How does the enemy divert people from God’s purposes? Reflections from Gen 3: 1-6
War strategies and weaponry have significantly changed through the ages. But strategies of the Devil remain to be the same. As one of my friends pointed out, “why does he need to change? They are working perfectly!”
First of all, understand that you have an enemy who wants to divert you from God’s divine purpose for your life. Sin is more than “just a bad action”. It is the way the enemy uses to block us from growing to our divine destiny. This is what happened when Adam and Eve sinned. They were created with a divine purpose of enjoying a relationship with God and become His vice-regents on earth (Gen 1:26-31). But the enemy came in the form of a serpent; diverted them to a life of misery, curse and death. This is still the purpose of the old enemy. It is my prayer that we identify his tricks and come victorious as Jesus did in Mat 4! I came up with three of his strategies…Here is one for today
He makes you focus on what you lack: Look at what God gave to Adam and Eve: Gen 1;29 “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food”. This will take ages to count! But the enemy came and made the whole conversation revolve around one fruit from a tree that they are not allowed to eat. “Did God really say that ‘you must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” (Gen 3:1). Isn’t it the same way that he fights today: ”Is there anything that God did not give you?”. You just wish that Adam and Eve (and us) would stand and start counting our blessings. Why not change the focus to: “look at what God has given me!!!” and refer to Gen 1:29. Count on your blessings around you today and above all your blessings in Christ (Eph 1)/ ባርኮቴን ስቆጥረው ዘምር ዘምር ይለኛል.../
Old Tricks But Still Working! How does the enemy divert people from God’s purposes? Reflections from Gen 3: 1-6
2nd Strategy
Makes you doubt the things of God: In the case of Adam and Eve, he made them doubt God’s Word: “did God really say, ‘you must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ (3:1)….”you will not surely die” (v.4). You see, he made her doubt God’s standards, warnings and promises to them. Does that sound familiar? The enemy also brought doubt on God’s character (this is probably his #1 tool). He argued that the reason that God did not allow them to eat from that fruit is not for their good. It is not because you will die but because God doesn’t want you to be like Him. He further argued, the real reason is that: “God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…” (v.4). What a lie! But he was successful in shading doubt on them. This tool especially works during times when things in our lives are not making sense. The best way to fight is to bring the “shield of faith” that says “though I don’t understand it all, I know God is good to me!/ባይገባኝም እንኳን ቅሉ… አንተ መልካም ነህ”
Makes you focus on temporary pleasure: Did you observe how he made the woman “(see) that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom…”? (Gen 3:6). “For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh (the food in Gen3;6), the lust of the eyes(pleasing to the eyes in Gen3;6), and the pride of life (wisdom in Gen 3:6)-comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1John 2:16). By the way, you might have observed that these three “self gratifying” things (food, lust of the eyes, and pride of the heart) were the ones offered to Jesus during his temptation. He did not buy them, but Adam and Eve did! You see, part of the enemy’s strategy is to make you focus on things now than things of eternal value.
Why not wake up today count our blessings (from the air we breath to eternal life in Christ); celebrate God’s goodness and focus our eyes on Jesus and His gift of eternal life!