We often hear stories of how Satan works in this world and
how he tries to undermine the work of God.
There is not a greater collection of these stories than the Word of
God. One of the most interesting stories
that can be found in Genesis. It is here
where we are introduced to God, man and Satan.
The above passage from Genesis 3 opens the pages of history past to give
us a ringside seat at the first face to face encounter between mankind (Eve)
and Satan. In this encounter we find Eve
both out gunned and out classed by the enemy.
There is no doubt that He is as determined as he is subtle. His directive is to take God down and he is
determined to do so, one believer at a time if and as he deems necessary. One true sign of his subtlety is seen in the
way that he presents his case to the believer.
With craftiness of a court room lawyer he gets his opponents themselves
to trip themselves up. He asks his
questions deliberately and yet slightly twisting the truth in such a way that
he mixes in a little error. He doesn’t
question God, he gets his opponents to do so. Eve balked and faltered because
she was unsure of the truth. She did not
hear God tell Adam what to do, she was going on what Adam had said and what of
the truth she thought that she heard.
Now this historically specific encounter happened and is recorded
for us as an example of the craftiness of our enemy. I believe that he is as aggressive today as
he ever was. Yet at the same time I do not
believe that the plan of the enemy has changed that much over the years. The main difference is found in his ability
to quickly and specifically cater each approach to the individual that he is
facing. If anything has changed it is
his tenacity toward those who have called upon the name of Christ.
I saw this picture on the internet the other day and
it reminded me of the way that Satan tries to grasp a hold on our minds as he
questions the believer in his attempt to get them to question God themselves. The enemy confronts every believer at one time
or another. Many of whom, like Eve, will
face the enemy and be out gunned and out classed because they failed to prepare
for the battle. Eve had no idea that she
would one day be in a spiritual battle, once that day took place it found that
she was unprepared.
All believers must realize that Jesus is the anchor that
holds us fast to the family of God. It is because of this truth, the believer
today must come to the understanding that the most important issues in this life
will pale in comparison to our relationship with Christ Jesus.
So let me ask you a question: “How much time does it take
to have or develop a good relationship?” Before you answer, ask yourself to
verify your answer in the light of the statements below.
“How
much time does it take to have or develop a good relationship?”
• Ask a grieving widow as she sits at a
bed side of her spouse of 50+ years struggles for each breath
• Ask the couple who are celebrating
their 1st wedding anniversary
• Ask the parent how much time as they
watch their child march off to war
• Ask a young boy how much time as he
holds onto his ailing dog
Time is not just of the essence it is of the most preeminence
especially when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. How much time is needed you ask, and the
answer is all that they can get and a little more if possible. We often find that time spent developing any
relationship is never enough. Erwin
Lutzer once said, “The more intimate we are with God, the more we can discern
His mind and His heart.” Intimacy is
what is developed over long periods of time as we act and interact within a
relationship. The better the
relationship the more intimate it is and the more intimate it is the more
liberating it becomes. Intimacy in any
relationship is always in direct correlation of how much time is invested
developing the relationship.
Getting back to the opening statement, Eve was unprepared for
a Spiritual battle and that largely rested upon the fact that she did not have
an intimate relationship with the Lord.
She was relying upon Adam’s relationship and that was not enough, it
will never be enough. If we do not
develop our own relationship with Christ we, like Eve will go into Spiritual
battle unprepared and destined for failure.
During World War II Japan had built a Battleship that was
called the “Yamato” she and her sister ship the “Musashi” were the heaviest and
most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed. These ships were designed and built to
counter the numerically superior battleship fleet of the United States Navy. They often proved their superiority when
matched one on one or against small task fleets but when they were finally
matched against the well-armed and battle ready Pacific Fleet they both met
their match and were sunk near the end of the war. Satan is much like the Yamato in that he is
well armed, keenly suited for battle and well fitted for the task that as at
hand. When matched against this
opponent the believer soon finds that they are no match for him. This is why we must be aware that even when we
are at our strongest we are no match for him and that we must remain in
constant contact with our Heavenly Father.
We must get a grip on our relationship with Christ before the enemy gets
his grips on us.
Even Jesus Himself when He was confronted one on one by
this enemy referred to God the Father and to the Word for His defense. I say that if this is the battle strategy of
the Lord Jesus should it not be ours as well? I am reminded of the following passages of
Scripture, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
(Psalm 119:11). “Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm
119:105). We must also note that God
said, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3.
The truth is that no one born of the flesh is able to
overcome this wicked one.
Have you forgotten the importance of the eternal?
Have you allowed the enemy to steal your joy?
For some, he has replaced our joy with an unsatisfying
hunger and drive to that which only Christ Himself can fulfill. It is no wonder that so many believers live
unhappy and bitter lives. They try to
fill a void that only Christ can fill with everything but Christ. Jesus is all that we need. We trust Him for salvation then look
everywhere else for satisfaction after that.
One of the best tricks of the enemy is to get our eyes off of Jesus and
on to a counterfeit Jesus.
