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This last Sunday we began our study of Genesis 3, the chapter which details the fall of mankind and creation into sin.  We specifically focused on The Cause and Act of Sin (3:1-6), that is, how sin entered into the world.  The first verse makes clear how this all began, “Now the serpent. . .” (V.1), which is either Satan himself or a means Satan used to tempt Eve and make her disobey God.  

To deceive the woman, the serpent first questioned God’s Word: “Did God really say…?”  Yet it was not merely the serpent, for Eve herself changed the command God gave her by distorting, exaggerating, and diminishing it.  From here Satan furthered the deception by denying the truthfulness of God’s word to Eve and replacing the truth with a lie (which can also be a half-truth).  Finally, Eve believed Satan’s falsehood and disobeyed God’s command.  

In truth, Satan still uses this strategy even today.  According to 2 Corinthians 4:4, Satan is “the god of this world,” and in 1 John 5:19, Satan is described as having dominion over the world today (though this control is not everlasting, cf. Revelation 20:7-10).  What this means is that, by default, all people are under Satan beliefs which actively question, challenge, and distort God’s commands.  That is why the “abnormal” (i.e., that which runs contrary to the truth of God’s Word) is touted as “normal.”  

Though the world is actively controlled by Satan, there is still hope!  Going back to 1 John 5, true believers are “from God” (5:19).  This is because of Jesus Christ (as well as the Holy Spirit), who gives us “understanding,” the ability to have a personal relationship with God and to combat the lies of Satan (5:20).  Believers today further have God’s written Word, so when Satan tempts us to question God’s Word we can look to the Bible and remind ourselves what is actually true (Psalm 119:11).  

As a single person, these truths are especially important.  Though I am a child of God, I live in a world which is constantly challenging me to question God’s design for marriage.  If I am not actively in God’s Word, I will end up changing (in this case, likely diminishing) what God has communicated about marriage, which will make me a prime target for Satan to tempt me to deny and replace God’s Word; this will eventually lead me down a path where I disobey God.  While reading my Bible is certainly an important part of remembering the truth, I am also realizing how essential it is to memorize God’s Word; when I am tempted by Satan and do not have quick access to a Bible, I can recall Scripture from memory to combat Satan’s lies.  

May we all continually look to Christ and the truth of God’s Word to thwart the temptations of the devil!