Remember the cartoon series, Peanuts? In one of the scenes, Linus and Charlie Brown are walking along and chatting with one another. Linus says, “I don’t like to face problems head on. I think the best way to solve problems is to avoid them. In fact, this is a distinct philosophy of mine. No problem is so big or so complicated that it can’t be run away from!”
Isn’t that great? A distinct philosophy, claims Linus. I don’t think it is too distinct or too unusual for many of us to have that same philosophy. In fact, I think a great many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, have this same distinct philosophy when it comes to our number 1 enemy – satan. Just watch the following video in which various people of various walks are interviewed on the street about their view of the devil.
Did you hear the key words or phrases spoken in the video? “I don’t worry about”, “I prefer God over the devil”, “There’s nothing in the Bible about the devil”, “I believe in the presence of evil”, “He is scary looking”, “He exists to bring balance”, “I have better things to worry about”.
The existence of the devil is exactly what I will be talking about today. In fact, get ready, because over the next three weeks I will be talking about the great spiritual conflict in which the whole world, whether you believe it or not, is caught up in. This spiritual conflict is greater and more gruesome than all the wars this world has witnessed because this conflict relates directly to the outcome of eternity. People are spiritually dying literally left and right and if we are to live an abundant life free from the wounds that the enemy’s weapons attempt to inflict upon us, then I submit to you that we need to know the enemy with whom we fight. This is what we will attempt to do this morning – to know and understand our enemy as best as we can according to scripture and then on the following two Sundays we will discover victory and learn how to be prepared.
If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, turn with me to Genesis 3:1-7. Today we will be reading the account of the fall to sin of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. We’re in chapter 3 of Genesis, verses 1-7.
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
I recently came across a song called “Know Your Enemy” by the alternative rock band “Green Day”.
Do you know the enemy?
Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy
Silence is the enemy
Against your urgency
So rally up the demons of your soul
The insurgency will rise
When the bloods been sacrificed
Don’t be blinded by the lies
In your eyes
Do you know the enemy?
Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy
Lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, comments that the song is about liberating one’s self from the lies which are fed to us through the media. I couldn’t agree more with the lyrics of his chorus – Do you know the enemy? However, I think his conclusion is misguided a bit on who the enemy truly is. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 20th century pastor and author, writes that, “A man who does not understand the nature of the problem he is confronting is a man who is already doomed to failure.”
Likewise, if we don’t get this crucial question right, which Mr. Armstrong poetically wrote, “Do you know the enemy?”, we too are doomed for a certain failure.
We must know as best as we can that which stands in our way to having true fellowship with God, for the evil one, who can not enjoy that fellowship, desires to take that privilege away from everyone.
When we look at the passage before us in Genesis 3, we see for the first time in scripture the mention of the enemy of God. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made.” In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 we see God speaking into existence the creation of world. What was spoken by God brought life and order. What satan speaks, on the other hand, brings destruction and chaos.
The serpent here was used by the enemy for his evil purposes – it was his disguise. It was crafty and craftiness can also mean shrewdness – willing to do anything in trickery.
The enemy is shrewd and is willing to do anything to promote his agenda. This is the first bit of knowledge we can gain about the enemy in the Bible.
If we were to continue on in the Bible, we find various characteristics about this enemy: In Job and in Zechariah he is the great accuser and adversary. In 1 Chronicles 21 he incited David into sin. In Matthew 4 he is the tempter. In Matthew 12 and Acts 10 he is the prince of demons. In Matthew 13 he snatches away the Word of God and is called the evil one.
In Matthew 25 he is a fallen angel. In Luke 4 he is the slanderer. In Luke 13 he can keep blind eyes shut, physically and spiritually. In John 8 he is a liar and the father of lies and a murderer. In John 12 and 14 he is the prince of this world. In Ephesians 2 he indwells the unsaved. Let me say that again – In Ephesians 2:2 – he INDWELLS the unsaved.
In 1 Thessalonians 2:18 he hinders God’s will in believers. In 2 Thessalonians 2:9 he works counterfit miracles. In 1 Peter 5:8 he seeks to harm believers. In Revelation 2:9 he has his own synagogue of legalists who deny God’s grace. He is known as Beelzebub, Belial, Lucifer, morning star, satan, the devil, Angel of light and a roaring lion. In Revelation 12:9 he is the great deceiver of the nations. And In Revelation 20:2 he is the dragon – that old serpent.
We’ve come around, haven’t we? What started out as a description of satan is still the same description of satan. That old serpent! It’s all in the Bible and I just barely scratched the surface of all the examples that can be found of satanic and demonic activity. Did you know so much was in the Bible about the devil? If not, you are exactly where the enemy wants you. In a similar way to the people we saw in the video, he would rather have us believe that he is a guy in red tights dancing around with a pitchfork in his hand. C.S. Lewis is quoted as saying that “The greatest trick the devil played was making people think he doesn’t exist.”
We must acknowledge and believe that satan exists as the Bible describes him to be. Jesus certainly did. He referred to satan 25 times and had a personal encounter with him in Matthew 4. It has been calculated that 25% of Jesus’ actions, parables and miracles had to do with demonic activity. He is not a cartoon character, a football mascot or a philosophical metaphor for evil, as if we should listen to the Master Yoda tell us about bringing balance to the force before listening to the Lord Jesus Christ show us his triumph over satan on the cross – It Is Finished!
Satan is real. Don’t be deceived.
But would you believe that he was also called anointed, beautiful and perfect at one time? In Ezekiel 28, verse 12. Ezekiel 28, beginning halfway through verse 12 we read these words:
“ ‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
(and skipping down to verse 14)
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
O – what happened? God’s most beautiful creation – what happened? O guardian of the cherubs, o model of perfection!
Pride happened. Pride entered the mind of this angel, this cherub. Look at verse 17:
Your heart became proud on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.
Isaiah 14 is a similar description of satan’s fate:
How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn!
13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
Revelation 12 describes that in the process of satan’s fall, this guardian cherub, this leader of angels, took down with him a third of all angels. Evidently, angels, like humans, were given the ability of free will and with that gift Satan and his followers chose pride. He considered himself better and higher than his Creator. And now, because he suffers an irreversible fate, he desires to bring with him not only a third of the angels, but also God’s creation of man, which brings us back to our text today in Genesis 3.
As we turn back to Genesis 3, we now have a better idea of WHO this serpent is. But what is his agenda? What’s his style? What’s his strategy?
What are his intentions as he interacts with man?
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
Don’t miss the subtleness of his question? “Did God really say?” With that one question, the great deceiver has poured doubt into the innocent mind of Eve. Part of his agenda is to get us to doubt God’s Word to us, God’s instructions. He also wants us to doubt God’s intentions for us by focusing on God’s restrictions. (“You must not eat from any tree in the garden”). He’s focusing on the negative. Must not. He takes God’s Word and distorts it so that we would doubt it. Satan used this same tactic on the Lord Jesus when he tempted him in the desert and is still using this same tactic to take believers down today – in our student’s dorm rooms across the country, in the political arena where leaders fall because of moral failure and where decisions are made based on lies and even in our churches. Doubting God’s intentions for our lives by focusing on God’s restrictions – which by the way are put there for our benefit.
What is Eve’s response to this corrupt question of doubt?
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ Really? Is that really what God said? For some reason, either Eve did not memorize God’s Word very well, or she simply did not know it well. Quite possibly blame here could be put on Adam, her husband. The Bible is silent here on the reason, but we do know that God gave Adam the command before Eve was created and charged Adam with the stewardship of all His creation. And why didn’t Adam say “Don’t do it Eve!” Ahh – puts a new perspective on men blaming women for falling for the temptation.
Well, whatever the reason, Eve did not get God’s Word completely right. Turn with me to Genesis 2:16. In Genesis 2, God gives his one restriction, “And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
Do you see the differences? She just played right into satan’s hands. First comes the doubt, then our response to the doubt is misconstrued truth, based on a lack of faith and diligence. She changes the “Tree of the knowledge of good and evil” to “the tree in the middle of the garden”. Then she added to the restriction, “you must not touch it”. And finally she weakens the penalty by taking out the affirmative “surely” from the penalty of death.
Satan, having her trapped, immediately negates the penalty for sin and the great lie is told by the great liar: “You will not surely die”. Again, he’s been using the same tactic over and over again throughout the history of world – you yourselves have heard it in your own life: “go ahead, have fun – no one will ever know… you can get away with it.” To the kids hunting for their hidden Christmas presents and upon finding them – Go ahead, take that peak, no one will ever know. Or to the treasurer of an organization – go ahead, fudge the numbers a little, no one will ever know. Or to the person sitting behind their computer late at night, go ahead, click on the link, no one will ever know.
Sydney Harris is quoted as saying that “If the devil could be persuaded to write a bible, he would title it, “You Only Live Once”.
Do it – you can get away with it. You only live once.
At least we have the benefit of thousands of years of history witnessing this strategy by the devil. Eve didn’t. The lie from satan continues in verse 5, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
So now we’re getting a better picture of his strategy:
1) He wants us to Doubt,
2) By using God’s restrictions, he tries to get us to misunderstand God’s intentions
3) He tells us a lie and
4) then he tells us that we deserve to be like God.
The same kind of lie that satan fed himself and that caused his own downfall is the same lie that he now pursues others to believe in. Satan doubted God’s sovereignty, misunderstanding God’s intentions for His creation, Telling himself the lie that he can be like God and that, because of his beauty, deserves to be like God. This was satan’s downfall and ultimately all of humanity through the act of Adam and Eve.
~What should I do?~
Satan is real. The Bible tells us so. Satan’s strategy is one of doubt, lies and destruction. We know who he is and we know his strategy, but what do we do?
What we can do is exactly what I will be teaching on over the next couple of Sundays. But for today we can get a taste of what we can do by looking at the last couple of verses in our text. Starting in verse 6 we read these words,
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”
D.A. Carson comments on this passage,
“Lured by the prospect of instant pleasure and supposed maturity, Eve suddenly succumbed and persuaded her husband also to eat. In so doing he preferred the serpent’s suggestions to God’s command.”
Notice what she succumbed to – instant pleasure and supposed maturity. What does our world succumb to today? Get rich quick schemes and a fast track to supposed wisdom and knowledge. Our culture is out to try to earn the most money with the least amount of effort. I get SPAM and see internet advertisements all the time offering these things. Earn a $1000 a week with only 8 hours of work at home! You’ve seen them, I’m sure.
Adam and Eve preferred the serpent’s suggestions over God’s commands. How many times do you prefer the world’s viewpoint or answers over God’s commands? Think about the various sin issues in your life, past and present, and the two viewpoints given – that is the world’s and God’s. You would probably find in most cases, if not every case, that the world’s viewpoint is the easy way and gives an instant result. The deception is as old as the devil.
Instead, what God longs for us to do is to be steadfast in His Word and in fellowship with Him by walking with the Spirit, “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” Romans 814. It’s a surrender, as Gil talked about during our time of singing, it’s a surrender to the Creator, not the created. Turn with me to Proverbs 3. Proverbs 3:1-8:
Satan is as real as me standing here talking about him. His agenda is simple: To attempt to destroy God’s plans. His strategy is threefold: doubt, deceive and destroy.
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,
Why does God want us to keep His commands? Verse 2
2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.
Not instant gratification, but a long term benefit.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Why does God want us to remain faithful? Verse 4
4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
He wants us to maintain our fellowship with Him and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
Why should we not lean on our own understanding of things, like Eve did? Verse 6
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
So we will be able to walk a straight path without stumbling.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
Why should we fear the Lord and not be puffed up, as satan was? Verse 8
8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
Again – not instant gratification, but a long term wellness program.
The preparation for this message was hard. Not in an academic sense so much as in a spiritual sense. Many prayers were offered by many people since I shared with others my intention to preach on this subject. Those who prayed know the warfare we are in and know what the enemy can do. The truth is, I almost bowed out of this task, seeking either someone else to give the message this Sunday or I tried to change the subject all together.
He seeks to destroy, to devour. My own life is a testimony to the fact that a spiritual war exists. Does it scare me? No. CH Spurgeon once said that “The best evidence of God’s presence is the Devil’s growl”. In fact, in becoming aware of the spiritual war we are in, it propels me to faith and perseverance. It draws me to exactly the right place that I need to be – on my knees. It causes the heart of desperation which we all need to develop if we desire to live the Proverbs 3 life. That which the enemy wanted for his own gain in my life has been turned over to God for my own good and for His glory.
You know, I feel like I spent an awful lot of time speaking about what satan is and what he can do. As we end today, I feel compelled to tell you what satan is not.
As a creature, a created being, satan is not God. As a created being, satan does not possess the qualities of God: he is not omniscient, meaning he does not know everything, but only that which God has revealed to him. He does not know the future and he does not know our thoughts or the mind of God. He is not omnipresent – the Bible says he roams the earth – he cannot be in every place at the same time as God can be. This means that chances are unlikely you will have an encounter with the devil with over 6 billion people to attend to, however he has the demons who do his bidding. And Satan is not omnipotent. He is powerful, but not all-powerful. He is not equal to God. He is not the yang of the yin. He does not bring balance to the force. As his Creator, God is sovereign over him.
At the beginning of this message, I quoted Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones with these words “A man who does not understand the nature of the problem he is confronting is a man who is already doomed to failure.” The quote continues, “Christian people are like first-year college students - they think at first that every subject is quite simple, there is no difficulty. Well, we know what is likely to happen to such when they face an examination! The first thing you have to do is to understand the nature and the character of your problem. So we have to realize that we are called, in the Christian life, to a battle, not to a life of ease. To a battle, to a warfare, to a wrestle, to a struggle.”
Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we are in a battle “not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Be ready for the examination. Know your enemy. Know his strategy. Knowing is half the battle. Next week we’ll find out about the other half.
