Genesis 3:1 – Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
Ephesians 6 speaks of the full Armor of God, including the “sword of the Spirit”, which is the Word of God, the Holy Bible. Here in Genesis 3, Satan assaults Adam and Eve using God’s own Word, thus dulling the sword they’re supposed to use for battle against the enemy.
Below are three ways Satan dulled the sword, attacking the Word of God, in Genesis 3 and how he continues to do so today. As we’re mindful of this, we can more easily recognize the enemy’s attacks and use the Word to fight against him rather than allowing him to use and abuse God’s Word in his attacks against us.
- Subtraction
This takes place in Genesis 3:1 when Satan tries to tell Eve that God didn’t actually tell them not to eat of any tree in the garden. This is also similar to Thomas Jefferson taking the Bible and a razor blade and cutting out the sections he didn’t like or agree with. God gave Adam and Eve a grace garden and told them not to eat from one singular tree. The way Adam and Eve reacted to this would be like a parent telling their kid they could eat from anything in the refrigerator or pantry but just to avoid the bleach under the sink and the kid thinking they knew better and drinking it anyway.
- Addition
Satan deceives and confuses Eve when, in Genesis 3:3, she tells him that God told them not to eat OR touch the fruit of the tree, but that’s simply not the case. He ONLY told them not to eat it. When God finishes speaking, it’s complete, and He doesn’t need us to pick up from where He left off.
- Rejection
In Genesis 3:4, Satan tells Eve that she won’t die but instead her eyes will be opened, and she’ll be God-like if she just eats the fruit she’s not supposed to eat. Satan is essentially telling her that God is lying, and that freedom is possible apart from God. In actuality, true freedom comes from our dependence on God because we are dependent creatures and can never be fully independent and apart from God. Adam also rejects God’s Word, just ignoring it rather than obeying it.
Have you ever tried to remove, reject, or add to God’s Word? Ask God to bring to mind and forgive you for any of these ways you may have tried to dull the sword of the Spirit.
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