The Enemy: No Change in Its Message
By JK Woodall
Dear Saints,
Grace and peace be unto you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As we continue to walk in faith and truth, it is vital that we remain vigilant and discerning of the tactics and lies of the enemy. In this day and age, we can easily overlook the subtlety of the adversary’s schemes. However, let us take a moment to reflect on an important truth: the enemy has not changed its message.
From the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, Satan’s approach has always been the same. He began with a question designed to plant doubt: “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1, NIV). His goal was not just to confuse Eve but to lead her to question the goodness, authority, and truth of God’s Word. He offered her a vision of freedom, detached from obedience—freedom from God’s commands, freedom to choose for herself. This was the enemy’s first lie, and it has been unchanged ever since: the lie that we can be free apart from God.
In Genesis 3:1 (NIV), we read:
“Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?”
This question marks the beginning of the enemy’s strategy to introduce confusion and doubt, presenting God’s command as restrictive and unreasonable. Satan’s desire was to lead Eve (and ultimately all of humanity) into rebellion. He enticed her with the idea of knowledge apart from God, a knowledge that would, in Satan’s deceptive words, “make [her] like God” (Genesis 3:5, NIV). From that moment on, Satan has sought to undermine God’s Word, casting doubt and questioning its truth.
Fast forward to today, and the same message persists. While the platforms and methods may vary—from the culture around us to the voices on social media and even through misleading teachings—Satan's tactics remain remarkably the same. The question, “Did God really say?” still echoes in many forms, leading us to doubt God’s Word and His authority. The enemy’s message today often appears in more subtle, enticing ways, disguised in ideas that challenge God's truth as outdated, oppressive, or irrelevant. Yet behind this all is the same heart—to deceive, confuse, and lead us astray.
Satan will use the lies of today to promote self-worship and human autonomy. He wants us to believe that freedom comes from doing things our own way, outside the boundaries of God’s commandments. But as we learned in Genesis 3:6 (NIV), Eve saw that the fruit was “pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom,” and she took it. This simple moment of disobedience led to the fall of humanity.
The enemy whispers today, saying, “You can be your own god. Choose your own path. God’s way is too hard, too restrictive, too old-fashioned.” This is the same lie repackaged, aimed at causing us to think we can be free from God's authority.
But let us remember the wisdom of 1 John 5:3 (NIV):
“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.”
God’s commands are not meant to restrict us, but to lead us in paths of life and peace.
In James 4:7 (NIV), we are reminded to:
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Resisting Satan’s lies is the first step to walking in the freedom God gives. Our protection from the enemy’s deception lies in remaining rooted in the truth of God’s Word and submitting to His will for our lives.
Though the enemy’s message may appear in different forms, its objective is unchanged: to lead us away from God. As we see in John 8:44 (NIV), Satan is a liar from the beginning:
“When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
So, brothers and sisters, stay firm in the faith. Resist the lies of the enemy and hold fast to the truth that is in Christ Jesus. John 14:6 (NIV) reminds us:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
May you continue to walk in truth and freedom as you abide in Christ. Remember, as we read in Psalm 119:105 (NIV):
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Stay rooted in His Word, and you will not be led astray. May God's peace and protection surround you always.
In Christ’s love and strength,
JK Woodall
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