I was reading Genesis 3 and normally when I get to the verses about the serpent talking Eve into eating from the Tree of Knowledge I always ask, "what was Eve even doing entertaining a conversation with the enemy? Why would she listen to a voice that is clearly telling her to do the exact opposite of what God just commanded?" After asking myself that, I have to pause and reflect because how many times I have entertained conversations with the enemy? How many times have I allowed people to convince me to do things that I knew God would not be proud of? Even recently, I've listened to the advice of someone who doesn't even follow Christ, knowing that what they were influencing me to do wasn't necessarily what God would have asked me to do.
My mom always says, "If God isn't the influence of their life, then they shouldn't be an influence in your life." AND SHE IS SO RIGHT!
However this time when I was reading in Genesis, two different things came to mind. My first thought, after wondering why Eve was entertaining this conversation, was "God gave man dominion over all the earth and everything in it. Why was Eve listening to the serpent and doing what it said to do? She is supposed to be commanding him!"
In Genesis 4:7 God tells Cain that, “Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.””
This applies to us! God has given US the power over the enemy! The enemy doesn't have power over us! We don't have to listen to his advice (not that it is ever good anyways), we don't have to take his suggestions or give into temptation. We must be so careful to not allow the wrong people in our ears because once they get in our ears, the things they say plant seed and then we take off watering it (or running with it). THAT'S HOW SATAN WORKS! He uses the power of suggestion! He gets us wondering what if, he gets us questioning God so that our curiosity will make us do the rest. Satan knows that he is under our control and can't do a thing to us. All he can do is place suggestions and try to influence us. The enemy is absolutely powerless against us, we just have to walk in that!
(This is the serpent talking to Eve)
““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.” The woman was convinced. She SAW THAT THE TREE WAS BEAUTIFUL and ITS FRUIT LOOKED DELICIOUS, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment THEIR EYES WERE OPENED, and THEY SUDDENLY FELT SHAME at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.” Genesis 3:5-7 NLT
The last things that can to mind when reading these scriptures was that we don't need to know it all and it's not always meant for us to see everything. There's a reason why God blinds us to certain things. There is protection in God blinding us or withholding certain information for if we saw them we may move prematurely or we may give up and throw in the towel. Other times God may blind us to certain things because if we saw them it would devastate us or entice is to step out of His will.
Eve wasn't concerned with the fruit on that tree until she allowed the enemy to get in her EAR, place thoughts in her MIND which caused her EYES to see how delicious the fruit looked which led to her and Adam to EATING it which brought about shame.
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16 KJV
We must be ever so careful to guard our ears and eyes for when fed the wrong things, things not of the Father, they bring about sin. ...and sometimes the sin then affects those around us or who come after us, like Adam and Eve.
