The Subtle Adversary

This morning I read the 3rd chapter of Genesis which depicts the fall of man. The very first verse really struck home with me when the writer calls the serpent subtle. From the beginning of time, the devil has wreaked havoc on so many lives. The writer however chooses to use the word subtle to describe him! If you continue reading that chapter, you will find that the adversary didn't make Eve eat of the forbidden fruit. He used subtle tactics to coerce her into sin. He only suggested that she eat of the fruit. There was not a moment where the devil had her in bonds where she had no choice. She could have easily walked away, but she decided to stay and listen to his speech.

When Adam and Eve had everything they could have ever wanted or needed, why do you think they threw it all away with the enticement of a piece of fruit? They weren't hungry or in the midst of a famine. There were other trees that had appetizing fruit. How could they let the enemy entice them into giving up everything that God had given them? Eve made the mistake of letting the devil plead his case. When she let him talk to her, she was blinded by his watered down offer of being just like God.

What are you letting the devil tell you today? Don't think the enemy is going to make you do anything. He doesn't have that type of power over you. He will only come with a subtle invitation. Don't let him tell you that God can't bring you out of what you are dealing with. Every time you entertain his suggestions, he strips away more and more of your faith. Stop listening to his lies. You take power over the enemy when you recognize his tactics. There is nothing the devil can do to you unless you let him. Stop letting the devil fool you into having a skewed mentality. The word of God says to obtain the mind of Christ. How do we do that? Recognize that the devil is only as strong as you think he is. Concentrate on what God is trying to tell you instead of the false suggestions of the adversary. Take back your authority over the enemy!