Have you ever wondered why even the easiest task can be hard and frustrating sometimes? It’s because we are living in a God cursed age! God cursed our age in various ways in Gen. 3:14-19. Because he did, we have all been affected and have only known that curse. It wasn’t like that in Eden before Adam died spiritually through sin. His environment was Paradise, which far exceeds anything we have ever known. The animals were all tame. The vegetation was well watered and provided plenty of food. The one exception for Adam was that he had a tempter who wanted to do him mortal harm. That enemy was very clever and came deceitfully as a friend tempting Eve to get to him! One day for the overcomers, Paradise will be restored (Rev. 2:7 cf. 22:3-5), but the tempter (devil) won’t be present then (Rev. 20:10).
Now we are being tested by God in this far-from-ideal society. We are tested in a furnace of affliction (Isa. 48:10). The same God who allowed the devil to be around Adam, has also allowed him to be around us! He is now trying to devour us (1 Pet. 5:8) after his thousands of years of experience to sharpen his tempting skills! The only way anyone, including the Christian, can stand and overcome him, is to take this fight seriously and put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:13). NOTE: The word was armor, as used in hand to hand combat in a fight to the death! We need the whole armor, under grace and after the cross of Christ, to stand against his wiles and succeed. Anything less will not work. We must be alert and self-controlled (1 Pet. 5:8). We must also resist him, to have him flee (James 4:7), but how is that done? How can we resist an invisible adversary like him? The only way is by resisting his temptations and suggestions, which are not always easy to identify at first! So it comes back around to being knowledgeable of and built up in the word of God. To know God’s word, will make it easy to identify any strange voice, including the devil’s, who can even come as an angel of light to lead one astray. He who endures to the end will be saved (Mt. 10:22). Do you know Jesus?
