Genesis 3:4-5 – But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
In Genesis 3, when Satan, dressed as a Serpent, appears to our first parents, he starts by attacking identities – both God’s and humanity’s – which is something he still does to this day.
In Genesis 1:27, it says “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God lays out the plan for our identities in the surrounding verses: God is our creator, we are His creation, and we are supposed to be over lower creation.
Even though God had already detailed what our identity should be in Him, in Genesis 3:5, Satan says “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan tries to tell us that God is limiting our potential by telling us “no” when the truth is that He’s being a good Father by giving us boundaries. God tells Adam and Eve they can eat of absolutely anything they want except one tree – it’s completely a grace garden – and Satan makes them forget that.
Satan tells them to do something that will make them more “woke” as we call it in our day. He says we’ll be more God-like, more independent, more capable than we would be with God’s help. They had already received their identity from God, and they lose sight of that.
The point is this: when you know who you are, you know what to do. We were created to worship and serve God and to rule over lower creation. We were created to work jobs, love our families, and have relationships with other people. If Adam and Eve would’ve remembered this and called out to God in this moment, the entire course of history and generations to come could’ve been drastically different.
Did you know that your identity in Jesus is different than your current stage in life as your life changes but He never changes? Ask Him to help you experience and recognize this timeless truth in a deeper way.
To help you study the book of Genesis with us, we have the first of three free e-book study guides here.
To get daily devos sent texted to you Monday-Friday, text DEVOTIONS to 99383. Click here to find the sermon series that accompanies this devotional series.