SATAN'S DECEPTIONS

God created the universe and everything in it for His own purposes and for His glory. Colossians 1:16-17 says, "For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together." God possesses complete authority over all things on this earth, including all living things, such as angels and human beings. As we discussed in our previous devotions, Satan became prideful in himself and began to envy God's authority. He wanted to become God himself; as a result, he rejected God's authority. God, then, rejected Satan and his followers from His presence and reserved them for His judgment that is to come. When Satan entered the scene in the Garden of Eden, he was already evil and full of sin because of his pride and envy. His goal was to destroy God's relationship with Adam and Eve. 

Genesis 3:1-3 says, "The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day, he asked the woman, 'Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?’ ‘Of course, we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,' the woman replied. 'It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, 'You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'" Satan possessed a serpent to get closed to Eve to tempt her. The first thing that Satan did was to ask Eve about God's command about eating fruit in the Garden of Eden. Eve responded by repeating what she knew about God's command. She understood that she could eat any fruit in the Garden of Eden, except for the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and that the consequence of eating it would be death. Eve did not realize that she had stepped into Satan's deception. While Satan cannot know our thoughts, he can observe our personalities through our daily actions. Based on his observations, he knows where to tempt us the most. Eve probably thought that her conversation with Satan was friendly, but Satan had evil plans against her.

Proverbs 22:3 says, "The prudent (wise) sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it." We need to know God's Word and walk with God daily by relying on Him in everything that we do so that we can be protected from Satan's deception. We'll talk more about this tomorrow.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) How can I protect myself from Satan's deceptions? Why is it important for me to know God's truth? Why is it important for me to constantly rely on God for guidance and protection?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, I need you every moment because I can easily be deceived by Satan's deceptions. Protect me from his lies so that I may not stray away from you. Please give me a hunger for your Word to know your truth and rely on you in every area of my life. As I go through the day, please protect and guard my mind. In your name, Jesus, I pray, Amen.