by Howard Watson
Satan the deceiver, came to Eve in the garden and led her to lust,
for the fruit which God had commanded not to be eaten. Having approached
her in the likeness of a serpent with great craftiness, Satan led
her to disbelieve God and to go against His will and commandment.
Gen. 3:1-6. The fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden was
not to be eaten. God had subjected her and Adam to obedience and
trust of Him and His word, for he was their creator and sustainer,
the Almighty God (Elohim).
Satan's guile is reflected in the animal of choice for tempting
Eve "...and the serpent was cunning/crafty above every animal
of the field which God had made...," and the method of his
questioning of Eve, alone without Adam's inclusion. Why was Adam
not there? Had Satan been watching for the right moment of attack?
Being crafty/cunning did he not know that Eve was Adam's helpmate,
often the bringer of fruit for her beloved to enjoy.
Satan will continue to test the people of God concerning their earthly
desires and carnal/fleshly longings, as opposed to their faithful
reliance upon God (waiting upon the Lord Isa. 40:28-31). Notice
verse six: "...when the woman saw that the fruit of the tree
was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for
gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it...."NIV. How does
wisdom come from fruit juice? Does wine or other intoxicants bring
understand? Satan still works his craft. THE GREAT ERROR OF SIN
WAS TAKING THE WORD OF SATAN OVER THE WORD OF GOD. The cost was
death, not life, darkness, not light, ignorance instead of godly
wisdom.
It is interesting that the so-called church of Satan (COS), founded
by the late Anton LeVey, professes not to believe in a Personal
God or a personal Devil/Satan. LeVey, who published the "Satanic
Bible" in l969, taught that Satan was a myth of the Christian
Church. The COS then used the name Satan as a type of lightning
rod to draw attention to their self directed pleasure driven lifestyles
of "let's indulge in all our lusts to the fullest." A
new age translation of eat and drink and be merry for tomorrow we
will die or get too old and weak to have our sensuous pleasures
any longer. LeVey died at the age of 67. I'm reminded in Romans
3:18 by the apostle Paul: "There is no fear/reverence of God
before their eyes." The "Nine Satanic Statements--indulgence,
instead of abstinence;-- vital existence, instead of spiritual pipe
dreams,-- undefiled wisdom, instead of hypocritical self-deceit;--kindness
to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates;-- vengeance,
instead of turning the cheek;"...man is just another animal...."
So the Satanists seek freedom from the constrains of God's Laws.
They banish the Christian God- Jehovah and Jesus Christ in the name
of Satan in whom they neither believe nor understand. I suppose
that Satan is really pleased, even though these hedonists don't
really believe Satan exists. Instead believe themselves, to be their
own god. Now Satan directs his energies toward God's true children
of faith in efforts of deceit, lies, murderings (this is being reported
regularly) and against the Church of the living God, who will trample
Satan under foot as the Church moves on triumphantly.
Where has Satan been most successful against the children of the
"birth from above"? Probably, Satan has been most successful
in disrupting personal relationships within the Christian community/fellowship.
It seems the submission teachings of Christ, meaning that we should,
in love, submit to each another's need for support, is where Satan
presses his greatest attacks on Christians. Satan, through demonic
spirits, will stalk us and seek to break us down in our spirit and
mind. Too often, he succeeds, in planting fears and doubts which
lead to breakdowns of trust and fellowship among individual believers.
Satan works through mind and spirit deception. Yet, we must believe
in God's promise to make us overcomers, in spite of trials/temptations
brought by Satan and his demons (other fallen angel spirits). See
Acts 26:18; Romans 16:20; 2 Cor. 2:ll, 4:4, 11:3, 12:7; I Pet. 5:8;
2 Pet 2:4; Lk. 10:18.
God does not lie! "... he (Satan) is a liar, and the father
of it." John 8:44.
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