Pastor Stephen Dedman

Don’t Fall For It

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?””
Genesis‬ ‭3:1

The devil uses deceptions and doubt against us to cause us to sin. The deceptions that were used against Eve are still used against us today. It’s very noticeable when you read it but it’s not so noticeable when you live it.

The devil made Eve question the Word of God. The devil said, “did God really say…”. He deceived Eve into thinking that God’s instructions were not that important. He tried to convince Eve that she could eat of every tree in the Garden. She responded in verse 2 by saying they could eat of every tree except of the tree in the middle of the garden and if they even touched it, they would die. Then the devil went on to tempt Eve in a way that made her think that eating of the forbidden tree would make her be just like God and she would like it.

That’s exactly what the devil does to us today. He makes us question the authority of God’s Word and instructions and convinces us that it’s ok to go against what God says. It starts out as a thought and then it stems to a temptation and then to a sin. It’s quick and easy but it’s deadly.

Satan knows that when we sin we lose fellowship with God and with others. He sets traps for us to fall into until we finally fall. And when we do finally fall into sin he uses our sin against us. We feel the shame and regret and it takes a toll on us until we confess and repent.

We can stop deception in its tracks when we sincerely guard the Word of God as truth. Psalms 16:11 says, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” God knows what is best for us. We need to keep His Word in our hearts and on our minds so when the devil tempts us to sin we can resist him. The only way to fight against the deception and lies of the devil is to proclaim the truth of God.

Pray

Lord, let Your Word be on my lips everyday. Help me to resist the temptation of the devil and make him flee. Protect me and guard me.