Enter Satan, Stage Left
Genesis 3:1-5 “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””
Enter the enemy. Here are a few things I have been dwelling on-
Scripture records that the “serpent” talked to Eve. We know later on that it was Satan. He either disguised himself as a serpent, or possessed the serpent.
He talked to Eve and she was not freaked out. How long had this talking serpent been talking to Eve? My guess- probably a long time.
It is not recorded how long Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden, but I assume it was a long time and the enemy was watching them and seeking for a way to get to Adam. Adam was the focus.
The serpent found a crack- go through the woman to get to the man.
1 Timothy 2:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.
My theory- the serpent found a crack in man, go through his wife. There is a movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” where a lady says, “the man is the head, but the woman is the neck and she can turn his head any way she chooses”. This is somewhat true. Women have a power over men to turn their heads and their ears. Perhaps this is what the enemy saw. He found a weakness in the man- the woman.
Matt’s dad always said, “every man was killed by a woman or a bullet”
Does this mean that women are more easily deceived? Maybe, maybe not. I think it varies from person to person. But we do know the enemy found a way in through the woman.
The enemy does not have authority to to your life- but he comes nonetheless.
1 Peter 5:8 Holman Christian Standard Bible
8 Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.
When the enemy steps onto the stage of your life:
1)Presentation of inducement to evil
The enemy comes in subtly. He watches you and waits. He is more patient than most. He begins talking to you like you are his friend. Just like he buttered up to Eve, he will butter up to you. Make no mistake, he is working on you to find a weakness. How long did he speak to Judas about money and greed?
He comes as a friend and a confidant. He makes himself appear to you like he has your best interest at heart. He wants you to think that he cares for you and hat he tcares what happens to you.
2 Corinthians 11:14 New King James Version
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
Scripture says he is cunning and crafty. He doesn’t come rushing in, he sidles up to you like you and him have been walking that same narrow path. He makes you get comfortable with his presence before he strikes and comes in for the kill. Make no mistake, he has only destruction on his mind
John 10:10 New King James Version
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly
He is a thief, not only of your life but of your hopes and dreams, and the promises of God.
People do not often recognize him because he is good at manipulating and twisting the Word of God. He makes you question, “Did God really say?”
Look at Christ’s temptation in the wilderness.
Matthew 4:5-6 New King James Version
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
The enemy quoted psalm 91
Psalm 91:11-12 Holman Christian Standard Bible
11 For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.
12 They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
He will make you question your sonship in the Lord. If he can get you to question your identity in Christ, he will crush you and you will never see it coming.
He is clever. He knows God’s Word better than most. It is of the utmost importance that you know God’s Word. This is a huge reason the enemy has come into the American church- they are Biblically illiterate. We are around 4-6% of Christians have a Biblical worldview. This means that most DO NOT know what God says about things. Satan just has to speak, “did God really say?” and most are already caving in.
He twists and manipulates God’s Word, just like he did to Christ. And if you are not grounded in the Word, have knowledge and understanding of God’s ways, rooted and planted in Christ, praying and increasing your faith daily; you will be deceived by him.
Have you ever had someone twist your words? Kids are great at this. Kids are great manipulators. Remember when you said THIS mom? But it was only a variation of what I said.
How do you recognize the enemy’s voice?
He will make you question what God said. He introduces doubt and he will paint things in a light that makes you question the Lord. For ex. When we got to Ft. Lewis, we knew God had called us to plant a church, so we began looking for a place. Every door was shut. So we questioned if that was what God really had told us.
God will speak something to you, we view it with our natural minds and when it doesn’t come to pass in the time and manner in which we want it, enter Satan stage left. He brings in doubt, “did God really say?”
He will then bring discouragement. If you didn’t already know this- discouragement is one of the Satan’s biggest tools. When the vision is prolonged, you begin to believe that it will never happen.
Habakkuk 2:3 New King James Version
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
Why does he use discouragement? Because discouragement will quickly turn into despair. Once you are in despair, you will become depressed. Depression then pins you down so that you will not move. You will not believe. You will not have hope. Your faith will diminish
Satan will use your emotions to control you. He knows if he can appeal to your flesh, he can cause you to stumble. He causes an offense to come. You will begin to look at others with the side-eye. He is a liar.
John 8:44 Holman Christian Standard Bible
44 You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature,[a] because he is a liar and the father of liars.[b]
I remember at my home church a lady that came up to me to “forgive me” for looking at her wrong. I had never seen this woman.
HE uses fear as a motivator. If you have a fear, any fear, fear of loss, fear failure, fear of death; he will exploit that fear.
You will never make the right choice when you operate in fear!!
1 John 4:18 New King James Version
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
2)Choice to yield/not yield to the tempter when he comes on stage.
You have the free will AND the power of the HS to resist the devil when he first begins speaking to you.
1 Peter 5:8-9 New King James Version
8 Be [a]sober, be [b]vigilant; [c]because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Peter writes in single words in the Greek, and in the tense which requires immediate attention. These are the sudden cries of warning of a shepherd who spies the lion prowling round the flock in the darkness, while the guardians of the flock lie drowsy and secure.
BE sober- keep your mind clear of not only intoxicating drink/drugs, but keep your appetites and passions under proper restraint.
1 Thessalonians 5:6 New King James Version
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be [a]sober.
You cannot overcome the enemy if you are living in direct disobedience to the Word of God. If you are not self-controlled and disciplined, the enemy will run all over you.
be vigilant — Watchful against the subtle and malicious designs of your enemy. How deeply had Peter himself suffered for neglect of vigilance?
Think of the regret Peter had for denying Christ had he stayed awake and prayed for one hour as was told to him.
Satan is SEEKING for someone to devour. He looks for the weak, the isolated, the offended, the fearful, the rebellious who will not put away their sin, the one who is broken and refuses to come to Christ to be healed. If you have a thirst for money, fame, to be known, or if you refuse to humble yourself and are a prideful person; you are prey for Satan.
Examine yourself and handle your stuff.
1 Corinthians 10:12 New King James Version
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
This should be part of our daily prayers-
Psalm 139:23-24 New King James Version
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
If you do not know- ask a trusted friend. I am telling you, the enemy will exploit your weaknesses! Everyone wants to minimize their weaknesses and maximize their strengths, but it is where you are weak and have that crack is where the enemy will attack. You have to build up your weaknesses.
Pay attention to the language used by Peter-
Because your great adversary, the devil, full of rage, as a roaring lion — Fierce and hungry, walketh about — Watching for an opportunity to insnare and destroy you; seeking — With all subtlety, whom he may assault with the greatest likelihood of success, and devour — Swallow up both soul and body.
This manner of speaking strongly expresses the insatiable rage of this enemy of mankind to hinder our salvation, and the danger we are in from his devices and snares.
Whom resist steadfast in the faith.—The expression is more illustrative in the Greek than in the English. “Stand and face him,” instead of running away from posts of duty, or lying still and letting things take their course.
the words for “steadfast in the faith” mean not only that we are to stand firm, but that we are to present a solid front to the lion.
I will not be bullied by you satan. I will not be moved. I will TRUST and not be afraid. A successful resistance is found in faith.
Ephesians 6:16 New King James Version
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
I was reading today In exodus when Moses first went before Pharaoh to tell him to let the people of God go and worship God. What happened? Things got worse before they got better.
Exodus 5:10-14 New King James Version
10 And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’ ” 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. 13 And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, “Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.” 14 Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?”
Revealing to us that often when we make a stand against the enemy, he will make things worse for us.
But stand fast in the faith and he will eventually flee.
Cause here is the 3rd part- there are consequences for yielding to the enemy
3)Consequences-
Because God is a just God, HE tells you what will happen if you give in the enemy and disobey His Word. You are free to make a choice but you are not free from the consequences of your choice. You may find a place of forgiveness with the Lord, but there are still consequences for yielding to the enemy.
Remember those “Choose your own adventure” books? I loved those. I would go back to a different choice when the original one I had made led to a bad ending.
Life is not like that. You cannot go back and redo some things. The ending you get, you are often stuck with.
We will see in the upcoming weeks the consequences of Adam and Eve. For some of you, the consequences of yielding to Satan will be more than you want to bear.
You can destroy your life and ministry when you yield to the enemy. Samson chose the sweet instead of the holy. His life displayed a few sporadic victories, but he never succeeded at fully defeating the enemy. His life is more of a cautionary tale than one of victory.
WE have been talking about loving your future self- it would do you well to be prudent and wise. When the enemy enters your stage, you have a choice to make. Will you yield, or resist? Weigh your choices and the consequences. Love your future self.
The consequences of trying drugs one time, can lead to addiction and to destruction. The consequences of sexual immorality just one time can stay with you the rest of your life. You can be forgiven, but you still have to live with your consequences. (Tell story of Mike if time- I knew a man….)
Stay vigilant. Watch and pray. Deal with whatever you need to deal with.
Do not yield to the enemy when he comes.
Stand firm in the faith.
You will come out victorious.
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