A Killer In The Midst - Part 2 Series

The killer in our midst (Part 2)

Most Christians don’t truly understand how devilishly persuasive Satan can be. We

don’t realize that he’s constantly whispering to us his thoughts, desires and dreams for

our lives. He has one goal: to lure us away from serving God. And the more we listen

the more we start to believe his thoughts, desires and dreams are really our own.

What we fail to grasp is that the whisperer is the same created being whose lies about

God and His goodness were so persuasive that one-third of the angels believed them

and turned their backs on Him. We underestimate him. No one lies better than Satan

(John 8:44). But what makes him so deadly? His lies are pleasing to the hearers.

But we don’t “hear” the lies.

When the whisperer “talks to us” he tells us what we want to hear. “God wants you to be

happy.” “God wants you to be rich.” “You are a child of the king. You should live like

one.” “You should have this and you should have that, etc. etc.” “Go ahead and do it.

What will it hurt?” When he whispers, his focus is to fulfill the lusts of the flesh in our lives.

Satan, the killer, is exposed.

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices”

(2 Corinthians 2:11).

As children of God, we have the capability of seeing through the

darkness as Satan attempts to seduce us. The more “light” we put on (Psalm 119:105)

the more we’ll see his attempts to lead us astray for what they truly are -- feeble.

(Sidebar: Although the point I’m making is appropriate, when 2 Corinthians 2:11 is read in

context, the subject is our willingness to forgive someone who has wronged us [see verses 7-10].

Holding unforgiveness gives Satan access to our lives and he will use that access to separate us

from our Heavenly Father for all eternity.)

This brings us to Genesis 3.

God exposes the killer in our midst in the very first book of the bible. It’s that important

to Him. He wants our eyes to be wide open to his true nature (2 Corinthians 11:14) and

what he does to tempt us, deceive us and ultimately cause our spiritual destruction.

What the Genesis account teaches us is critical: Satan can only seduce us if we are

seducible. And we make ourselves seducible when we – now listen to me – don’t treat

God’s Word as the final authority for truth in our lives.

Satan plants the seed of doubt.

“Now THE serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had

made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of

the garden?” (Genesis 3:1)

Satan is not a serpent. The serpent is an analogy to show us how he operates. But why a

serpent? A serpent does not have arms or legs. Satan can’t grab us or push us or force us do

anything that we don’t want to do. And this is what we see in this first verse. Satan has

to get us to agree with him so that we will do what he can’t – cause our own destruction.

So the first thing he does is ask a question.

No big deal. It’s only a question. And this is exactly what Satan wants us to believe. He

asks the question for one reason – to see if Eve is willing to consider it. If she doesn’t, it’s

game over for him. If she does, it’s game over for her. Either way, it’s game over.

Satan slowly weaves his tapestry of doubt, lies and deceit. “Eve, did you really hear

from God?” he asks. “Is it possible that what you heard is not what He actually said?”

he says with a sly smile. “You know God’s ways are higher than ours. Who can truly

understand Him? So, Eve is it possible,” as he watches her expression change, “that

maybe, just maybe you misunderstood what God said?”

Satan wants Eve to believe that what God says He does not mean. (You may want to read that

again.) He has not changed. He wants us – the body of Christ – to believe that God’s

Word changes with the times and evolves with the needs of society. It does not. The

bible says “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).

Eve blinks first.

“And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the

garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye

shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (verses 2 and 3)