The Anatomy of A Lie

Buchan Ness Lighthouse, Aberdeenshire.
Photography courtesy of Ben &Donna Bremner, https://www.facebook.com/ben.donna.grand.day.out

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Genesis 3:6 (NASB)

Of the many things that are certain in life one we all experience is lying and liars. Let us not beat around the bush here reader, we have all lied at some time in our life. I am sure that if you have denied this, you have just added another lie to the list! Today’s verse comes from Genesis, the book of beginnings where we encounter the beginnings of lies. The first three lies were told by Satan to Eve, which achieved their aim in misleading her and her husband Adam.

Satan’s first lie was to misquote God; contrast God’s words in Genesis 2:16-17 with Satan’s words in Genesis 3:1. Eve was already deceived by this first lie read in verse three by her saying: “God has said, “You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.” [emphasis mine]. Satan’s second lie “you surely will not die!” comes in Genesis 3:4, where he calls God a liar! Satan’s third lie applies sinful jealousy to Almighty God; “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). In three short steps Satan had sown the seeds of his deception, and he continues doing so today.

While hearing Satan’s lies Eve is looking at the forbidden fruit tempted; she could now see three reasons to eat the fruit. First, it looked nutritious. Second, it looked desirable/pleasant. Third, it had a perceived lasting benefit. But these were illusions; indeed the first two reasons were a direct counterfeit by Satan of God’s creation of food in Genesis 2:9: “Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food…“ [emphasis mine]. From this beginning quickly came more sin; Eve roped Adam into her sin, Adam followed, Adam blamed Eve and God, she blamed Satan. Thus began the virus of sin in humanity, requiring a vaccine which came through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ at Calvary.

Dear Reader, I share this from my recent reading not to depress you but to arm you against the enemy of your soul – Satan. We need to be able to recognise the lies of Satan, accusing us and twisting the truth of God to his purpose. Christ our Lord was able to recognise the lies of Satan in the wilderness, because He knew God’s Holy Word and that His Father could not lie or sin (Matthew 4:1-11). By this same standard it will stand us in good stead to intimately know God’s Word and the God of the Word.

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