Deception

"Did God actually say" (Gen. 3:1).... confusion. "You will not surely" (Gen. 3:4).... deception. Although we don't know the length of time between the purity of Gen. 2:25 and the fall in Gen. 3, we see the cascading consequences to this day. The tactics of deception and confusion haven't changed in all this time. They're the building blocks that create optionalism, temptation, rebellion, and rejection. In Matt. 4:4 Jesus quotes Deut. 8:3 to counter the confusion and deception tactics of the enemy. Our Lord did this under adverse conditions in hostile territory. He certainly could have used other means to crush the enemy. Instead, He chose to use His hardship to lovelingly teach us the importance of knowing the Word.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”  John 8:31-32

When the enemy whispers, "did God really say?", the only way to know for sure is to start by reading what God really said. Reading the Word without studying it, meditating on it, and memorizing it robs us of.the opportunity to make His Word part of us. Jesus spells this out clearly in the verses above. We are to abide in His Word. When we skim or skip, we give up our freedom and become slaves to sin. 

The reality is when we abide in God's Word, the Spirit uses it to nourish our soul, guide our steps, and renew our mind. His Word, coupled with the presence of the Spirit, gives us the ability to take every thought captive in obedience to Christ. We are able to determine His good, perfect, and pleasing will. From there, we are not only hearers but also doers of His will. One who abides in the Word of God is not easily deceived or confused. As Jesus explained to His disciples, the Counselor will remind us and enlighten us on all of what Jesus taught us. 

The enemy is cunning, ruthless, and relentless. The enemy thrives on chaos and confusion, using deception as a way to draw us sheep away from our Shepherd. Once we're alone and isolated, the enemy uses temptation to engage our flesh. When we succumb and indulge our ungodly desires, the enemy uses guilt and condemnation to divide our heart and destroy our hope. The enemy is so arrogant, he hasn't changed his tactics since they first seemingly proved successful in the garden. Being alert to these tactics, resisting the devil, and fleeing from temptation by the power of the Spirit within us, thwarts the attack. God's Word keeps us on our toes at all times. The psalmist expressed it well when he wrote, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11)

The attack is real and the strategy of the enemy is evident. The man of God is not caught unaware. The Word of God gives us our victory, but we must be prepared. 

Are you prepared?