Scripture tells us that we "...are not ignorant of satan's
devices." In this passage we see two of the enemy's great
tactics. Incredibly, they work to this very day. The first is
that he flat out denies that God's word is true. God told Adam
that in the day that he would eat of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, he would surely die. Here, while speaking to
Eve, satan tells her, "... ye shall not surely die."
Jesus told the Pharisees that the devil was a liar from the beginning.
Here is the lie; whereas God said Adam would surely die, satan
says he would NOT surely die. There certainly is a big difference.
The reason that this worked is that God often speaks of matters
from His own perspective, and always tells the truth. Satan,
perhaps knowing God's perspective, tells only enough of the truth
to make us think he is right. For, it is true that in the day
that Adam and Eve ate from the tree they did not collapse to
the ground, and breath their last. But the more important perspective
in this matter, the thing about which God was speaking, was spiritual
death. From that day forward Adam and Eve ran from God: spiritually
dead, not desiring Him or His ways. This desire to run from God
and ignore His ways has been passed on to all of their descendants,
the whole human race. Physical death is the result of spiritual
death. Had Adam and Eve remained spiritually alive, they would
also have remained physically alive.
The second tactic that can be seen in this passage is the
lie that God was holding out on them. "God doth know,"
he said, "that in the day that ye eat thereof, then your
eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and
evil." Oh, if only we didn't know good and evil! Such is
the thing that was brought upon us by the fall of Adam and Eve.
But follow the logic of the enemy. The essence of what he told
Eve was that she would be better off, she would gain wonderfully,
if she would disobey God.
As we go through this life, there is strong temptation to
set God's ways aside, and take matters into our own hands. One
of the fears with which we struggle is that somehow we are missing
out on something wonderful when we determine to do what is right.
We fear that we will undoubtedly miss out on some earthly joy,
or be deprived of some earthly treasure, because we decide to
do what is right. Is this not the same lie that Eve was told
so many years ago? Sometimes, this fear proves in a way to be
founded. We may offend a superior by choosing to do what is right
in a matter, and thereby pay by losing a promotion. In Hebrews
11 we are told that "... Moses, when he was come to years,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing
rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy
the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt..."
Had he stayed with Pharaoh, he would have been great in Egypt.
Perhaps even the next Pharaoh. But Moses chose rather to follow
God's ways. And for forty years it seemed that he did not choose
wisely. But God did not forget Moses' choice. And eventually
Moses was used greatly of God. And the greatest example of all:
The Lord Jesus in the garden before the cross said in agony,
"...not my will, but thine be done." What a
great thing has God established through His perfect obedience!
This second lie is just as harmful as the first. How many
lives have been ruined by following the world's ways and not
God's? At the judgment seat of Christ, how many of us will hear
that we displeased our Lord? We all need to realize that God's
ways truly are the best, and determine to follow Him, no matter
the cost.
