Who Told You That?

Question…

When was the first recorded spiritual battle fought? 

Interestingly enough, it appears to take place during the first recorded interaction between man and Satan. It seems there has never been a time when humans and fallen angelic beings got along. 

It may not seem like warfare in the sense that we often imagine, but this first battle happened between Adam and Eve and their unknown adversary Lucifer, (portrayed as the serpent), in the pre-fallen Garden of Eden. In Genesis Ch. 3, we read an all too familiar dialogue, ultimately about the character and commands of God. 

“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.’” “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Firstly, we observe Satan twisting God’s words. This is an important lesson. The enemy always attempts to make the Lord’s directions seem unimportant, ridiculous, or impossible to follow. Eve recognizes this tactic and counters accordingly. Yet her mistake is that she continues to entertain the lies of the ultimate liar. We must understand this dynamic in our perpetual war against the forces of darkness. 

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬ 

It’s often disturbing to realize, but Satan and his cohort have the power and ability to plant thoughts and emotions into our minds. When the enemy implants these dark, false, and deceptive ideas, it’s our responsibility to take hold of these intrusive thoughts and cast them away like the absolute garbage they are. 

It’s when we begin to listen and entertain those dangerous thoughts that they become seeded into our minds and spirits and begin to grow into something far more nefarious. Sometimes we fail to realize that some of our beliefs and worldviews, the ideals that make up the core of who we are, have been manipulated and distorted by outside forces bent on our destruction. 

The worst part of these lies is that they distort our understanding of and communion with God Himself. That has been the enemy’s goal from the beginning; to get us to believe that God is not good, not loving, and shouldn’t be our ultimate hope in life. They twist God’s words to create a false narrative of His character. 

So what should Adam and Eve have done? Let’s put ourselves in their position. Just chillin’ in the garden, picking fruit, pruning trees, naming animals, walking around naked. Sounds amazing, but I digress. Then one day the sly serpent rears his ugly head and begins asking questions that would probably make us uncomfortable. Anytime our beliefs are questioned and put to the test, it makes us squirm a little. 

So what is the best thing to do in this situation? We can agree with or entertain these concerns on our own, but the seemingly wisest course of action would be to ask the One who created us and established the standards in the first place. If Adam and Eve, after hearing Satan’s arguments, had simply said “That’s an interesting idea. Let’s ask Yahweh.”, what do you think would have happened? Guaranteed, that devil would have booked it. His lies simply can’t stand up to the truth and power of the Almighty.

This spiritual tactic is one of our most effective in the battle for truth and righteousness. The enemy not only attempts to make you doubt God’s word but also His character, so that you don’t go to Him when those doubts arise. God’s response when Adam and Eve finally confess their mistakes and reveal the shame of their nakedness to Him is to ask “Who told you that?”. 

““Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The man and woman’s nakedness was not wrong. It was how they were originally designed. Only when sin enters the picture do they feel an overwhelming desire to cover themselves and, ironically, hide from the only One who can heal their shame and restore their purity. 

This was Satan’s plan all along; to drag the image bearers of the Almighty down into the wretched pit of separation and hopelessness with himself. This scheme has been his way of existence ever since his fall from glory so long ago, and it continues to this day. It’s our responsibility to recognize this tactic and fight it at every opportunity. 

When we doubt God’s character, His word, and motivation, we place ourselves on the wrong side of the battle. It’s fine to have doubts, and to express them. That’s the nature of being human. It’s when we embrace those doubts and begin to accept that God must be hiding something or deceiving us in some way that we align ourselves with the wrong side –  the side that really is lying to us and wants our utter destruction. We can oftentimes place the deceptive character of Satan on God because we can’t see the whole picture. 

“He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” ‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭44‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Never forget that God’s desire is to give you life, and life abundantly, while the enemy’s goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) And when you hear those nagging thoughts of doubt, suspicion, or fear, seek the wisdom of God first and see what He has to say about it. Through prayer, God’s word, and the wisdom of fellow believers, the truth will be made known, and the lies of the enemy exposed. Anytime these difficult thoughts arise, remember, “Who told you that?”.

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

-Jason