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Genesis 3:1-7: The truth behind what Satan was doing here holds an incredibly powerful secret that we still believe…almost every time someone chooses to walk away from God is because they fall for this lie that is at the heart of all of Satan’s plans: “You know God is not giving you all you deserve;” “God is holding out on you and treating you unfairly.” Genesis 3:1: Satan caused Eve to doubt the logic and motive behind what God says (as though it was selfish of Him) Genesis 3:2-5: Then Satan takes it to the next critical level: “He’s holding out on you.” “It’s not true…or fair.” And then that last little encouragement: “There will be no repercussions.” We buy into the lie, with our feelings of justified selfishness, thinking it’s ok to go ahead and give our heart to these sins; harbor that anger, self-pity, unforgiveness; ignore or resist God for all we didn’t get from Him…that nothing will change; we won’t die… But just like them—we do die—we lose our reason for living (the joy of Christ in our lives); we lose our bearing on what’s important (what’s the center of life). Our selfishness inside brings anxiety, depression, dissatisfaction; our relationships become splintered, our lives directionless—much like Adam and Eve’s did. There are so many areas of our lives where Satan works this lie into our thoughts (relationships, death of loved ones, lust and pornography, health, money, tough times, unanswered prayers). Satan has perfected this method so beautifully that he tried it with Jesus Christ: Matthew 4:8-9.
There are two big reasons Satan uses this tactic in believers: 1) it is the only way to get a true believer to fall. You won’t desert God when you know He is giving you His best, and orchestrating everything for your best interest, but Satan knows if he can tarnish God’s character, love and motives, he can make us question and even turn on God (feeling justifiable in how God let us down and betrayed us), getting us to chase after and try to control our own way, because we deserve what we can get with our own plan. 2) God has one ‘weakness’—He adores us; so Satan gets the ones He calls ‘beloveds’ to question whether He really loves them at all, after all He’s done for us; to make God’s own Bride question His ability and desire to care for them. We have become such a whiney, delicate, needy, selfish, perpetually offended, hurt generation; Satan has a field day with us. Some of us bounce back and forth between loving and trusting and anger and contempt every time there is a crisis in our lives. Why don’t we get mad at the right person? It is Satan’s lies and hatred of God, and total disregard for you (his desire to crush you in order to hurt God at any cost) that has caused all of us the pain we’ve suffered; the pain Christ suffered…BUT Satan can’t do it alone. We believe him and help him accuse our God. We let him take our faith, peace and relationship with Christ. Why is it we can be so quick to get angry or disappointed with God when bad things happen, but we never seem to want to hold Satan responsible? We never want to do away with him and his ways, his temptations to sin in our lives? (which started it all) Why don’t we commit ourselves to fighting the right enemy, and take back some of what Satan has tried to steal from us? When Satan used this lie on Jesus, to tempt Him to take the Kingdom prematurely because it was ‘rightfully His’ instead of doing it the Father’s way, Jesus had four simple words: “Away with you, Satan!” Why don't we resist Satan by standing up for our King when He is falsely accused? Why don't we kick Satan in the teeth, by taking the only weapon he has: accusations and lies? Why don't we stop giving Satan the satisfaction of hurting our God and Savior at our expense, and with our help, and start beating him down, in love and defense of the one who suffered for his lies already? 1 Peter 5:8-9: Satan is looking for those he can devour. Stand against Satan in your faith; start taking your peace, love and hope back; stop handing it over on a silver latter every time Satan yanks your chain by saying you deserve better. Remember that we serve an Awesome God; He doesn’t serve us (even though He already has). If God has to ask a time of sacrifice or hardship of us, then we should be pleased to give ourselves the same way He gave Himself (trusting it’s all in His plan).
If all you can do is continue to accuse and resist, you should either get your heart right today, or go ahead and choose to consciously serve the one you are helping in this war: Satan. Let’s glorify our King and Savior by getting angry at His accuser—the real reason for our pain; by serving Jesus in steadfast trust and love; by holding onto Him in temptations and hard times instead of letting go; by being vigilant to Satan’s lie, and recognizing when he hits us with it.
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