How the Enemy Comes After Us
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Introduction
Introduction
Let me start you off with a question today.
Have you ever wondered why Satan just doesn’t give up? God has cast him out of heaven, judged him and will one day be thrown into hell…
Why doesn't he just give up and stop?
I believe the answer is two fold, first off Satan hates God. He is so envious of Him, he desires to be like him and as such is still working in the hopes of keep people under his dominion, serving Him.
The second I think is to ruin God’s greatest creation and take as many people into judgment with him as possible.
With that in mind we should always be mindful that each day we have an adversary who seeks to ruin us..
The word “ruin” is a powerful one.. it means to corrupt, to spoil, destruction… to tear down.
That is Satan’s desire… And why do we linger on this thought, why do I keep telling you this?
So that we do not forget and fall prey to his scheme?
So lets take our Bibles and lets turn again to Genesis chapter 3, verses 1-5
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 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.”
Man and women, Adam and Eve are in the most beautiful place in all the world, they are in the center of God’s garden, under his care and of course in His will.
But it doesn’t last forever, why?
Satan will step in to disrupt the harmony of their life in front of God. Satan always seeks to rob you of your harmony, your joy, your peace and your faith in front of a living God.
So How does the enemy come after then and by the same measure how does Satan come after us?
1. False Teachings....
1. False Teachings....
The enemy has one sure way to mislead people, and that is to distort, mis quote and place doubt about God’s word into the hearts and minds of people.
If you look around you can find a lot of people who might know a little bit about the word of God but there is no depth in their knowledge. This truth makes it easy for people to be misled. And Satan will use half truths to lead people in the wrong direction.
Look at our passage this morning...
We find Satan, The Bible tells us in verse one that He is one who is more crafty, more deceiving than anyone or anything on the earth. And what does he do… He seeks to mislead Adam and Eve...
The word “crafty” there is important,if you remember we looked at it a few months ago and it means that He and marked with skill to deceive… He is a master of it.
And he comes to them, and he begins to talk with them about what has God said to them...
Now here is where it is interesting… 2 Corinthains 11:14 tells us something we don’t always consider when we think… He masquerades as an angel of light.
14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Now why has Paul said this fact to those at the church in Corinth? He reminds them that Satan isn’t who he lets on to be.
According to the oral tradition of the Jews, it is said that Satan appeared to Adam and Eve as a angel of light.... So it might be that the serpent came to them as one whowould appear as holy, for God and not against him. Yet, He is trying to mislead them..
He would appear to them as one who was holy, for God and not against him. Yet, He is trying to mislead them..
And what does he ask? Did God really say.....You cannot eat from any tree in the garden, you cannot enjoy the bounty that he has provided...
I believe he knew exactly what God has said....
Now Eve corrects him, and tells Satan, we can eat from any tree here in the garden but God has commanded us to not great from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.. ()....
Also notice Eve adds to God’s command, we are not allowed to even touch it… We do not see that in the original command that God gave to Adam, but perhaps Adam emphasized it so that he and Eve might not be captured by desire at its beauty .....
But Satan picks on this … he says you shall not surely die.
Slowly but surely Satan is leading them astray.. look at verse 5
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.”
He misleads them....by twisting, by taking and by pulling people away from the truth… Friends, Satan does it day in and day out… Masquerading as a angel of light he portrays as someone wanting the best for them, but instead he is bring false teaching into their lives… and it will cost them dearly.
Listen if you can get false teaching into the lives of people, it will lead them in the wrong direction.
We have seen it time and time again, it was the judizers and the gnostics that plagued the first century church.
Truthfully, there is always some group that seeks to “preach a different gospel” than what was given to the apostles by Jesus himself.
The devil loves it, because if you can get false teaching into the church, the church will go in the wrong direction....
We must know the Word of God to know the truth and we cannot distinguish between truth and lies unless the Word of God is hidden inside of each of us.
We must know the truth, so that we can avoid the traps of the devil.
Let me ask you a question, do you take time to read, to study the word each day?
We need to hid it away in our hearts like David said....
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
S
Let that be part of our daily prayer my friends...
And then secondly,
2. The Enemy Comes After Us with Sin...
2. The Enemy Comes After Us with Sin...
The devil will tempt us, hey come look at this, come see what your missing....
I have just want you need to fulfill your life, just what your longing for...
Now when we go back to our text we see the birth of sin into our world...
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
Look at verses 6-7
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Suddenly the fruit of that tree was appealing, it was treasured in their hearts and suddenly they desired it.... They desired to be like God...
Desire has a powerful effect upon the human mind my friends, and like all things there is a positive and negative position. It can lead us toward righteousness in our pursuits or unrighteousness…
They desired it, took it totally disobeying the command of God and ate.. both of them. Their own greed, lust and desire pulled them into sin.
This was not of God, Satan had led them astray...
Listen to , verse 16
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
I jon 2:16
So they sinned, brought death into the world… and their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked...
And they made a covering for themselves...
Then their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked...
Suddenly they are naked, afraid to stand in front of their creator… you see life and obedience never does this… only sin makes us ashamed of the beauty and wonder of God’s creation.
Look at verses 8-10
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
My, how sad.... They thought they could hid...
You know when we are in sin we think God doesn’t even know our short comings, our trespasses and sin...
Sin lies to us and leads us into more sin, until finally it leads to death
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
;15
There my friends is the devil’s goal!
He wants to kill you, in fact he has a death penalty on the head of ever child of God. His desires is to make you like “dead man walking.” No life, no power, no hope just despair… Satan wants to ruin you...
Friends in this sin touched world it is every easy to fall prey to sin, a glance that lasts to long, an impure thought, anger toward another person, failing to do as God leads even… sin brings death and it separates us from God.
But we do not have to carry sin around, the worst thing we can do people is to carry un-confessed sin around in our lives. The devil will make us think we are not worry of forgiveness, that we are no longer worthy or loved by the Father.
But john reminds us
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I John 1:9
Friends it there is one thing we must know, do not carry un-forgiveness and Un-confessed sin around in our lives. Seek to make it right.
You might be mad at a family member, or a brother and sister in Christ, seek forgiveness… seek reconciliation.
And as God to forgive you of your sins, daily. sins of commission and omission.
Do not allow sin to rob you of a life well lived in front of God...
Now just one last thought, and I have already alluded to it a bit… division.
3. The Enemy Comes after Us with Division..
3. The Enemy Comes after Us with Division..
Now by division, I mean separation
God went looking for them. and they were hiding. And finally when Adam speaks to God, he told him they hid because they were naked...
And God asked them… who told you … did you eat of the tree you were commanded not too....
So… things are getting real...
Let me ask you a question, when God confronted Adam about their sin… what did Adam say...
It was her fault.... Adam says that in verse 12...
That is probably the most well known quote from all of Scripture my friends…
God it wasn’t me, it was that woman you gave me… it was her idea, it was her fault, she led me astray…
Wow.... feel the love.
Lets look at our text
11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
Sin divides us… Adam blamed his wife, the wonderful gift God had given to him and he blamed her for their sin.
Listen to , verse 2
2 but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
Sin had suddenly separated Adam from his wife, they were both separated from God and Satan is as happy as a clam.
Friends I see it daily, i see how sin tears down, how it isolates, how it ruins people, families and yes even the children of God. I’ve seen it in churches as one person is jealous of another, as one person wants their way over another… I have seen it over and over again…
Satan will try an divide our homes, our families and our churches.... we cannot allow that to happen...
Adam blames Eve, and there is hurt in their relationship… in the days to come, one son will be jealous of another and will kill him… sin always divides and it always leads to death
For Adam and Eve, they are thrust out of the garden, they are told how difficult life will now be because of their sin…
The serpent is cursed and God promises a day of reckoning, the off spring of the woman, Jesus Christ would crush his head in the days to come.
My friends I cannot stop false teachings, sin or division or its effect upon your life or the lives of others. But God can when we turn, seek his face and forgiveness and choose to live for Him.
The enemy will always come after us, there is a war raging all around us… we cannot see it but we see its effects on our lives and those that we love...
Recognize the enemy will seek to pull us away from God by false teaching, by sin and by division...
Let me ask you a question, has he done that in your life?
Has he done that in your families life?
If it has a personal effect upon you today, stop and ask God to forgive your sin. Ask Him to not only forgive you but to help you move past this area of your life so that it is no longer your focus.
Ask Him to help you live and walk for Him and with Him day by day.
If it involves your family, ask God to make a say for reconciliation, for forgiveness, ask God them see those areas where Satan has led them astray, led them into sin.. ask Him to bring reconciliation in your homes and in the lives of your family.
God can do all this when we seek Him and him alone...
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2 but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood
and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies;
your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 No one enters suit justly;
no one goes to law honestly;
they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,
they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
5 They hatch adders’ eggs;
they weave the spider’s web;
he who eats their eggs dies,
and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.
6 Their webs will not serve as clothing;
men will not cover themselves with what they make.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and deeds of violence are in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil,
and they are swift to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
desolation and destruction are in their highways.
8 The way of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their paths;
they have made their roads crooked;
no one who treads on them knows peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not overtake us;
we hope for light, and behold, darkness,
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind;
we grope like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
among those in full vigor we are like dead men.
11 We all growl like bears;
we moan and moan like doves;
we hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13 transgressing, and denying the Lord,
and turning back from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
14 Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
and uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
and his righteousness upheld him.
17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, so will he repay,
wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
to the coastlands he will render repayment.
19 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,
and his glory from the rising of the sun;
for he will come like a rushing stream,
which the wind of the Lord drives.
20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.
21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”