At first thought, the word evil might bring up an image of a man with red skin and horns on each side of his head, but if we compare what the typical portrayal of what is devilish to the bible, it’s not similarly defined as what is painted by the world.
In the book of Genesis, chapter 3, Eve is in the garden alone. The temper who is the known as the evil one is described as a serpent. Reading further, we begin to know his character more. Chapter 3 reveals that he is cunning, defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as artful subtlety and deceptiveness, exhibiting ingenuity,
His artful skill to deceive is displayed when he chooses to temp Eve when she is alone in the garden. He first tests is to see if she is knows God’s word, as God commanded Adam in Genesis 2:16-17, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
God creates Eve after the commandment and with Eve’s response to the serpent, it is assumed that Adam told Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but could have added to God’s word as Eve responded to the serpent in Genesis 3, verse 2, “God has said, ‘You shall not eat it,” Eve adds, “nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”
The serpent responds with a lie while tainting the image or intent of God in Eve’s eyes, twisting the truth, God’s love for Adam and Eve, keeping sin from spoiling the paradise they were living in, telling her, “You will not surely die. 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.” The cunning serpent caused Eve’s focus to go from following God’s command to selfish unattainable ambition to be like God, and feed her flesh with the fruit.
God as a spirit being, refers to death from eating the fruit as an internal death, the spirit man on the inside, not a physical one, yet, the serpent, while persuading Eve, refers to a physical death, causing her to focus on her flesh. There are numerous ways humans die physically, but what injures our body does not hurt our spirit. In fact, sometimes the inflicted flesh can cause some to turn to God, like being in a hospital under critical care, if we decide to turn to God in distress can bring our attention off of our inflicted flesh and towards what is eternal or our spirit man.
Another characteristic of the serpent starts from the very beginning before his fall. He was one of the most beautiful angels in heaven, the director of the choir of angels until pride took over. In the book of Isaiah 14:12-17, it describes his fall, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation, on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” Just like the serpent foolishly believed that he can be like God, he attempts to persuade the thoughts of human’s with his same poisonous false way of thinking.
The serpent seeks to cause death inside us and will go after our flesh or body if he thinks it can cause us to turn away from God, or those that loose a loved one. Loosing a loved one can cause a person to turn to the dark side. Just as he took Eve’s focus away on God and caused her doubt in God’s word, he wants that for all of humanity. As internal death is separation from God caused by sin. It is the serpents goal to cause us to sin knowing the eternal separation it would cause. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” Thankfully, Jesus, the son of God who will judge all at the time of death had come to save us from eternal damnation. By His blood that paid the price for our sins, we go from death to life.
Ephesians 2:1-13 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,….But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together, …He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. ….But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Having faith in God is trusting Him, trusting His love, goodness, grace and mercy. The serpent persuaded Adam and Eve to not trust God’s word, by making them believe that God was holding something good back that would make them like God, but it was a lie. Having faith is not just believing that God exists, but believing in His goodness and love for us that when He says “No,” it’s for your best without question.
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