Title: The Subtlety Of The Enemy

Scripture: Gen 3:1

Speaker: Pastor R.W. Barrion

Points:

1. No Big Deal
2. God’s Motives
3. Debilitating Visions

Notes:

Subtle is defined as that which is low key, obscure, and not easily detected. This is how the enemy was described in the opening of the third chapter of Genesis. This is a characteristic of the enemy that we tend to pay the least amount of attention to. And the enemy is a professional in not being detected. He’s an expert in not being seen. This is why we must bring our “A” game in order to be able to detect him when he comes and attacks. And they ONLY way we can detect him is if the Word reveals him. There is no other way to see him or discern him. Apart from a working, functioning, applicable use of the Word, we will only see the enemy after he has attacked and has left tangible damage.

The goal of the enemy in the text was to get Eve to feel that what God said was no big deal. That surely God did not mean exactly what he said. Likewise with us, the enemy does not want us to take the Word seriously. He wants us to self-justify our lack of determination to study and apply the Word in our lives. He wants us to be comfortable with this mentality. And Satan, like he did with the serpent, will embody a vessel to promote his cause against us.

We, as believers, fail to pay attention. We do not focus on the things of God very long. Even though we can be very active, determined, and full of good intentions! We’ll take only half of the Word and run with it! Half of the Word is a distorted Word. It has to be all or nothing. And this is how the enemy deceived Eve. He made Eve believe that nothing significant would happen if she disobeyed God’s Word. He made her question God’s motives. He made Eve think that God was just trying to scare her and that God was threatened by them. But God’s real motive was to protect them. Likewise with the Word and when it addresses things in our lives. The Word is designed to protect us. But we reject it because of our nature of self-preservation. We should not see the Word as taking away things from us but rather keeping us protected against those things that would cause us harm. This requires us to be forever diligent in studying the Word.

God’s Word tells us how to see things. And some of these things have a prohibitive appeal to them. We tend to want those things that God says we cannot have. Lust of the eye, Lust of the flesh, and the pride of life are the 3 areas in which the enemy attacks us in. How we perceive things determines how we act in response to them. And apart from the Word defining what we see, we will fall victim to our own perceptions. But God has given us grace and mercy. But above all of that, He has given us His Word. Let’s challenge ourselves to make a daily effort to understand and live out what the Word says!

KINGDOM SERMONS