July 1, 2009

  • The wiles of satan by Ed Gabler

    Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

    The first ploy of satan is to plant seeds of confusion.  We know satan cannot read our thoughts.  So satan asks Eve, did God really say that?

    Genesis 3:2-3 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’

    Notice that Eve added something to the Word of God – “nor shall you touch it.”  God did not say that.  Here is what God said, Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

    Once satan, who knew the Word of God, saw that she added to the Word, he saw she wasn’t exactly sure what God said, and he stepped up his plan of attack to the next level.

    Genesis 3:4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

    This contradicts the Word of God.  If you live by the Word of God you will do right, but satan was able to contradict the Word to the woman with a direct lie.

    Genesis 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

    This is the next level, for two things.  Satan is inferring that God does not really want to give them good things, that there is something that we can possess that God wants to keep for himself.  This does not speak well of God’s character.

    Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

    This is exactly what satan did, trying to usurp God’s authority, she chose to eat the fruit in disobedience so she could be like God.  The changed her heart and make it in alignment and agreement with satan, and then she shares this disobedience with her husband.  People who get involved in sin often bring others into sin with them. Adam also ate.

    Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all