Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3: 11-13
Eve, herself, relayed the sequence of events. The serpent deceived her. That is true. She ate of the tree. That is true. But she failed to mention that these two events were separated by an additional one. She thought through Satan’s words and processed them to make a choice. Satan was cunning but he didn’t make her sin. She did that on her own. And ever since that day, Satan’s presence and influence have been public. Whether he is portrayed as a caricature with a pitchfork or is the topic of a serious bible study, people throughout the earth are familiar with him in some fashion.
If a trusted friend warned me about a certain someone, I would certainly listen. I wouldn’t get involved with him on any level. Yet Jesus, more credible than any trusted friend, warns me about my spiritual adversary. Despite that, I continually flirt with him. If his customized temptation is perfectly matched to my area of weakness, it feels like I’m helpless to say no. The truth is, I always have a choice. When Satan’s lure is too strong for me to resist, Jesus promises something called ‘grace.’ My sin is without excuse, just like the sin of Eve.
Jesus is clear. “Don’t believe our common enemy. He hates you because you belong to Me!” If I trust my Savior, I will put up my guard today and secure my armor in place. I will not be prey to the ultimate spiritual predator, the one who preyed on the angels in heaven to get them to join his mutinous enterprise. He is no respecter of persons.
You came to destroy the works of this evil one. You’ve told all of us that this was your mission. Jesus, I’m yours and I join you in Your enterprise, starting with my own choices. I lean completely on Your grace. Amen
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