Genesis 3:1-5
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Did you catch that?... He said that the serpent was crafty (sneaky, tricky, skilled at manipulation, manipulating people, manipulating the words of God, manipulating the situation, the opportunity, the right moment as well as the wrong moment)... The serpent wasn't really asking the woman what God said, he already knew. He was scoffing what God had said in disbelief and disgust, as though God was trying to set boundaries and limits that were unfair and un-fun.
He casually leaves out the whole truth of what God said, quotes partial truths.. which are lies. So often when people feel that the Bible is untrue or full of contradiction, it is because they have not read it or studied it in it's entirety. Here is Satan from the beginning, causing such seeming contradiction and questioning of God.
He is a master in his technique, because by using such an approach.. it causes Eve to begin explaining about the trees in the midst of the Garden. It puts her mind on the forbidden fruit.. which is not sin in itself.. but it puts her mind on the forbidden fruit in a spirit/atmosphere of questioning God. It takes the seed of the enemy's words and plants it in her thoughts, searching for an open door to cause doubt and rebellion to spring to life in her heart.
Yes, Satan is crafty.. the serpent.. that woman, that person, that temptation, that door of evil.. that chooses to satisfy it's own lusts as it yields to Satan so that he can bring life to rebellion against God and death to those loved by God. He then uses the talents, skills, and God given abilities of the people he is able to influence and woo, in an effort to manipulate and convince others to doubt and rebel against God. All that for one purpose.. to steal, to kill, and to devour. He has no concern or sincerity for your rights or your fun or for justice in any way.. he uses you and everyone and everything to feed the fires of his hatred against God. He lies to you and works every angle to keep you deceived and in the dark. Blinds you with the darkness of all that you lust for.
Often times we think, poor serpent.. but there was more at work than we realize. There was something about the serpent that was able to make Eve put her guard down. There was something about the serpent that Satan could use in powerful ways. If the serpent was skilled at craftiness and cunning, which in itself isn't sin.. there was some kind of animal instinct in it that was easily manipulated by Satan into something evil. There are things I am unsure of concerning the serpent.. but nothing that I need to know now. I will ask God about it in heaven one day. For now, the point being that Satan can get in the head of any creature pretty much, possessing them, and using them for evil.. unless they call upon God to help them to resist.. and they choose to resist.
Satan tempts, we choose. There is no one to blame but ourselves. There will be a time near the end of all things, when Satan will be bound and people will still sin against God.. There will be no more claims or excuses that the devil made you do it. It's not the fault of our spouse, or our boss, or our family, or even our enemies. From the beginning.. we choose between life and death in every experience. God promises a way of escape every time.. we choose to sin.. or we choose to cut that temptation off no matter what it costs us.
We choose.. we fail.. or we succeed.. in the big and in the small.. we bring death to ourselves and those we love, or we bring LIFE. Stop looking for excuses and make up your mind to confess, repent (turn your back to it), and do it right. We choose.. me.. you.. all of us and each of us.. we choose. That is the key to what Christ spoke of when he said that all power in heaven and in earth was given to him.. and that we could be like him. We can own up to our failures and shortcomings and clean up and do it right.. every advantage is given us to win.. for ourselves and for God and for those we love as well as those who hate us.. power to affect the future of all for the Goodness of God because of the Goodness of God our Father... that's power.
Choose what is right <3
Often times we think, poor serpent.. but there was more at work than we realize. There was something about the serpent that was able to make Eve put her guard down. There was something about the serpent that Satan could use in powerful ways. If the serpent was skilled at craftiness and cunning, which in itself isn't sin.. there was some kind of animal instinct in it that was easily manipulated by Satan into something evil. There are things I am unsure of concerning the serpent.. but nothing that I need to know now. I will ask God about it in heaven one day. For now, the point being that Satan can get in the head of any creature pretty much, possessing them, and using them for evil.. unless they call upon God to help them to resist.. and they choose to resist.
Satan tempts, we choose. There is no one to blame but ourselves. There will be a time near the end of all things, when Satan will be bound and people will still sin against God.. There will be no more claims or excuses that the devil made you do it. It's not the fault of our spouse, or our boss, or our family, or even our enemies. From the beginning.. we choose between life and death in every experience. God promises a way of escape every time.. we choose to sin.. or we choose to cut that temptation off no matter what it costs us.
We choose.. we fail.. or we succeed.. in the big and in the small.. we bring death to ourselves and those we love, or we bring LIFE. Stop looking for excuses and make up your mind to confess, repent (turn your back to it), and do it right. We choose.. me.. you.. all of us and each of us.. we choose. That is the key to what Christ spoke of when he said that all power in heaven and in earth was given to him.. and that we could be like him. We can own up to our failures and shortcomings and clean up and do it right.. every advantage is given us to win.. for ourselves and for God and for those we love as well as those who hate us.. power to affect the future of all for the Goodness of God because of the Goodness of God our Father... that's power.
Choose what is right <3
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