“Did God Really Say?”

You should know your enemy as well as his strategy. By the way if you are believer in Jesus, you are in a battlefield. Nobody sleeps there. You have to be alert and fight.

So what is the enemy’s strategy? There are several. But the great one of them all is the question, “Did God really say?” (see Genesis 3:1). If you look at the root of all your temptations, it begins with doubting God’s Word. From this doubt of the truth and authority of God’s Word, we slip into sin.

If the first is doubt, the second is a thirst for knowledge that falsely promises that you will be like God (see Genesis 3:5). If you look around you will find many systems and spiritual outfits promising you knowledge–about your future, about mind-controlling techniques, and about making it rich and successful in this life.

The problem is that all these philosophies promote the self in us which is opposed to God. We are called to crucify the self or the sinful nature with all its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24, Romans 6:6). So seeking after knowledge from wrong sources is open rebellion against God. It is like telling God, “I know to run my own life. I want to be independent.” When you thus do not depend on God, you become slaves to sin (John 8:34).

Finally, following doubt about God’s Word and thirst after knowledge to be like God, there comes the appeal to the senses. Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food (see Genesis 3:6). Appetite. Temptations are actually an increase of our appetites. It can take the form of sex, drugs and alcohol, entertainment, indulging in wrong kind of relationships and so on.

One last thought. Temptations appeal to us because they are pleasing to the eye (see Genesis 3:6). Who will be tempted if it does not come in attractive packages! But when attractive packages appeal to you, your only hope is to confront it with God’s Word. As Jesus did, when he repeatedly told the devil, “It is written.” (see Matthew 4:1—11 and Luke 4:1—13). The truth of God’s Word always makes the devil flee.

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