Same Old Tricks

Reflecting on the entrance of sin into the human race, I realize the enemy continues to use the same old tricks today.

It was first the simple twist of words, consisting of partial truths, and partial truths are complete lies.

It was this twisted truth questioning, that engaged Eve in conversation with the serpent.

Genesis 3:1"...Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Eve evidently felt the need to respond with her correction, Genesis 3:2-3 ""We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ""You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.""

Now that he has her attention and engaged in convesation, he goes a bit further.

Genesis 3:4-5""...You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it  your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.""

As the saying goes, "give em an inch they'll take a mile."

Here again the serpent presents the twist, a mixing of partial truths, "you will be like God." The truth of the matter was, they were already like God.  Genesis 1:26 " Then God said, "" Let Us make man in our image, according to our likeness..."" also adding that in being like God they would know good and evil, for up until this time they had only known good. After all they were not God, but they were like him, and this was God's plan, that man know and do what is good.

The second thing the serpent did was, get Eve's focus off of God and set it on something she'd find more desirable.

This was the fruit of the tree of good and evil.  Genesis 3:6 "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."

It was this shifting of focus which led to mans down fall.

These same tricks are yet used by the enemy today.

His clever presentation of deception, through twisted partial truths in thoughts and ideas. His well disguised distractions to turn our focus from God, and his subtle dangling of temptation before our eyes, causing one to desire such delicacies in our imagination.

He also does his very best to bring us to a place of condemnation, guilt and shame, of our past failures and mistakes, hoping that we forget, Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

 Yes, he keeps using the same old tricks, just in different times.