Satan the Serpent
Notes
Transcript
Baptism today:
We have the joy of baptizing a few people today in first service and 2nd service (different people each service—we won’t baptize you twice.)
Before I call you up here:
Reminder #1: Baptism does not make you a follower or disciple of Jesus. It doesn’t save you. It is not magical.
Reminder #2: Instead baptism is a symbol that points to the work that Jesus has done in a person’s life. It’s point to the fact that:
Your sins are washed away. Because of Jesus’ work on the cross in our place, when we confess sin, turn from it and trust in Jesus alone—we are forgiven—our sins are washed away!
It also point to the fact that we united to Christ. I am In Christ—which is all through the NT.
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Paul uses the imagery of baptism to describe how we relate to Christ. We have died to our sin with Christ, been buried with Christ, risen to new life with Christ. we are so connected, united to Jesus—that we are new creations. that’s what baptism shows.
3. It also points to the face that since we are united to Jesus—we are united to His body—the church.
4. baptism also points to the fact that we get the Holy Spirit—the very presence and power of God
5. finally, it is a public proclamation, telling everyone I belong to Jesus.
Let me invite our baptismal people forward up here. Can we welcome them up here.
Tell us who you are, family/parents/kids, what you do, grade/age
do the 4 questions on screen:
tell us why you want to get baptized—or how Jesus has worked in your life
pray for one, baptize one, pray for the other, baptize the other
Please turn to Genesis 3. Genesis 3:1-8.
So far everything is rightly ordered in God’s amazing creation...light good, plants good, animals good, Adam and Eve good...
and then the snake comes...
1 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 certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.
5 “For God knows that when you eat from 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.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
you may be seated.
Who is this serpent? and we all said “Satan or the Devil.”
He has many names in Scripture:
“the devil, the tempter, the evil one, the prince of demons, the dragon, the ancient serpent, Beelzebul, the accuser, the enemy—”
The reason we know the snake in Genesis 3 is Satan..
Revelation 12:9 (last book of the Bible)
9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
The Origins of Satan:
as we reflect on this text in Genesis 3....we wonder...
Where did Satan come from and what is He doing there?
Why didn’t Adam and Eve say “ahhhh—-a talking snake!!” b/c this is not your normal snake!
Answer: we don’t fully know..
we do know:
verse 1— God made Satan. Vs. 1 eludes to it. (Col. 1:16)
16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
God made Satan.
if we try to piece together other clues from the NT...it seems best to conclude that Satan originally was created good like all of creation. and he was an angel in God’s service.
14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
and #2
2. Satan (and other angels) rebelled against God. (Jude 6)
6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
so somewhere and sometime before Genesis 3, Satan rebelled against God...he abandoned his proper dwelling...along with other angels...
and he is bound for judgment in one sense...but still it seems allowed to roam as we see here in the Garden....
and Satan has a leadership position among those fallen angels, the kingdom of darkness.
he is called the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) and the prince of this world (John 12:31)
and then we have an even bigger question...
Why did God allow Satan in the Garden or to do what He did?
I am going to save that question until the end....
we will come back to that big question of why...
but first...let’s look at how this passage relates to us in terms of Satan’s tactics, how temptation works in our hearts, and how to overcome it...
b/c let’s face it...has anyone ever faced temptation at all in their entire lives? yes?
and given into? yes...
only later to regret it...whether the choice or action was small or huge..and had major consequences...all of us sometimes look back at that and think “What was I thinking?” “what came over me?”
I am not trying to give Satan more credit than his due..b/c the Bible says we have at least 3 enemies:
the world....
the flesh ...
and the devil...
the world.… (the enemy around us—the culture and its values) (1 John 2:15-17)
the flesh … (our sinful nature—within us) (Romans 8)
and the devil… (our enemy above us)
Satan’s tactics or strategies:
Let’s look specifically in Genesis...what is Satan doing that affects us today...
1. He questions God’s Word (vs. 1)
1 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’?”
and notice how he does it—Satan doesn’t use the word for Yahweh here—the personal name of God, the covenant name of God, but the more generic word for God.
“Did God really say it?” (now we know that’s not God’s original command)
and then Eve responds...and we see that instead of Eve (or Adam who is with her being passive)
Eve doesn’t respond well. she does repeat God’s command kind of… (more on that later)
but Satan does the same today in our hearts:
“did God really say...”
“did God really say that you can’t sleep together before marriage? really? that doesn’t matter.”
“did God really say that you have to be honest with your business dealings and not cut corners? really?”
“Did God really say that you must deny yourself, deny everything and follow Jesus?”
“did God really say you can’t view those images online or watch that pornographic content?”
“Did God really say that marriage is reserved for one man and one woman?”
but then verse 4 is the next part
2. Satan outright denies God’s Word (vs. 4)
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.
now, Satan didn’t start there...perhaps if he did, Adam and Eve would have been like “hold on a minute. wait up buddy. something is wrong...” but Satan questions/engages (vs. 1), and then denies.
and I think the same is true with us...if Satan can begin to get us to question God’s Word first...then it doesn’t take long to deny it.
3. Satan attacks God and His character (vs. 5)
5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan is so shrewd or crafty...because he makes Adam and Eve feel like...God is holding out of them...
they are missing out...
and he tempts them with the promise of being like God...of divinity. of putting themselves in the place of God.
really this is what sin is: substituting ourselves for God...putting ourselves in the place of God.
this is why what Adam and Eve did was not just eating a piece of fruit...it was dethroning God.
but Satan’s allure is so tempting...he promises much, and fails to deliver...that’s what temptation does—it promises so much...but fails to deliver on its promises and compromises our relationship with God.
temptation is trying to get us not to find our satisfaction and joy in God or Jesus...but something else.
so Satan.... questions....
he denies...
he attacks
God and His Word....
If Satan has one main strategy, what would we call it:
4. His main strategy is lying (or deception!)
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
That’s what He is doing here in the Garden with Adam and Eve—when you are tempted, or accused, Satan is lying.
He is a liar. now, we are focusing mainly on temptation today...Satan is also an accuser. If Lying is his main weapon—it has two branchs...temptation (which we see here) and accusing. temptation is trying to get us to sin and not follow God. accusing is trying to make us doubt our salvation— “who are you to think you can be a Christian or leader...” and they do go together— “why follow God...you are no good...might as well give in anyway.
What is Satan’s goal in all of this?
1 Peter 5:8 summarizes it in one way:
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
that attack in the NT can be:
—physical - (we don’t like to think about it—but in the Gospels—Jesus heals people afflicted physically by demonis)
—it can be thwarting people’s plans—Paul talks about how Satan frustrated his plans
—it is spiritual—wanting people not to worship God; he blinds the minds of unbelievers Scripture says...
but it’s bigger than just attacking us: Satan wants to dethrone God and rob God of His glory.
we see that with Adam and Eve...
because look at how temptation works in their hearts—when Satan gets them questioning...he wants to cause God’s created order not to worship God but something else, anything else but God.
How does temptation work in our hearts?
(After Satan questions God—did God really say), look closely at verses 2-3
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.’ ”
look at that carefully...
if you compare this to the original command that God gave Adam: (btw—in Scripture the original command is given to Adam (Eve had not been created yet). Eve is getting attacked, and instead of Adam jumping in to help, he is passive and doesn’t lead like he should have. both Adam and Eve are at fault)
but look at the original command
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
16 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 from it you will certainly die.”
compare it to Genesis 3:2—the woman simply says we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden—we are not free to eat. theologians have noticed that Eve is...doing this...(in no particular order)
She minimized God’s provision. (vs. 2)
vs. 2 Eve says we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. but God had said in 2:16 you are free to eat—there’s some extra invitation there.” Eve omits that idea. instead of being an invitation to eat from all the trees
(takes it for granted....instead of focusing on what they did have—she is starting to take it for granted. and whenever we are tempted and commit sin—put ourselves in God’s place—we start to take for granted all that God has provided.
this is why thanksgiving is so important—when we give thanks to God—we are maximizing his provision. we are satisfied in God. when we don’t, we are much more prone to give into temptation
are we minimizing God’s provision? Do we have a heart of thankfulness? thanksgiving is one of the best battle plans against temptation.
She added to God’s command. (vs. 3) - she says “you must not touch it.” God never said that specifically back in chapter 2. but you can tell that God’s command is really starting to grind her gears (My professor—it went up her nose a bit!)...to get them bent out of shape. and that happens with us. we minimize; take for granted, don’t give thanks , and even add or twist God’s command. make it seem heavier than it really is—she is making God’s law and commands seem heavy, oppressive. now, the Pharisees were great at this—adding command after command to follow things like the Sabbath day. that is demonic. b/c God’s law, is actually pictured as reviving the soul.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
but whenever we add to it, or it becomes a burden to us, we get so mad at it, watch out...
3. She weakened God’s punishment. (vs. 3)
yes she said they would die, but when you compare it to God’s command in Genesis 2:15-17, God says you will certainly die or surely die.
you see Satan loves to attack God’s Word...
because God’s Word in chapter 1 was shown in power. God spoke, and b/c of His Word everything exists!!
chapter 2—God gave Adam (and by extension Eve) the word not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
and now Satan is attacking what has been a prominent theme—God’s Word.
whenever we forget God’s justice, God’s punishment, God’s seriousness of sin, or downplay it “It’s not that big of deal...” we are much more prone to give into temptation
4. She questioned and doubted God’s good character (vs. 5)
the devil in verse 5 - really attacked who God is.
and this is one of the biggest reasons we give into temptation...b/c we believe God is holding out on us...that He doesn’t know best. that somehow He doesn’t love us. or isn’t with us.
this is one of the hardest things in suffering—we are tempted to believe that God doesn’t care or maybe He doesn’t have the power because if he could do something, he would, or if he cared he would. So God must be holding out on me.
5. main principle - We always sin first in the heart before we act on it. (vs. 6)
Principle: before sin is an action...begins in the heart.
the heart in Scripture is not just about emotions, it is the control center of your entire being. it is where you think, process, where values are formed, it’s where you have your treasures...out of the heart the mouth speaks...you have a speaking problem you have a heart problem
Adam and Eve’s treasure is no longer God and His Word...
but in verse 6...after in verse.4-5 Satan denies God’s Word and outcome and who God is.
vs. 6....
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, (sin always starts in the heart)(and the actions follow) she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
good for food—
pleasing to the eye....
desirable for gaining wisdom—
this reminds me a lot of:
16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh (good for food), the lust of the eyes (pleasing to the eye), and the pride of life (desirable for gaining wisdom)—comes not from the Father but from the world.
and both words pleasing and desirable...are found here in:
21 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
sin is always a heart issue—what am I desiring?
and because they sinned...
vs. 7-8
they cover up
they hide from God (and from each other)
they blame one another...
and we have been doing it ever since...
sin always begins in the heart.
sin is a heart issue
How do we Overcome temptation...
b/c Adam and Eve, had every advantage to us. Sin and its consequences was not technically in the world yet. they had incredible access to God—could walk with God in the garden like a friend.
for us because we live in a fallen world, it feels like we don’t have near the advantage they did.
What is temptation?
in order to answer that, turn to Matthew 4...
we see another one who gets tempted...not Adam and Eve, our first representatives...but who Paul calls the 2nd Adam, Jesus Christ, our final and best representative.
and he is not in a Garden or paradise, He is in the wilderness
Jesus the 2nd Adam:
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
it’s interesting that God’s Spirit leads Jesus to be tested by the devil. Is it possible that that can sometimes happen to us? (by the way—tempted/tested—same Greek work)
perhaps this is starting to answer why did God allow Satan in the Garden...why does He still permit Him to roam this earth and attack.
2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
6 “If you are the Son of God,” (2x) he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
3x times—Satan tempts Jesus.
3x Jesus responds back to Satan.
what do we learn from Jesus:
We must be saturated in the Word of God.
all the flaming arrows that Satan throws at Jesus; Jesus responds with the Word of God—in the book of Deuteronomy.
Do you have a life saturated in God’s Word...not just insta-gram Jesus or Insta—Bible with one verse a day—but are you regularly reading God’s Word; do you have a plan to tackle reading or listening to God’s Word?
do you learn in community by being a part of a SS class/group or small group or a couple others?
and not learn but We must interpret God’s Word well.
because Satan is giving Jesus Scripture! Satan is a master theologian..taking God’s Word out of context. and I guarantee Satan can misuse Scripture in your life, too. it’s not like it’s a magic wand match....
One verse that often gets misquoted—is judge not lest you be judged. so we think we should never make any judgments about people-but not true. we are called to make judgments without being judgmental. After all in that same section—Jesus calls people pigs.
so we must understand it well—one tip is to know that Scripture always is about Jesus—OT and NT.
Remember that Satan wants to attack our identity as God’s child.
If you are the Son of God...2x. Satan wants to get us to establish our identity in something other than Jesus.
he wants Jesus to doubt His Father’s presence and goodness. Satan is like...I have better plan than God...more convenient and enticing...
Our hearts must be so in awe and satisfied in Jesus...
b/c if sin begins in the heart...our heart must be captivated by Jesus.
where Adam failed...He did not
where Adam was in a Garden; Jesus was in a wilderness
Adam was well-fed; Jesus was hungry
Jesus is the true 2nd Adam, who where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. securing our victory.
Satan tried to tempt Jesus to abandon His mission. Satan knew that Jesus came to live and die for us so we could be forgiven and saved. Satan tries to get Jesus to abandon that and take the easy way for comfort, power, and glory-but Jesus was faithful to His Father’s mission.
and he was trying to make Jesus question God’s presence and plan...
yet Jesus is so amazing—He resists the devil and defeats Him in a suprising twist on the cros
15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
this is talking about Jesus—on the cross—Jesus paid fully and finally for our sin, defeating all the demonic powers and authorities...no longer can they accuse us or tempt us.
Satan still roams, but he is a wounded animal, still deadly, but knows his time is short, and he will be fully and finally defeated when Jesus comes back and casts him into the lake of fire.
Satan is no match for Jesus.
i asked earlier—why would God allow Satan in the garden?
why would he still allow Satan to roam? why did He allow Satan to attack his Son Jesus?
and why does he still exist today?
we don’t always know or understand—just read the book of Job—Job never found out, and God said “who are you to understand.” and yet God used that story of Job to encourage us today—to persevere in suffering and trust Him.
we have a better understanding today than Job did—b/c we have Jesus. God used the wickedness of Satan and evil hearts—to bring about the crucifixion, actually accomplishing our salvation.
if that’s the case with that...we know that we can trust God—the goodness of God, even when it’s hard to see—and we do that by remembering Jesus and the cross..
As we are in awe of who Jesus is and what He did, that helps us say “no” to temptation and find complete joyful satisfaction in Jesus.
End with Romans 16:20
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
