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(4) Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will
not surely die. (5) For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will
be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (6) So when the
woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to
the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit
and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (7) Then the eyes of
both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they
sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. New
King James Version Change your email Bible version
Satan's tack has been the same ever since, even though he must realize that,
due to Christ's death and resurrection, he will ultimately lose (Revelation 20:10). While he still has time, he will try to
make as many people as he can fail to reach their incredible human potential. He
will do whatever is in his power—whatever God allows him to do—to convince them
that his way is superior to God's.
For those that have been called by God in this lifetime, we have far more at
stake here. If Satan can succeed in deceiving us to advocate for him more and
more, he greatly increases our chances of being subject to the second
death, the eternal death in the Lake
of Fire (Revelation 20:14-15).
Peter warns us of the dangers that Satan poses to God's people: "Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). According to the Exegetical Dictionary of
the New Testament, "sober" (Greek nepho) is a verb found in the New
Testament only in the figurative sense, implying "sober watchfulness." In
addition, "vigilant" (Greek gregoreuo) means "to keep awake, i.e., watch
(literally or figuratively)."
Combining "sober" and "vigilant" paints an interesting word-picture for us.
When a person is heavily intoxicated, he wants nothing more than to sleep it
off, so it is impossible for the sleeping drunkard to be vigilant about
anything. The message for us is that we must be attentive to our physical and
spiritual condition so that we do not become spiritually intoxicated. This type
of person is exactly the kind whom Satan seeks. If we enter this state, then we
make ourselves a prime target to be devoured by the "roaring lion."
— Staff
To learn more, see:
Should a Christian Play Devil's Advocate?
Related Topics:
Forbidden Fruit
Lake of Fire
Satan as Lion
Satan as Predator
Satan as the Deceiver of the Whole World
Sober (minded)
Sober Watchfulness
Vigilance
Watchfulness
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