Satan's Strategy Against Eve - Genesis Part 6

We are involved in a verse by verse study of the book of Genesis and last week we looked at Genesis chapter 3 were out of many disobeyed God and spiritually polluted the entire human race, and we look last week at how God in his mercy remedy this by creating an entirely new race headed not by Adam, but by the risen Lord Jesus Christ and we saw last week that anybody can transfer into this new race who wants to know if you missed last week, I urge you to pick up the CD out at our bookstore. After the service were to go online to our website and listen for free or download the message for free is a critical message for Saul to understand but today what we want to do is go back to Genesis chapter 3 and look at the strategy that Satan used so successfully against Adam and Eve and then we want to bring all that forward and we want to talk about okay so then what difference does that make for you and me go there we go. Genesis chapter 3 Satan strategy verse one now the Bible says the serpent was more crafty than any of the animals that the Lord God had made the word serpent here in Hebrew literally means a snake. But the Bible tells us that the real tempter here in the garden of Eden was not sums snake. It was rather the devil Satan, Lucifer himself. We see that in Revelation chapter 12 verse nine where the Bible says the great dragon was cast out of heaven that all serpent called the devil and Satan, and so the point is that Satan was merely using the serpent as a disguise so that he could get near Adam and Eve's salon allowing the women would stop right there. You really believe there's an actual being called the devil, I mean you know with the little pointy ears in the long pointy tail in the pitchfork and read you really believe this.

Well friends I don't have any idea whether he's got pointed ears, or whether his colors readies got pitchfork but yes I absolutely do believe there is a real being called the devil is real as you and I and the reason I believe this is very simply because the Bible tells me that he's real. The Bible does not tell us a ton of information about the devil but we do know a little bit. Let me tell you what we do know in Isaiah chapter 14, the Bible tells us that Satan was God's greatest angel, but it's something went desperately wrong in his heart listen.

Isaiah 1413 talking about Satan, God says, but you said in your heart. I will ascend into heaven.

Satan you said I will make myself like the most high God. Ezekiel 28 continues in our understanding of what happened with Satan. Verse 13 you were in Eden, God says the garden of God. I ordained you as a guardian cherub is an angel you were blameless in all your ways until unrighteousness was found in you your heart's became proud because of your beauty and you sin folks of anybody ever ask you committed the first sit in the universe.

It was not Eve. It was not Adam it was Satan.

And so in disgrace God says I drove you out of heaven and I threw you down to the earth and once here on earth. The Bible tells us that Lucifer became God's mortal enemy.

He also became the mortal enemy of everything created in the image of God, meaning you and me and all of mankind and the Bible tells us that this guy is still as the serpent it was Satan who put the events of Genesis chapter 3 into motion, and his strategy was a masterpiece of deception. Let's look at it. Genesis chapter 3 verse one continues and the serpent said to the woman, did God really say you shall not eat from the trees of the garden and the woman said to the serpent.

All she said we we may eat from the trees of the garden but the tree that's in the middle of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat from it or touch it or you will surely die, and the serpent said to the woman you shall not surely die for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be open and then you will be like God, who else wanted to be like God, Satan himself. Yeah. And you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Now let's look at the strategy here that Satan uses against Eve therefore parts of it. Let me show you what they are part number one is that Satan caught Eve alone. When Adam wasn't around.

You see, Satan new that only Adam had actually heard God's command not to eat of the tree with his own ears. She still had you know that for sure what I know it number one because when God gave Adam that command originally Genesis 2 verse 17 Eve wasn't even created yet and also number two. I know it because when God confronted Adam and Eve about having done what they did, God said, Genesis 311. Have you masculine singular unilateral eaten from the tree that I commanded you masculine singular in the Hebrew Adam not to eat from. The reason that God directed his comments so specifically it Adam is because God had never given this command directly to Eve even only heard about it secondhand from Adam and that's why she said to the serpent were not even allowed to touch the tree guy friends. God never said anything about touching the tree she kind of embellished it because she didn't hear God say it originally and Satan knew that this made her more vulnerable if Adam wasn't around. To reiterate, and remind her of what God had actually said to him. Furthermore, Satan also knew that if he approached Adam and Eve together, they would be in a position to mutually support one another to speak spiritual truth to one another to hold one another accountable for obedience to God and to help one another counteract Satan's lies whereas, on her own isolated apart from biblical community with Adam for that moment in time Satan knew Eve would be more vulnerable to attack and so number one part one of Satan strategy with Eve, is he was out to find her and go after her when she was here virtually isolated part two is Satan tried to get Eve's focus on to what she didn't have an off of what she did have me think of it, Eve had everything in the entire world. But one thing that can can you imagine that. How would you like to have that situation today, God gives you everything in the all girl but one thing I mean how much difference could that one thing possibly make so why not if you're not the president of the United States. If you don't have a Ferrari's outline. If you don't wear Jimmy Choo shoes. Who cares if that's the only thing in all the world that you don't get to do my gosh.

Can you get along without that. One thing will folks, that's exactly the situation.

Eve had and yet look what Satan does. He says hey he let's talk about the one thing you don't have high let's talk about that tree in the middle of the garden and Eve listens to it. Part three of his strategy now is that he's now suggests urges Eve to doubt God's goodness to her verse five of chapter 3 for God knows that the serpent that in the day you eat from the tree.

Your eyes will be open and you will be like God gets to close to even a ghosts community that will take some cuts holding out on you, Eve, God doesn't want you to be like him. God doesn't want to share being God with you.

God doesn't want you to know good from evil God is being unfair to you, Eve. God is trying to keep you down Eve. God is not doing what's best for you, Eve. He's not giving you what you deserve and you need to take matters into your own hands and go that route.

Even though it's disobeying God fruit and Eve starts thinking yeah that's right who's got think he is tell me I can have that for how dare him keep that fruit for me and now here comes spiritual checkmate part for the fourth part of the strategy is that Satan now denies the disobeying God is going to bring the consequences. God said it would. Genesis chapter 3 verse four and the serpent said to the woman you shall not surely die. Did God tell you, Eve, that if you eat from that tree.

You're going to die hi not sure I know it's all a big lie. He's pulling your leg.

Eve, you shall not surely die girl. Don't worry about it and by doing all of this. Satan get Eve to ignore God's clear warning about sin and its consequences. So can we summarize Satan strategy member here is number one. He got Eve spiritually isolated number two we got Eve to focus on what God hadn't given her number three. He got Eve to believe that God was holding out on her and number four. He got Eve to eat the Lord God's warnings about the consequences of sin (one Satan got Eve to this point. She was a dead duck. Watch verse six chapter 3 and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from the fruit and she ate but you know getting Eve to disobey God, was not mission accomplished for Satan.

No, Satan had to get Adam to eat. Adam was the federal head of the human race.

Not Eve. Eve came from Adam.

Just like all of us come from Adam. It was only by spiritually polluting Adam that Satan could spiritually pollute the entire human race. And if you were here last week. You understand this whole doctrine about federal headship and if you weren't here last week you need to get the CD or go online and listen and understand that important biblical doctrine of federal headship. Well, verse six of chapter 3 then Eve gave some of the fruit to her husband, Adam, and he a you say law women, why did Adam do this well I don't know how my supposed to know why didn't I mean, you would think that he could when she came to him with the fruit he could've gone and that he could set a God to God hey God hey God, listen the first woman you gave me, look at this, she messed up. I got all the ribs take one of them and make another one and will start over. If she messes up.

I got more ribs is a wild lobotomy do that he did have a lot of ribs don't know. I don't know but what happened is this exactly what God said would happen.

Adam and Eve die simulated they were just as alive the next moment as they were when they from the tree, wait a minute. The Bible tells us there are two kinds of data. First of all, this physical death. That is when our bodies die, we become physically lifeless physical corpses and there's also another kind of death. The Bible tells about and that's your original death were our spirits.we become spiritually lifeless spiritual corpses in our relationship with God.

Now it's true. Adam and Eve did not experience immediate physical death. The process of physical death began to work in them immediately and eventually they would die physically, but in his mercy, God didn't make their physical death instantaneous.

Why because he wanted to give them time to repent and to be forgiven first. However, friends Adam and Eve did experience immediate spiritual death immediately. Their intimacy with God was shattered immediately.

They became alienated and separated in their relationship with God is that you know that just look what happens next.

Verse eight. Then Adam and Eve 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 among the trees of the garden from the presence of the Lord. Verse nine then the Lord God called to the man and said to him, where are you and Adam said I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid myself of folks Adam and Eve and never run away from God before Adam and Eve and never hidden from God before Adam and Eve and never been afraid of God before something sinister had taken place in the relationship between Adam and Eve in God and what it happened is that Adam and Eve had become spiritual corpses.

They became dead in their relationship to God and instead of confidence they felt fear instead of love.

They ran away and they hear listen Ephesians chapter 2 verse one says that this was a curse that the entire human race inherited that we are all born said the Bible says, spiritually dead in our trespasses and our sins because were in Adam's race is to allow what's the point of all this to the point of all of this is the Satan lied to Eve, just like he loves the lie to you and me and this is why the Lord Jesus said of Lucifer.

John 844. There is no truth in him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and because Adam and Eve. Here's the point. Listen to his lies. They polluted the entire human race with both physical and spiritual death. Now, as we saw last week, God loves us so much that he made a way out.

Of all of this death for us a way out that was purchased by Jesus on the cross and if you weren't here last week. It is that I know I know I know, go get the CD or listen to it on the Internet right right right. We covered so much ground last week. You really need to hear. Now that the stars were going to go today because were to stop now and ask our most important questions go all of you Loudoun and all of you at the Prince William and all of you at Bethesda and everybody on the Internet campus and down, and edge community and everybody here would eradicate you sure okay let's say 123 day God is a long very interesting. Moderately so. But listen, what difference does any of this make me I mean I don't like snakes. I will have a snake, talk to snakes. So what difference is any of this make to me. I don't get it.

Well, let's see if we can make a connection for you okay you know Satan is still alive and well on planet Earth, my friends, and he is still God's sworn eternal enemy, and he still your enemy and my enemy and Satan today has two primary goals. Let me tell you what they are. Goal number one is to destroy people's souls by getting them to reject Jesus Christ and stay spiritually dead. Remember we mentioned Ephesians 21 says everybody enters this life spiritually dead because their members of Adam's race.

Remember that I'm in the go.

All right, Satan's goal is to get us not to accept Christ and leave this life. Spiritually dead, and if we do, I'm telling you in eternity. The ramifications of that are go to Lee hello and punishment and everything bad.

The Bible says about hell ugly. That's his goal destroy your soul will praise the Lord. Sometimes he fails in goal number one. Praise the Lord. Sometimes people come to Christ.

Hey. Praise the Lord. Sometimes people get saved and come spiritually alive to God. Hey. Praise the Lord. Yeah okay so sometimes he fails but you know what, if he fails, the goal number one. He says it's okay, I'll move on to goal number two in goal number two for the enemy is to deceive Christians into disobeying God, and bringing disaster on themselves just the way Adam and Eve did in the little bit of time I got left. I want to talk to us about the second goal of the enemy that is deceiving us as followers of Christ and trying to get us to disobey God and bring disaster on our lives. And you know here's the really interesting thing Satan is still using the exact same strategy on you and me today that he used on Eve thousands of years ago and you know the most amazing thing it still works it still effective and he's trying to do it to you and me every single day. So let's go back to remind ourselves what it is he's trying to do to you and me number one and he does it to television to radio through magazines to ungodly friends given us ungodly advising that he does it every Nikki way he can think of a number one the first thing he does is just as with Eve, Satan tries to get us spiritually isolated.

He tries to convince us that we don't need to be in biblical community with other believers, we can make it on our own that we can be the Christian Lone Ranger and we don't even need Tonto know we do it all by ourselves. He whispers in her ear. Hey don't need to join a small group at church. Hey will need to have believers is your closest friends, a don't need to be in an accountable relationship with fellow godly people friends. It wasn't by accident that Satan got Eve when she was alone and isolated.

He knew that if she was in biblical community with Adam. She would've been much harder to Laura into sin, and the same is true for us. You know all these Christian leaders lately have gone into the ditch.

I mean I don't have the name of you know who they are, was interesting. I read an article by psychologist. One of the Ivy League colleges who did a study on all of these Christian leaders trying to find out what did they have in common that cause them to end up in the ditch. I mean, they all came from different geographical areas that different educational backgrounds had different kinds of ministries but they must have something in common was the theory of this psychologist and you know what he found very interesting. He found that one of the key things all these leaders who went into the ditch had in common is every one of them was living in spiritual isolation. They did not have fellow believers around them who were speaking biblical truth in their life they did not have fellow believers around them who were asking them the hard questions they did not have other believers around them who were there to counteract Satan's lies and talk to them when they got weaker.

They had a tough day and as followers of Christ.

Let me say to you here today and myself friends outside of biblical community.

We are sitting ducks for the enemy just like Eve was an Satan is a good shot.

He doesn't miss sitting ducks. And that's why here McLean Bible church.

We are always appealing to you to get in a small group to get into biblical community with fellow believers around you listen we do not get a commission for how many people we get in the small groups here we are doing this because we care about you. We are doing this because we know this protects you. We are doing this to try to help you. Just like Jerry Maguire.

Help us help you. Please were trying to help you because in biblical community. It is much harder for the enemy to get us to disobey God. Number two next strategy uses on us is just like with Eve.

He tries to breed discontent in our life.

Discontent about what we don't have discontent over what God hasn't given us. Maybe we then ask God for it and he said no or maybe we haven't even specifically ask God for it, but it's something we really want. And God hasn't given it to issue me like what well I mean like a husband or wife, a boyfriend or girlfriend a different job or a better car, or a higher salary or nicer house or child of our own, or physical healing for us or somebody we love, more power, more fame, more advancement, more notoriety, whatever it may be Satan's strategy is to get our focus on to what God has not given us instead of what God has given us. Number three. Just as with the Satan then tries to get us to question God's love for us. He whispers in her ear. Hey, it's God really loved you. If God really cared about you he to given you that thing you want to got doesn't really love and care about you or else you have.

Does that sound familiar for sure that's exactly what he hissed into Eve's ear and then Satan whispers in our ear just like he did Eve hey no one don't need to accept this kind of treatment from God. You need to get out there and get what you want. You need to take matters in your own hands, and even if it means you gotta disobey God's just a little disobeying God. I mean it's not like murder or anything, or embezzlement or anything one. So go on out there and get that husband or wife even if they're not walking with Christ. The way you know they should be. It's okay I going out there and get that dating relationship with. Things are going on that you know shouldn't be going on.

But it's all going out there and get that new car that you can afford, it's okay going out there and do whatever you need to do, even if it's a little unethical to get where you need to get to them get what you want to pay cuts holding out on you. You need to take matters in your own hands. Finally, number four, while he's telling us this Satan assures us that God really doesn't mean what he says just like you did with Eve about the consequences of sin. He says all you know what Jesus went to the cross for you.

He died on the cross for you.

He loves you so much.

He would never punish you. Jesus said in the Bible. He would always forgive you so you don't have anything to worry about.

Go do whatever you want to do, you'll forgive you. You shall not surely die. Friend, you know what happens too often is that we believe him and we take the bait and just like with Eve. He sinks to hook deep into our flesh and we regretted the rest of our life just like Eve did several lawn I'm totally depressed now.

I am what why not come with a vision so you could depressed me when I'm not done I'm not done friend am I gonna leave you like this because we need to answer final question and that is how do we repulse Satan's schemes. How do we resist them.

How do we outwit his schemes against us. While the Bible tells us, and that's what we want to end with how can we rise above there so we don't get dragged into it like Eve did, and here's what the Bible says. Second Corinthians chapter 10 verse five it says we must take outwit Satan schemes we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. In other words, the battle, the Bible is telling us between us and Satan is in our mind is in our thought life. So we must discipline our minds to think biblically, to run everything through the filter of biblical truth we have to praise God for what we do have. We have to be like Psalm 103 verse one that says praise the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy name, praise the Lord all my soul and forget non-all his benefits. The verse doesn't say and remember everything he hasn't given you that in what it says it says forget none of his benefits our mindset. Listen to me now has to be no, I refuse to focus on what God hasn't given me on what God's chosen not to give me I'm not going to focus on that and it's because I know the Bible. I know the Bible teaches me that God loves me more than I love myself and I know the Bible teaches me that in his wisdom. If God really felt this thing I wanted was best for me to given it to me and since he didn't give it to me. I have to assume that in his wisdom. He knows it would harm me.

And I'm willing to trust God. He knows more than I know.

And furthermore I must remember that God is not kidding about the consequences of disobedience and sin, when I take matters into my own fleshly hands and I go out and disobey God to get what I want.

I am going to regret it. The Bible tells me I'm going to regret it and it's going to be true numbers 3223 be sure your sin will find you out. God says, and we need to say you know what God is not lying to me he's telling me the truth found out Adam and he found out Eve and it will find out me not this is what it means to think biblically.

This is what it means to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. And this is how we fight the enemy by not listening to his lies, but running them through this live of biblical truth and once we do it they come out looking like what they really are lies and we teeter we get a little shaky. That's when we need fellow believers around us who can see that were teetering and who can exhort us with biblical truth and can hold us accountable for obeying God folks, this is the approach to life that will enable you and me to pull our ship safely into the harbor of heaven without Satan having punched holes all through the hall.

We've got to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

We got to know the word of God, we gotta believe the word of God's. And then we have to compare every thought that comes at us from television, from radio for magazines from our friends. Every thought goes through the filter of the truth of the word of God. That's how we defend ourselves. Now let me conclude and say Satan is alive and well on planet Earth, and he's out to get your is out to get me and he's ruthless and what he wants to do, my friends. He wants to take you and me down the same path that he took Eve down and I'm here to tell you we can repulse him, but the way to do it is we have to praise God for what we do have we have to rejoice in what God has given us instead of focusing on what we don't have and we have to. Assuming God's wisdom that we don't have it because it wouldn't be best and we need to remember. If we disobey God and all you don't have to commit genocide if we go out and disobey God, even a little to get what we want it will bite us and we will regretted every time you several long role human. I know and should don't you ever mean don't you ever get week on this.

Don't you ever go like get little shaky on this yourself all the time all the time. I'm no different than you and many times I'll be lying in my bed at night and I'll be thinking about things I don't have things I wished I had things I've been with somebody today that had some model have that I would like here that happens to me all the time but you know what I've learned I learned how to fight and it really helps me to fight like this now. I hope maybe will help you if I tell you about this. I lay there in bed and here's what I do I sing a song myself.

I sing a song is what I say when upon life billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost count your many blessings.

Angels will attend the help and comfort give you to your journey's end and then what I do is I start laying there in bed and saying God let me start. Let me just start naming off all the blessings you have given you given me an amazing wife for 36 years who has put up with me. Praise God. I usually can stop right there and say that's all I need. I got wonderful children and grandchildren.

My daughters chose doing better than I ever thought that she would do. I've got this wonderful privilege took to leave this wonderful church and these people love me in spite of myself Florida others is wonderful. You know what when you start naming off all these things that the Lord is done for you. I've got good health. I love what I do and I got a nice house and did you know and you start going through this, I'm telling you what you were laying in bed worried about just seems to, not matter, so why if I don't have a Ferrari so if I don't where Jimmy Choo say lawn a little worse for her to know knows a lot. What difference does it make Lord in light of all the blessings you've given me.

It is an amazing amazing therapy that works why because it's biblical and forget. None of his benefits. I hope it works for you. It does for me and you know what, I love that him because I love it were an all stand and sing.

Come on up to go, let's go and listen to sing a cappella and when it comes to leading you on the best you got today. Sorry. Right now this is it. You got me ready first verse here we go sing with me. When upon life billows you are to stars when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost count your many blessings. Angels will attend the help and comfort give you to your journey's income are saying, your blessings name them one by one on your blessings. See what God has gone to your blast sayings. The name them one by one on the count. Your many blessings see what God has taken yourselves a hand that was God. Okay, that's close in prayer. Heavenly father, thank you so much for reminding us of biblical truth today, and indeed, Lord Jesus, bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Knowing the word of God thinking the word of God and running everything that gets whispered in our ear through the sill of the word of God and its troops.

That is the way we repulse the attacks of the enemy. That is the way that we keep ourselves on the straight and narrow, and that is the way we stay right in the center of God's will and God's blessing for life and so father make us men and women who are mentally disciplined men and women who know the word of God because we've taken time to study it. Men and women who believe the word of God and men and women who run every thought through the word of God. That's the greatest protection that we can possibly have. And I pray Lord that you would help us to implement that protective system in our lives. Thank you for talking to us today.

Father change the way we live.

Even the way we fall asleep at night because we were here, and sat under the teaching of your Word and we pray this in Jesus name. What are God's people say have a wonderful week, count your blessings