Devil's First Sermon

In his message, satan instigated Adam and Eve to become disobedient. He made them to doubt God’s words. He made them to question the goodness of God. He made the fruit to appeal to their eyes and appetite and gave them the idea that it could give them wisdom and they listened to the voice of their enemy.

Why are we going back to this basis? It is because the enemy’s method for derailing men and women and for dribbling them out of God’s will has not changed. It is the same old method. It is the same old serpent. He still uses the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

When the devil came to Jesus to tempt Him too, he used the same method. He told Him to convert stones to bread. There we see appetite. Then he showed Him the kingdoms of the world; again the lust of the eyes. Also, he asked Him to jump from the pinnacle of the temple - pride of life.

The question is, when the devil comes to you does he fail or succeed? The more the success of the enemy in a persons’s life, the closer the person is to hell fire. The more the failure of the enemy in a person’s life, the closer to God he comes. If you want to know God intimately, then the enemy has to record failure in your life. But if the enemy is succeeding, like the devil succeeded in the lives of Adam and Eve, then you are getting farther and farther from God.

It is a wonder of wonders that these days, the created one is challenging the Creator. The clay is inviting the porter to a boxing match. The dry leaf is changelling the whirlwind. The one whose breath was given to him is busy challenging the One who gave him the breath. People are using the understanding and wisdom that God has given to them to fight God. That is why the Bible says, “Why do the nations so furiously rage together and the people imagine a vain thing?” Why should people be trying to fight against God with what He has given to them? They are still listening to satanic sermons. The speech of Gamaliel comes to mind these days. He told the council that wanted to kill the apostles to let them go just in case what they were doing was of God, so that they would not find themselves fighting against God. And they listened to him and let the apostles go.

What are we saying? No one can fight against God and prosper. No one can fight against God and succeed. Eve made a lot of mistakes and many people are repeating the same mistakes today.

THE MISTAKES OF EVE

1. She thought that everything nice to the eyes was good. It is commonly said that all that glitter is not gold. The fact that something is beautiful does not mean it is right. The Bible says that there is a way that seems right unto men but the end thereof is death.

2. She thought that she knew better than God. God said, “Don’t eat, if you eat, you will die.” But she said, “I will eat it.” And we see what happened to her.

3. She too, had an ambition to become like God.

4. She sought for the wisdom she did not need. Sometimes, a person can be over- clever and would over-cleverly play himself into destruction.

5. Eve moved too close to what she should have abandoned. When the Lord said, “Don’t touch this thing, the attitude of anybody who fears God should be to run away from that thing. The Bible says, “Flee from all appearances of evil.”

6. Eve chose to believe the serpent rather than believe God. When a person chooses to believe the devil instead of God, problems happen.

THE MISTAKES OF ADAM

Adam also made many mistakes. And many people are still making these mistakes today.

1. He gave his wife an autonomy that should not have been given to her. He asked his wife, “Where did you get this from?” She said, “It is that thing that God said we should not eat. Take and eat,” and he ate.

2. He abandoned his God’s given role of leadership. There are many men like that. They cannot lead at the family altar. They would say, “Madam, you pray and I will pray after you. But make it brief.” All they are interested in is going about with their worldly friends. On Sundays, they pretend to be holy but they are something else. Some of these people go to church on Sundays because they are afraid that witches would eat them up. But during the week they do as they like with their time. They have no time for fasting or any spiritual thing. It is madam that should fast and pray and do everything. Such men are abandoning their God-given role as priests in the house. They will be held responsible for it. This is very important.