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The Devil made Me do it! It all Started in the Garden of Eden.

After God finished creating the world and all that surrounded it, Adam and Eve blissfully enjoyed the blessings of Eden. While God had given them instructions for maintaining the bliss, the rules didn't sound too complicated.

Really, there was only one: they were not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. With all the fruit on all the other trees available to them, one would think it shouldn't have been too hard to stay away from one tree.

But a third character appeared in the garden - a serpent. He engaged Eve in pleasant conversation.

"...but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:3-5)

Not only did the serpent question God's word, but he lied. Eve did what many people continue to do today; she accepted the serpent's word over God's word. Of course the serpent was Satan (the devil) in disguise and the result was that he was cursed by God.

So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.” 
(Genesis 3:14-15)

The serpent devil was doing what he was created to do. He was tempting Eve, and eventually Adam, to test their faithfulness to God. Testing faithfulness is his job. After he proved Adam and Eve to be unfaithful, the devil laid charges against them to God for breaking the law. The root of the title "devil," references the prosecuting attorney for the state in the Greek judicial system.

Although it has been Satan's responsibility to catch law-breakers and sinners, he was never given any legal authority to sin himself. Nevertheless, even though he was an angel (albeit a rebellious one), he sinned on his very first assignment, he lied to Eve. To this day, he still seems to get the best mileage out of his lies.

While Satan deceived Eve, her fault lay in believing Satan instead of believing God. She was tempted and sinned. Adam followed suit.

"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)

It is clear that, in the beginning, the devil had access to God's throne around the clock, so he was able to report to God about those who failed when he tempted them every day.

"Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down." (Revelation 12:10)

 


VICTORY OVER THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS
Rev. Gordon Williams' latest book "Victory over the Kingdom of Darkness", teaches how to overcome the kingdom of Darkness (ie. Satan/devil, demons, temptations, etc.) with confidence and understanding. 

Click here to order your copy.

 

 

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