Start in Genesis 2:15 - 3:13 (NIV)
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[b] and then closed up the place with flesh.Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[c]he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said,“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’for she was taken out of man.”That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Now the serpent was more crafty 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. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Let's recap.
Surely you've already heard of the story Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. At this point, we know what's going to happen and it can be tempting to feel frustrated with Eve.
Ah, but if we approach this familiar story with a new perspective, there is more to see. Eve's entire life has been spent blissfully in the Garden with the Lord and her man. The serpent is the only one aware of what is at stake in this interaction. He knows his blessed victim is oblivious, unsuspecting and therefore gullible. Eve had never been exposed to deception, so why should it occur to her that the serpent was lying?
"Did God really say…?" the cunning serpent asks, implying that Eve is wrong for questioning him, simultaneously implanting fear and confusion. Eve meets him with resistance! She repeats the Lord's words back to the snake. (A foreshadowing of how Jesus deals with the Adversary in the wilderness.)
But, it is not enough. The serpent does not relent. Eve eats the fruit and for a fleeting moment, genuinely believes it to be good. Why shouldn't she share it?
In 3:8 the couple hear the sound of their Lord walking in the garden, looking for His children. Imagine what a beautiful thing that should've been! Yet, because of God's great love in giving man the gift of freedom of choice, disobedience and fear have now entered the sacred space.
How does God, in all his omniscience, handle the situation? He asks questions! Clearly, He already knows the answers. This approach is not for his own benefit, but for the benefit of His children, ourselves included.
"Where are you?," the Lord asks, knowing full well. The shame of sin had made His precious children hide from the one who loves them the most.
Adam's response to the Lord leads to another question. "Who told you that…?" He asks, thus prompting man's first confession of sin.
Adam's gut reaction - blame. Blame the woman and remind God that He put her there!
The attention turns to Eve. By this time, darkness has set in and it is clear that the fruit was not good. She has been tricked. She tells God exactly who it was that deceived her…
What can we learn?
We need to identify lies in our lives and their source. It's from the enemy of our souls - his lies are his bait. Here is some of what we can learn from the reading in Genesis:
Instructions from the Lord are given in love, to protect.
The adversary disguises disobedience as beneficial.
Satan is shrewd and relentless.
How do we fight?
Let's utilize examples from His word, thankful for the Scripture that enables us to see.
1. Self-Reflect
What do you believe about yourself that isn't good or rooted in love?
What thoughts do you think about you? About your capabilities or your life that bring you down and hold you back?
2. Identify the Lies and the Liar
Consider that "negative self -talk" you just identified and ask yourself, "Who told me that?" Would a kind, loving Father say that to you? Or does it sound like something an enemy would say? Shame, guilt and condemnation come from the enemy. Conviction, grace and above all, love come from our Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus. Remember when these ugly lies creep up in your mind to ask yourself, "Who told me that?"
3. Speak Scripture
A fast forward into the New Testament shows the enemy's tactics as unchanged. Again we see him distorting God's instructions in order to tempt man into sin. In Matthew 4:1-11, Satan tries multiple times to deceive Jesus by presenting Scripture itself, but in a twisted format. But where Eve fell short, Jesus prevailed! Hallelujah! Jesus fights the lies by repeating God's word in its pure and intended meaning back to satan. God's word is our sword and the way to fight lies is by speaking beautiful truth from Scripture!
Let's start today!
The enemy is strategic and specific in his attacks. The lies are not random or handed out in a special of the day rotation. No, they are specific to you, to your life, to your calling. They are designed to target your self-worth and identity as God's daughter. So, take heart and know that the harmful, damaging things you may believe about yourself are the OPPOSITE of truth.
Below is a list of common enemy lies. Find what lies you hear and speak truth back to it. Remember, the devil lies relentlessly, so we must speak truth with perserverance!
Hint: Insert yourself into the verse! For example:
If the verse says: "Be strong and courageous."
You say: "I am strong and courageous."
satan's lie | God's Truth | Scripture |
I am not lovable. | God will never stop loving me. | ..neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39 |
I should be/am ashamed. | I am forgiven. | There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. - Romans 8:1 |
I'm not enough. | In Him, I lack nothing. | But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9 |
I'll never be able to.. | With God, all things are possible. | So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God I will strengthen you and help you: I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:10 |
I'm alone. | He never leaves me. | Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. -Deuteronomy 31:6 |
I'm afraid. | I have nothing to fear. | The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27:1 |
I'm unqualified. | He calls me. | I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. -Philippians 4:13 |
I'm too far gone. | Christ has redeemed me. | In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us.- Ephesians 1:7 |
I'm not worthy. | I am valuable. | Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside y our Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.- Matthew 10:29-31 |
I feel weak. | I am strong. | He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.. - Isaiah 40:29 -30 |
I don't have enough. | He is all I need. | The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. - Psalm 23:1 |