Award Winning GENESIS SCHOOL OF MUSIC

➡️According to a recent Gallup poll, 74% of Americans believe in God, 67% believe in Heaven, 59% believe in Hell – and only 57% believe in an actual devil.  It seems like most people have a Hollywood image of the devil – red, horns, pitchfork, fairytale – or even a cartoon version of the devil, a little creature that sits on your shoulder, trying to get you to make the wrong choice. 

If you want to know who the devil is, check out this post here. If you want to know what he does and how he works, let’s go back to Genesis 3 and look at his conversation with Eve – this is the very first time he’s mentioned in the Bible. 

Genesis 3:1-6 says, “Now the serpent (the devil) was more cunning than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.  “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  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. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

Here’s 7 quick things from this popular story about the devil and how he works:

1…HE’S REAL – Like I said earlier, he’s not a fairytale – he is as real as you and me.

He was created by God before the world was created – Job 38:4-7

He was created blameless, full of wisdom and beauty; but because of his beauty, he became prideful – and desired to be higher than God – Ezekiel 28:12-15

Because of his sin, he was thrown out of heaven – Revelation 12:9

He was created as a beautiful angel – his name was Lucifer – because of his sin, he became the devil, which is his title, which means our adversary.    And our adversary is real – he’s not like the big bad wolf, he’s a fairytale – but the devil is real. 

2…HE’S CUNNING –  in the original language this word means deceiving or manipulating someone in order to achieve a certain goal.  For example, the devil started a conversation with Eve and obviously she was comfortable speaking with him.  Why?  Because he wasn’t scary at all, he was smooth – very kind. When you think about the devil, don’t think about a red slithery creature, think about that super nice good ol’ boy you might meet on any small town street…with a dagger in his back pocket.

3…HE TALKS TO US – Anything we’re listening to, any voice we’re listening to, that goes against the Word of God, is the voice of the enemy.  Open up any social media site, turn on any television show, watch any movie, and it’s filled with voices, saying “it’s not a big deal, it’s OK, you were born that way, trust your feelings.”  That’s the voice of the enemy.  Anytime we believe something or have a thought about ourselves that goes against the word of God, is the voice of the enemy. He still speaks to us just like he spoke to Eve.

4…HE QUESTIONS TRUTH.  The church that I grew up in who was known for their message, holiness unto the Lord, now has major leaders in the denomination questioning homosexuality.  Did God really say, is that really what he meant?  Outside voices are questioning what we know to be truth, then all of a sudden we start questioning truth – is that really what God meant?  In my heart this seems so right, and God looks at my heart – correct?

5…HE LIES.  Satan questioned what God said; Eve got confused, because she didn’t know the truth; then Satan lied about the forbidden fruit.  “You will not die”.  Eve believed it; so did Adam.  This is why it is so important to know the word of God, to meditate upon the word of God. This is truth, and any thing that goes against this word is the voice of the enemy.

6…HE TEMPTS.  Satan tempted Eve. Satan Tempted Jesus. Of course, Satan is going to tempt us.  Matthew 4:3 gives him the title “the tempter” – because that’s what he does.  However, James 1:14 also says that we are tempted when “we are dragged away by our own evil desire”.  It was easy for the devil to tempt Eve because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time looking at the wrong thing and listening to the wrong voice.  

7…HE DESTROYS.  According to John 10:10, “The enemy has come to kill, steal and destroy”. Genesis 3:8 says, “Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord as he was walking in the garden, and they hid from him”.  Satan’s ultimate goal is to separate us from God – like Adam and Eve, he wants us to hide, so that he can destroy. Watch any document on animals, for example, and see what happens to the one who gets separated from the rest – they become easy prey, and they are soon destroyed. 

In conclusion, let’s finish with some good news – our enemy is real, he’s cunning, he speaks to us, he lies, he destroys – BUT Revelation 12:11 says, “We overcome the devil by the word of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb”.  I know and speak the Word of God – this is my testimony – and I put my hope and confidence in what Jesus did on the cross.  This is how we overcome the enemy. 

That’s good news – it’s in the Bible and the Bible is always right!