There's something about being in a quiet place that allows the enemy to think it's his time to shine. I don't know about you but whenever things are real quite it seems like her grabs a megaphone to yell his lies like a cheerleader. It seems like everything he said gets louder and louder, like he's hosting his own pep rally to cheer on his starting lineup of lies, doubt, and deceit. This is one reason I always keep some music close by. My mom and grandma always talk about me for keeping the radio on in my car but they don't understand the power of music to quickly reach and influence the soul. If you stop and think about it, I bet there are 5 songs you can quickly recall all the lyrics to but for most, the same can't be said about passages of scripture (I know my word though!). The right song can completely change my attitude, lift my spirits, encourage me, or give me that push I need to go on and drown out the voice of the enemy.
The devil will never tell you the whole truth. He will always twist it, add, take away, or promise you something he can't deliver on. Look at Adam and Eve in the garden. God had already given them a word but what happened? That subtle ol serpent came and twisted up the word of God to promise Eve something that wasn't what it appeared to be. In Genesis 2:17 God told Adam, " But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." This is how we get caught slippin. The devil is in the details.
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Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. ~Genesis 3:1-5
First of all, Eve added her own spin on what God had said. Looking back in Genesis 2:17, God didn't tell her not to touch it, He said don't eat of it. Sometimes we like alter the instruction of God without even realizing it, which sets us up for failure, and then speak it out in error giving the enemy a new springboard. Which leads me into the second detail... He came up all sly and slick asking questions he already knew the answer to. He knew what God had said because he heard it for himself. Third thing... Eve was giving information that wasn't necessary.. sometimes we just talk too much. Then came the lies and twisting. Now the devil throws a little bit of truth into every lie so ya gotta pay attention when he starts talking. He told Eve that she could eat the fruit and not die, basically that He was keeping her from it because God didn't want her to be like Him. This was the first and second lie. Eve should have asked herself why would God want to keep her from something when He'd already given her everything? Nevertheless... he moved on to offering promises he couldn't deliver on. Yes their eyes would be open and they would know good and evil, but the problem is what he left out. This death wasn't natural but spiritual. God didn't want them to be separated from Him, He didn't intend for them to receive all of that knowledge at once. Can you imagine what must have been going through their minds?
The other thing that nobody likes to talk about is Adam's role in all this. If you keep reading in Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Now if Adam was there with her, Eve wasn't the only one to blame. As the spiritual head of the family Adam should have heard what was going on and shut the serpent down before he even got close enough to lie in the first place. The instructions were given to Adam before Eve was ever even formed so he should have known the serpent was lying. He never said a word to recall the instructions of God, he just ate the fruit. I was discussing this one day and got a perspective I had never thought about before....
My friend pointed out that Adam may not have intentionally stepped out of his place of leadership. He suggested that Adam made an error unknowingly because he trusted that the one God created for him wouldn't bring him anything harmful. For example, if I had brought something to him and gave it to him he would never question it because he believes that I have his best interest at heart and that I only want what's best for him. I could see that happening, but at the same time, we have to look at the details. Satan attacked the woman first.. in other words he slid in through the backdoor and bypassed the watchman of the house. His attack was intentional and strategic. Like it always is!
I said all that to say this.. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS!
When you're in a service, open up your own Bible and don't just rely on what's on the screen. Look at the fine print on contracts and agreements. Write down the instructions God gives you for yourself, word for word and stick to it.. don't let anybody sway you on what God said concerning you. Don't let the devil twist what God has said concerning you. Remember that he's the father of all lies.. so if he says you'll never be anything, know that you're destined for greatness. If he says you'll never be married, your spouse is being prepared. If he says you'll never be successful then know that everything God blesses your hands to do will succeed. If God shows you glimpses of your future in dreams or visions, write it down!! Habakkuk 2:2-3 says,
And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
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