Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” ² The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; ³ but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” ⁴ The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! ⁵ For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will ^[a]become like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings

The Devil is the Master of Deception. The Father of lies. He uses this to tempt and stop us from obeying God.

2 Cor. 2:11 – So that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. NASU

Anytime one of us sins, we are in danger. Overcome with great and sorrow. No advantage, so we would not be ignorant of his schemes.

I Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

How Satan attacked Eve:

1. Used circumstances – caught the woman alone, she was the only one mentioned. Different level of danger.
2. In full view of the fruit. Focused the attention on it. Things that will trap us.
3. Asked questions to cause her to doubt God’s goodness. Why? Limit the garden of this fruit.
4. Lied to her convincingly.

Believable lies of the Devil

1. Restriction is bad and total freedom is good. Idea of total freedom is a myth. John shared a story of a young man that was a teenager that lived with his dad and was under rules. Then when his was over at his mom’s, he did not have rules and one day went out and got drunk and had to get him out of jail. When his dad picked him up and he stayed with him even when he went to work, he asked him. Why did you get drunk and got in jail. The son responded that he had freedom when he was at his mom’s. His dad responded, did you feel like you had freedom when you went to jail? We all have to follow the laws of the land. Romans 6:16-23 We are going to be slaved to something.
2. God gave us a mind to reason and know where the righteous live. Go with your feelings. If it feels good, it’s good. Why are you feeling the way you are feeling? It looked good, yet tasted bad.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man. But its end is the way of death. NASU

We need to be able to test our feelings.

3. Wisdom requires that I know both good and evil. How do you know it’s wrong unless you experience it? Do you have to experience sin to know it’s sinful? NO! Know God and he distinguishes it.

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Duet. 29:29 Can you trust God? “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, so that we may ^[j]follow all the words of this Law.

4. It is always good to please others. Does it always ruffle your feathers and you please someone than to avoid a fight? Constant peer pressure is not good. You have a choice.

Matt. 5:11-12 ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

5. Nothing very bad will happen if you do.

John 12:48 The one who rejects Me and does not ^[a]accept My ^[b]teachings has one who judges him: the word which I spoke. That will judge him on the last day.

Heb. 10:26-31 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

What can I do?

1. Don’t hang around with the Devil or his crowd.
2. Don’t listen to him.
3. Know yourself. Know your weakness and take precausions against them.
4. Know God and what He has promised.

In the end…

You cannot be forgiven. That’s a lie, don’t ever fall for it. There is forgiveness in Christ. Father, forgive them. -The Master Fisherman

Sermon by John Kilgore at Alston Road Church of Christ. Great thoughts to make sure you are keeping your guard up and more aware of your choices around you.