The words come quietly, carried by a soft voice. These words give solutions, they provide excuses. They show the easy way out of any situation. The subtle thoughts that make their way inside your own are easily mistaken for truth. Only after the poison sets in do you realize the danger.
It's been occurring since the Garden of Eden, when Satan took the form of a serpent and whispered in Eve's ear the words that led to the fall of man. I have always wondered why Eve did not turn her back on him and face the truth. But Satan had taken another form. He did not approach her and say, "I am God's enemy, and I am about to feed you a lie in order to separate you from the Creator."
Satan played off of her pride, off of her desires. He knew exactly what to say in order for her to convince herself that what he said was truth. Satan does not know our thoughts. He cannot read our minds. But he is extremely smart and cunning. He has mastered the art of whispering to us at the exact moment we let our defenses down, when we think we are strong enough to resist.
Why did Satan approach Eve at that moment? Could she have been near the tree, staring up at the fruit? Was she watching the sun shine through the branches, wondering why God had placed a barrier between her and this source of sustenance? Or maybe thoughts of accomplishment at obeying God's words crossed her mind.
Whatever the situation, Eve was in a position where Satan knew she would be most likely to fall. This was not a chance meeting.
In today's culture and society, Satan is not given enough credit. There are too many movies about demon possession, too many mental disorders that pills are supposed to cure, too many situations where we blame the corruption of our culture. Satan has brainwashed us to not think about spiritual warfare. He has convinced us that he does not come in serpent form anymore.
This semester, Satan has fed me more lies than I ever thought possible. He had me convinced of things that I thought I had under control. He hit me where I thought I was strongest. It was not until I was stumbling over his web of lies that I realized what was happening. It wasn't until I turned every single lie over to God that I realized the truth.
But God is not just watching from above, wringing his hands, hoping we will realize the devil's mask. He desires us to know the truth, because the truth sets us free. Now that I have become aware of Satan's deception in my life, God has provided me with wisdom in discerning what is truth and what is lie.
And since Satan cannot read my thoughts, I make sure to let him know verbally every so often that he has no power over me. Because my God is greater, and he has set me free.
Philippians 4:8 ~ "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
Hebrews 4:14-16 ~ "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."