Day 15: Our Biggest Enemy
Read: Genesis 3:1-3
Have you ever lied to yourself saying that everything was going to be okay, even if it wasn’t? This can happen to us when we choose instant gratification over doing the right thing. I personally do this by procrastinating instead of studying or doing my homework. In the end, I’m left stressed out, miss hours of sleep, and for what? So that I could watch endless reruns of Gilmore Girls? When I make poor decisions there are always consequences.
We can sometimes be our own worst deceiver. The scariest part is that temptation to go against what know is true can happen at any moment. Even when we think we are in the safest place, out of nowhere, we can bring ourselves down by choosing sin over God. And where does that leave us? Alone. We twist our own words to make our actions sound good, even if what we are saying or doing is contrary to the truth.
Satan, the king of lies and deceit, snuck into what was supposed to be the ultimate haven, the garden of Eden. That alone shows us that there is no place in this world that is perfectly safe from temptation.
Genesis 3:1 says, “He [the devil] said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”From the very beginning, Satan was trying to make Adam and Eve not just doubt themselves but also doubt God (something he continues to do to us today). Eve’s first mistake was to listen to the serpent. She then considered his ideas, wondering he what he said was true.
Verses 2-3 continue and say, “And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 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.’” And what Eve repeated back to the serpent (what she had been taught) was true, that tree would bring death.
But we know the rest of the story . . . Eve decided to go against what God had taught her, trusting Satan’s lies. We sometimes do that too. We have a tendency to become more trusting when something intrigues us. Sometimes we allow ourselves to be naive because we want to bask in the unknown, or in pleasure, even if we know it will hurt us in the end. But the Bible shows us that, even in a perfect world, evil was present. It’s there, whether we realize it or not, lurking to attack us when we are vulnerable.
Our response to temptation should be to flee from what is so obviously not the truth. As 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 says, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
This verse offers comfort. By relying on God’s strength, it is possible to say no, and God will give you enough strength to stick to that decision.
Are there times where you listen to lies in your own mind? Those lies might be telling you that you’re not good enough or that nothing will get any better. Remember those are lies that the enemy has placed in your mind to discourage you. But, take heart, God is present. God is victorious, and He is in control of your life. Pray that God will remind you of that powerful truth whenever you get discouraged.