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In Genesis c2 God had put Adam and Eve in the paradise of the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:8-9, 16 “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. v9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. v16 “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.” Which shows that God had made all the fruit delightful, delicious and digestible. Genesis 2:22 “And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” In, what must have been, the hectares of the garden of Eden God was very generous to Adam and Eve. They also enjoyed fellowship with each other and with God (3:8).
However in Genesis 3:1 the devil did not appear in the Garden of Eden as he really was in his terrible form. He appeared as something that they were not surprised to see, that is as a serpent. The devil is called “that old serpent” near the end of time in Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: …” These descriptions show the following characteristics of the devil:
{1} The “dragon” it reveals the: evil in his nature or its effect, hostility, being full of hatred, and his vicious and cruel character. He is the continuous enemy especially of God and His people.
{2} That “old serpent” shows that he is cunning, treacherous and poisonous in his effects.
{3} The “devil” exposes him as the one who speaks maliciously and falsely about someone, a slanderer. He is also called in Revelation 12:10 “… for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
{4} “Satan” which means the adversary or opposer.
{5} The “deceiver of the whole world”. A deceiver is someone who misleads by a false appearance or statement or someone who leads you to believe something that is not true. As the devil is the one who deceives “the whole world” it shows what many terrible deceptions that he has got with which to deceive people.
The devil did not say to Adam and Eve, “I have come:
(1) To destroy your relationship with God, and bring God’s judgment upon you.
(2) To disrupt your marriage relationship and relationships between the human race and animals.
(3) To ensure that making a living is rather difficult.
(4) To ruin God’s creation for most of the time that this earth exists”.
If the devil had said that then Adam and Eve would have been on their guard and would have rejected all that he said.
But instead the serpent’s temptation consisted of casting doubt on God’s Word, then denying God’s Word, making God look mean and not telling them many things about sin and its various consequences. So concerning the devil:
1.1 3:1 He did not, and does not, appear in his true character.
1.2 3:1 He can use a seemingly harmless situation to terrible affect.
1.3 3:1 He attacked Eve’s mind by just dropping in a bit of doubt.
1.4 3:2-4 When Eve started adding to the Word of God satan dropped in a lie which denied the truth of what God had said.
1.5 3:4 He also said that they would be better off by disobeying God. Another way of saying it is if you experience the disobedience you will be blessed by the disobedience.
1.6 3:4 He did not remind them of all the good things that God had given them. See Genesis 2:16 above.
1.7 3:4 You will become like God knowing good and evil.
1.8 3:6 He did not need to say everything because the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes and so looked tempting.
1.9 3:6 He realized that the presence of her husband would not be a good enough restraint on Eve to stop her from taking the fruit.
1.10 3:6 He realized the weakness in Adam that he would let his wife do wrong things without restraining her.
1.11 3:6 He guessed that once Eve had taken the fruit that Adam could also take it.
1.12 3:4 For that moment the devil wanted them to forget the past benefits from God and not to think of the future consequences of disobedience to God but to concentrate on what he was tempting them to do.
There were at least twenty seven, mainly adverse, consequences that the devil did not tell them:
2.1 He did not tell them that fulfilling this temptation would bring a departure from truth. “Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.” (Psalm 52:3)
2.2 He did not tell them that they would not have the power to do the good nor have the power to overcome the evil.
2.3 He did not tell them that the disobedience would bring them into defilement and pollution from which they would not be able to cleanse themselves.
2.4 He did not tell them that the disobedience would bring in a distance from the greatest source of blessing that they could ever know i.e. God, with the consequence that they would have to leave the Garden of Eden, as he had been forced to leave heaven.
2.5 He did not tell them that they would lose their fellowship with God.
2.6 He did not tell them that once the disobedience had brought distance from God that they could never by themselves repair that disobedience nor bring themselves again into fellowship with God.
2.7 He did not tell them that they would lose their joyful freedom before God because they would not be able to rest on God’s “exceeding great and precious promises” (2Peter 1:4).
2.8 He did not tell them that this disobedience would bring an emptiness into their lives that nothing but restoration to God through Christ would remove.
2.9 He did not tell them that this sin would take them further than they anticipated nor would want to go.
2.10 He did not tell them that he was deceiving them.
2.11 He did not tell them that they would not be ultimately “as gods” (as promised in Genesis 3:5) but just human beings that would know sin.
2.12 He did not tell them that purity would be lost.
2.13 He did not tell them that their own lives, relationships and the world would be badly changed and damaged forever.
2.14 He did not tell them that “their heart would be deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9).
2.15 He did not tell them that they would then be able to entertain thoughts of hatred to both God and fellow human beings.
2.16 He did not tell them that they would not know the desperate wickedness of their own hearts that could lead even to murder? (Jeremiah 17:9).
2.17 He did not tell them that there would be permanent “corruption … in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4)
2.18 He did not tell them that once the link with God was broken that he would work in them and not for their best good (Ephesians 2:18: “according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”)
2.19 He did not tell them that they would not appreciate the love of God as they had before.
2.20 He did not tell them that relationships among the animal/bird/fish/insect creation would also be disrupted so that many would not get on well with each, that they would also die and some would even eat each other.
2.21 He did not tell them that to grow food would become a far harder process after their disobedience than it was before.
2.22 He did not tell them that the earth itself would be disrupted in various ways.
2.24 He did not tell them that their lives would be cut short by this sin as it would bring in death. This is confirmed by Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
2.25 He did not tell them that there would be eternal judgment from God because of their disobedience to God.
2.26 He did not tell them that God would provide a Saviour Who would die for their sins to deliver them from their eternal just judgment from God.
2.27 He did not tell them that only faith in God’s provision of a Saviour would save them from God’s eternal and just judgment.
What a terrible deception the devil was imposing on Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve saw the seeming niceness of the temptation, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,” (Genesis 3:6a) she gave in to the temptation “she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Genesis 3:6b) and brought about the awful of consequences of their sin for the whole of the human race. See Romans 5:12 above.
So what did Adam and Eve do wrong:
3.1 They acted on the impulse of the moment rather than thought about these unusual instructions that they were given.
3.2 They did not check with God’s Word about the strange things that this stranger was saying and they lost out in the process.
3.3 Adam did not restrain his wife from doing wrong.
3.4 Adam did not restrain himself from following his wife in the wrong action.
3.5 They did not cross check this stranger with God to see if He approved of Him.
Today Christians can certainly learn from the above items 1 – 4 about what to do when temptation comes our way.
What else does the devil do in his strategy concerning this world?
2Corinthians 4:3-4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: v4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
Ephesians 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”
The devil is called “the god of this age”. This does not mean that he has any divine characteristics, but because he actually has the worship of the people of this world as their god. He is the person who is really being worshipped by the unsaved. He will fill the place in their hearts which God alone should have “This world” is literally “this age” and means the wicked world or the people of this world. He has dominion over them. They obey his will by fulfilling his purposes and plans and are his obedient subjects by walking according to the course of this world. The devil now works in the children of, or characterised by, disobedience to God.
But how does satan blind the minds of them that believe not?
4.1 By getting people to focus on their own ideas of God and the after-life and so not trust in Christ. As Romans 1:21-22 says “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. v22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”
4.2 By the worship of idols which are not the true God. People believe in a god and in their idolatry, they might feel secure but it is not faith in the true and living God. Consequently their belief lacks security, truth and righteous living. As Romans 1:23 says “And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” See also Psalm 115:4-5 “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. v5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: v6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: v7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.” And Psalm 106:36 “And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.”
4.3 Philosophies and Fables of this World People are blinded by anti-God philosophies that are promoted through such teachings as Humanism and Evolution, which leave God out of the equation of creation and the need of His saving grace. God’s authority for salvation is rejected because God is not even acknowledged. Colossians 2:8 says, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments (arrangement, proposition) of the world, and not after Christ.” And 1Timothy 1:4 “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.”
4.4 The love of sin. John 3:19-20 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. v20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” Mark 4:19 “… the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” This is where people deceived into thinking that darkness, sin and evil, including worldly pleasures and witchcraft, is better than Christ, light and eternal life.
4.5 The love of money. 1Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Matthew 13:22b “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word;….. and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, …” Proverbs 1:32 “… the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.” Men and women are spiritually blinded by their love of this world’s money, finances and possessions which, to some individuals, is their god. Consequently that stops the word of God bringing them into the true and everlasting riches that are received at the second of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.
4.6 Pride. 1John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 2Timothy 3:1 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. v2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.” In the list of sins of those departing from God we have in Romans 1:30 “proud, boasters”. People who are full of themselves and what they have achieved therefore do not want to hear of God and so sadly miss out on the far greater achievements that He could accomplish for them if only they would trust His Son for salvation.
4.7 The Distractions of Daily Living Matthew 13:22 “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, … choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” People are also blinded by the distractions of their lives. They are so busy providing for themselves and those around them and have so much to do that they fail to see their need for the Lord and to trust in Him for salvation.
4.8 Due to approaching or actual calamities the terror would be or is so great that men would faint and be ready to die. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes etc creates a fear that takes such a grip of people that it excludes any thought of God.
4.9 Hostility toward God Romans 1:30 says that people are “haters of God”. Proverbs 28:14 “Happy is the man that feareth (reverential respect of God) always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” Because of troubling or tragic circumstances, people are angry and bitter with God and blame Him for their pain. This hardened heart becomes a barrier to learning and believing God’s truth and love.
5.0 The devil unsucessfully tried to blind the mind of the Lord Jesus in Luke c4’s record of the temptations in the wilderness and this has its appeal to both unbelievers and believers alike:
5.1 The first temptation was to “gratify yourself” (v3 “command this stone that it be made bread”). It gives the thought of one’s right to fulfil basic needs even if God has not supplied them. This is seen in items 4.4 – 4.5 above.
5.2 The second temptation was to “spare yourself” {v6-7 “All this power will I give thee, … If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.} The devil was offering to Jesus Christ the kingdoms of this world by worshipping him and so without the suffering of the cross. Therefore it was to receive blessing outside of the will of God and without any suffering. This is seen in items 4.1 – 4.3 above.
5.3 The third temptation was to “display yourself” {v9-10 “set him on a pinnacle of the temple, … cast thyself down from hence: … He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee.”} The Lord Jesus was then hardly known to the Israelite nation and here was His opportunity to “show Himself” to them and become famous, apart from God’s will. On this occasion satan even used the Word of God to make his idea look acceptable. This is seen in items 4.6 above.
On each occasion the Lord Jesus answered each temptation with God’s Word. Consequently v13 says “And when the devil had ended (meaning “completed”) all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.” i.e. he left having been defeated.
In contrast to the devil, the God of the Bible is:
6.1 The God who is truth: Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
6.2 The God Who is love: 1John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
6.3 The God Whose power is eternal: Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
6.4 The God Who longs for people to receive eternal salvation and the knowledge of the truth and not go to hell. “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1Timothy 2:4). “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2Peter 3:9).
6.5 The God Who has made eternal salvation and hope possible. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, … v13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).
6.6 The God that asks for you to confess your sinnership and believe in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to receive all His eternal blessings: “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21)
6.7 For the believer in the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, if they move in conscious daily dependence on God and read and obey His Word then God “is able to keep you from falling” (Jude 1:24).