Adam and Eve reside in the Garden of Eden and enjoy the countless blessings given to them by the Hand of God. All of the beauty of creation is theirs to enjoy. The Lord has sovereignly created the animals and has allowed Adam the privilege of naming each one. As they move about the Garden, they encounter the handiwork of God all around them. Although the Scripture was yet to be penned, undoubtedly their thoughts would have been similar to the psalmist who said, "The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of His hands" (Psalm 19:1).
In the midst of indescribable paradise, temptation strikes. The devil approaches Adam and Eve and tries to have them question the holiness of God. As Eve details the instructions the Lord has given them to follow, she states that if they disobey, they will die (Genesis 3:3).
The devil, with a sinister tone, argues, "You will not surely die."
And with that, the trap is set and the snare exposed. The devil tells Adam and Eve that regardless of what God has promised, it simply is not true. "You will not surely die," he boldly pronounces.
Why is the devil stating that sin will not have the dire consequence God had said that it would? The enemy has laid the trap of trying to get this couple to doubt the trustworthiness of the word of God. "You will not die!" Perhaps he is implying that God is not that serious about sin. Maybe he is trying to get them to believe God is so busy taking care of the created world that He will not even know what they have done. It could be that he is trying to persuade them that God is not as powerful as He claims to be.
Whatever line of thinking the devil is working with, this much is clear...he attacks this couple by questioning the holiness of God. The Lord has said death would be the consequence of sin. His holiness would demand it. But, is His holiness intact? Is His holiness really a divine truth that is unchanging? Does God keep His Word and can His promises be trusted?
Do you see that this remains the temptation of the devil to you, even to this day? The tactics of the enemy have not changed. Oh, sure, they are dressed in varying garments, but the heart of his ominous campaign is still to try to get you to doubt the character of God. He wants you to question the truthfulness of God's Word and the veracity of His promises.
Are you living according to God's Word? Have you perhaps fallen victim to the enemy's strategy to create doubt in your mind? When Adam and Eve first heard the devil question the trustworthiness of God's commands, they should have ended the conversation immediately. There is no need to dialogue with one whose sole purpose is to bring about destruction and death.
The devil is not concerned to make you an atheist. In fact, I do not believe he is even overly concerned if you happen to read the Bible on occasion. The real question is this: Do you BELIEVE what God says? What threat to the enemy is it if you listen to preaching from the Bible that you do not fully believe? Why would the devil be concerned if you read the Bible if after reading it, you do not consider every word to be true?
The devil's tactic remains to attempt to get you to question the reality that God's Word is true, that His holiness is impeccable, and that every promise He has made can be trusted. Be alert today. Be strong in your faith. And, for the sake of your soul, please do not fall for the lie that anything God has promised will not come to pass.
People often say, "God said it...I believe it...that settles it!" To be a bit more precise, let's just say, "God said it...that settles it!" The truth is settled the moment it comes from the Lord. One's acceptance or rejection of God's Word doesn't change it one bit. Although, eternity hangs in the balance with what you do with the Word of God. Trust in Him. He is faithful!
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