Satan’s strategy is to create doubt and dispute God’s Word. He does that by mixing lies with just enough truth to muddy the waters and question God’s Word as being reliable, accurate, and inerrant. That deception was birthed in the Garden of Eden.
In the beginning, both the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil were present in the garden (Genesis 2:9). God then spoke a command to Adam, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:16-17 NIV).
God’s warning to Adam was with purpose. He and Eve were given a choice to enjoy God’s blessings or experience eternal separation from Him. This is a picture of humanity’s freedom to choose eternal life with God or eternal separation from God.
In their pure innocence they had no knowledge of good and evil; therefore, it was for their protection that they heed God’s words of warning. Unfortunately, we soon learn that they followed the path of disobedience and brought destruction to their lives and to humanity.
Moses had relayed that same choice of life or death to God’s rebellious and unbelieving chosen people: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV).
The day of temptation and decision came to Eve. Satan appeared before her in the garden and struck up a conversation. His evil objective was to destroy both her spirit and soul. To accomplish his plan, he needed Eve to believe his lie and doubt God. Eve, innocent and completely unaware of Satan’s diabolical plan, listened to him as he created doubt in her mind. “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
First mistake: Eve listened to Satan who knew God’s instructions regarding the tree of good and evil. Satan was baiting Eve. She responded, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the [middle] of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die” (Genesis 3:2-3 NKJV).
Second mistake: Eve was giving her version of God’s instructions by omitting important truths. She did not refer to the name of the tree as “knowledge of good and evil” and she falsely said they were not to touch the fruit in [middle] of the garden or eat it. God only gave the location of the tree as “in the garden” and had not instructed not to touch it.
God’s instructions were not to eat of the tree of knowledge (awareness, understanding) of good and evil in the garden. However, if she believed she wasn’t to touch the fruit, then why did she pick the fruit from the forbidden tree? Unfortunately, many people ignore God’s instructions to suit their own desires.
Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom, so she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they realized they were naked (Genesis 3:6-7).
In that very moment of disobedience and unbelief, fear entered them, so they hid from God who confronted them. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent? (Genesis 3:2). How many people today try to hide sin and then compound the sin with lies, denial, and blame?
Adam not only failed to stop his wife and remind her of what God had instructed, he joined her in the sin of disobedience. In that moment man surrendered his spiritual leadership and authority to his wife. And today the vast majority of well-intentioned men delegate their spiritual leadership to their wife and/or their church, which is reflected in too many homes that are void of a father’s biblical guidance and instruction.
Satan convinced Eve that God was withholding good things from her. She surely would not die, but in eating the fruit, her eyes would be opened, and she would be like God, knowing good and evil Genesis 3:4-5).
The enemy’s half-truth was accurate. She did not die a physical death—at that moment. However, she and Adam immediately died a spiritual death and eventually a physical death. That was never God’s intention nor His will.
You might ask, “Why would God allow this?” Because God does not want robots. He wanted Adam and Eve to have freedom to choose and today He extends that same choice to us. He will never force His will on us, and He did not force His will on Adam and Eve. Unfortunately, their unwise choice forever impacted life as we know it today.
Satan’s master plan is to cause people to mistrust God’s truthfulness and His Word. So, the enemy twists and manipulates truth so that what is right is called wrong and what is wrong is defined as right. And that twisting of truth is very pervasive in all aspects of life.
Today, Satan uses the same tactics to twist God’s Word so that people question the accuracy and authenticity of His Word. Satan manipulated Eve by falsely stating that God’s instructions were for the purpose of withholding what was good. Ironically, Satan, the Deceiver, Accuser and The Father of Lies, called God a deceiver and withholder of good things. The enemy of our soul continues that lie today.
God sets boundaries for our protection. Disobedience opens the door to Satan’s deceptions as he continually echoes those same words in our ears, “Did God really say…” “Can You really believe His Word?”
Satan is clever in diminishing the sin of disobedience which brings destruction and the penalty of death (Genesis 2:19). He always wants us to question God’s truth so that we will create our own truth through faulty rationalization, misleading information, and doubting the authenticity of God’s Word.
Adam and Eve’s disobedience cost them their innocence, happiness, and friendship with God. In that moment of disobedience, darkness and fear entered their souls and spirits and disconnected them from God. That separation and spiritual deadness was then passed on to all humanity (Romans 5:12). The only way to redeem that separation is to confess Jesus Christ as Lord, follow and live for Him, and read, trust, and obey His Word.
PRAYER: FATHER, many voices in the world tell people that You and Your Word cannot be trusted. However, your Word clearly warns that many in the last days will turn away from the true faith and follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons working through people who speak false and convincing arguments (I Timothy 4). Help me understand and trust Your Word so I can differentiate between what is true and what is false. In Jesus’ name, amen.