My Evil Twin (2)

God has a word for us concerning the battles we face here on earth. I see a side in all of us that needs to be overcome, mastered and defeated. It rises up in our lives at every opportune time and desires to rule every relationship we have. Desires to be the smartest person in the room. If not mastered will take us every dark path. Sometimes that path seem’s to even be illuminated with God like light but is deceptive at its core and will seduce you into believing a lie “that you can do it.” I’m talking about my “evil twin” and we all have one.

Jacob and Esau gives a great analogy of such a battle.

Genesis 25:21–34 NIV

21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” 24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. 27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” 33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

Genesis 25:22 NIV

22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.

My Evil twin will wrestle me for the promise.

Jostled: bruise, bray, crush; to break, to break in or down. to oppress, to treat violently, to break in pieces.

they are described as smashing each other (“struggling together” understates the violence involved) in their mother’s womb. This makes life so painful for Rebekah that she wonders whether life is worth living, foreshadowing the pain their future antagonism will cause her

Jewish legends say Jacob and Esau tried to kill each other in the womb. Also, every time Rebekah went near an idol’s altar, Esau would get excited in the womb, and when she would go near a place where the Lord was worshipped, Jacob would get excited.

Genesis 25:23 NIV

23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

What you feed is what will lead.

Galatians 5:16–17 NLT

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

Its clear that we must get our flesh to submit to God’s Spirit.

I believe all of us have a God given vision or conception of ourselves. If we just turn to him we will walk in it.

I remember seeing this in my life when I was young but had no idea how to obtain it until I gave my heart to Jesus.

Genesis 25:24–26 NIV

24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

I must overthrow my evil twin.

Esau was described adjectively; reddish, hairy. (The Edomite Nation)

Jacob - Supplanter: was described verbalistic; he was grabbing.

Supplanter: trip up or overthrow.

you could say he was keeping a firm grasp on the flesh or he was already grabbing for the promise.

You cant let your flesh go unchecked!

Genesis 25:27 NIV

27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.

My evil twin will cast off the restraint of God.

Genesis 26:34–35 NIV

34 When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

Rebecca despised those women

Genesis 27:46 NIV

46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”

Jacob dwelt among the tents. Some say he visited with Melchizedek.

Jacob was a mild man: The Hebrew word for mild has the idea of “wholeness” instead of someone who is weak or effeminate. The Hebrew word tam (mild) is used of Job in Job 1:8: Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

Job 1:8 NIV

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

I dare to say that Jacob knowing that there was possibility of succumbing to the world that surrounded him decided to hem himself by dwelling amongst the tents. surrounding himself with accountability and the community of God.

Romans 13:14 NLT

14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Genesis 25:29–34 NIV

29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” 33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

Genesis 25:32–33 NIV

32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” 33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

Imagine putting a chocolate chip cookie in front of a three-year-old and asking him not to eat it. Could he resist? Some researchers did exactly this: Children were given a single cookie, with the promise that if they didn’t eat it for five minutes, they would be given a second cookie. While some of the children resisted the temptation, others simply couldn’t. The researchers found that the children who resisted the cookie at three years old were far more likely to succeed in school, relationships, finances, and their future careers. Why? The simple answer is that: success requires delaying present desires for later gratification.

Success requires delaying present desires for later gratification.

Esau encountered such a decision in Gen 25:29–34. Famished after a full day of hunting, he faced a difficult test: Should he immediately eat a bowl of his favorite soup but, in exchange, give up his birthright—which granted him the majority share of his father’s estate in the distant future? Esau settled for the temporary pleasure of a tasty meal.

Your evil twin will live for the moment rather than the future.

Ask yourself an honest question: In what ways are your decisions like Esau’s? How are you giving up long-term good for a present thrill? Think about your decisions with money, school, and even sexual purity. Are you sacrificing God’s great plan for you by indulging in temporary pleasure? Many of my friends who were sexually active in high school are now paying a heavy price. Some have been divorced, and others did contract STDs. Even though I felt like giving in to the pressure at the time, I am thankful that I had the strength and support to focus on the long term. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. You may not feel like continuing to follow Jesus and doing the right thing now, but remember: “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9; Isa 64:4). It will be worth it in the end. Remind yourself:

God will bless you in unimaginable ways if you remain faithful now.

1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV

9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—

Genesis 25:34 NIV

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

My evil twin will devalue the call of God on my life.

Hebrews 12:16 NIV

16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.

The birthright consisted afterwards in a double portion of the father’s inheritance (Deut. 21:17); but with the patriarchs it embraced the chieftainship, the rule over the brethren and the entire family (Gen. 27:29), and the title to the blessing of the promise (Gen. 27:4, 27–29), which included the future possession of Canaan and of covenant fellowship with Jehovah (Gen. 28:4). Jacob knew this, and it led him to anticipate the purposes of God. Esau also knew it, but attached no value to it.

My evil twin will not let me enter my God given destiny.

Numbers 20:14–20 NIV

14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come on us. 15 Our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors, 16 but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. “Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” 18 But Edom answered: “You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.” 19 The Israelites replied: “We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.” 20 Again they answered: “You may not pass through.” Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army.