weakness – pride.
The devil is constantly deceiving. That’s why he’s called the Father of Lies.
So the next time you’re listening to The Devil Went Down to Georgia, tell whoever is listening to it with you that the song is actually wrong. The way Johnny acted bore all the hallmarks of losing his soul to the devil.
That is, unless Johnny went and made a good confession later on.
