THE SUBTLE LIES OF THE ENEMY

Part One

In Genesis chapter three, we witness the first willful act of sin, which results in paradise being lost. There’s so much to unpack in this chapter, but the Holy Spirit has led me to focus on the subtle lies of the enemy. While many believers know who the enemy is, my question is: do we understand his strategy? Can we identify the various ways he tempts, distracts, or even attacks us? In John 10:10, Jesus tells us, “The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” However, the good news is that Jesus also said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

If we are unaware of the enemy’s tactics, we can easily fall into his traps. Let’s not think that only unbelievers can be led astray; the enemy has also infiltrated the church. This is evident in pastors who lack a shepherd’s heart and are more focused on financial gain and ministry advancement than on feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and giving sight to the blind. We also see modern-day Pharisees who believe they are right with God based on their own merit, looking down on others from their “high position.” And we cannot forget the false prophets who say, “God said if you sow this seed of X amount of dollars…” We all know how that story goes. It’s disheartening to witness the evil that occurs right in God’s house, just like in the beginning.

We read about how Eve was deceived and may wonder how she could fall for the serpent’s trick, but the truth is that we are no different; we fall for Satan’s schemes on a daily basis. I feel ashamed of how the enemy led me astray in the past, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, I can see clearly now but to stay the course I must remain prayerful and discerning.

Genesis chapter three begins by introducing the serpent. In verse one, it states:

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, ‘Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” - Genesis 3:1 (KJV)

The Holy Spirit drew my attention to the word "subtil" and instructed me to look up its meaning for a deeper understanding.

Key word - Subtil: malicious wisdom; sly; artful; cunning; crafty.

I took it a step further and looked up "malicious wisdom." Google defines it as “using intelligence, knowledge, or cleverness with evil intent to cause harm, manipulate, or gain personal advantage at others’ expense.”

It was the serpent’s intention to steal, kill, and destroy. He attempted to do this—at the very least, to kickstart it—by planting a small seed of doubt with his question: “Did God really say?”

Are you beginning to feel righteous anger? This is why we must take our walk with the Lord seriously and learn His Word for ourselves so we will know how to fight against the enemy. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) instructs us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Chapter three reveals the serpent’s very first tactic: targeting the mind. He challenged Eve to question God’s command by asking, “Hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

Eve responded, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ‘Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’” - Genesis 3:2-3 (KJV)

What struck me is that Eve clearly knew God’s Word and responded to the serpent with the truth. This is how we, as believers, know we should fight the enemy. But the serpent was relentless.

In verse four, the serpent countered, “Ye shall not surely die.”

We should pray for God to grant us wisdom and discernment so we are not deceived when the enemy tries again or, even worse, uses another tactic that we may not recognize causing us to lower our shield. 

Read the following verses and pay close attention to what the serpent said compared to what the Lord said. You’ll notice that the lies of the serpent are almost undetectable. The enemy is very crafty and can easily deceive us using tactics that are not immediately obvious.

“And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.’” - Genesis 3:4-5 (KJV)

A little further in the chapter, in Genesis 3:22, the Lord says, “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” (KJV)

Let’s unpack this.

The Lie and the Half-Truth

“Ye shall NOT SURELY die” and “Ye shall be AS gods”

In Genesis 2:17 (from the previous chapter), the Lord said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou SHALT surely die.”

What the serpent said clearly contradicts God’s word. The Lord stated, “Thou shalt surely die.”

So, why did the serpent tell Eve that they would not surely die?

I asked the Holy Spirit for deeper revelation, and here’s what I gathered after further research: It’s possible that the serpent assumed Adam and Eve would have also eaten from the tree of life after tasting the forbidden fruit. This could have caused them to live eternally in a sin-cursed world.

While Scripture doesn't specifically say this, it’s worth mentioning because later in the text (after Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit), we read that the Lord said, “Lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” (Genesis 3:22 KJV)

What the serpent didn’t realize was that God had a greater plan—a plan of redemption through Jesus Christ!

Unlike the serpent, Adam, Eve, or any of us, God is truly all-knowing.

God putting Adam and Eve out of the garden was for their protection and the protection of all humankind. God is so good! He warns us about the dangers of sin. Unfortunately, because sin often appears desirable, we may choose to believe the lies of the enemy instead.

Let’s continue…

The half-truth the serpent told Eve is, “Ye shall be as gods.”

Keyword: “As”—in this context, “BE AS” means to the same degree or equal.

I also noticed that the serpent used the word “KNOWING” good and evil, while the Lord said “to KNOW” good and evil.

Why is this small distinction important?

In this biblical context, “to know” describes a current awareness, while “knowing” indicates a deeper, all-encompassing type of knowledge. In this particular situation, “know” versus “knowing” is significant. The serpent tricked Eve into believing she would be all-knowing like God, but the truth is that she only gained awareness of her current sinful state. How do we know this? After partaking of the fruit, it says in verse seven, “And the eyes of them were both opened, and they knew that they were naked.” It doesn’t say they became all-knowing like God, exposing the serpent’s deceptive nature.

The point I’m making is that we can be easily led astray by the lies of the enemy, which can manifest as thoughts or come from others, especially false teachers and prophets. Satan’s lies are usually very subtle. His deceptions can sound like the truth and be nearly undetectable. But take heart, because we have a helper! The Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to us if we ask.

We need to ask the Lord often: Does this sermon, thought, experience, or person lead me to focus on myself, them, or something else, or does it point me to Christ?

What I am learning is that just because someone mentions God and attaches His name to something, doesn’t indicate His presence, His favor or that the person is pointing to Him.

I encourage you to know God’s truth for yourself so that you can more easily detect the lies of the enemy.

I look forward to diving deeper and exposing the devil’s tactics in the next post.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the truth of Your word. Please give us wisdom to discern the lies of the enemy and his tactics. John 10:27 tells us, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Help us, Lord, to know Your voice and only follow You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert in theology. I’m just sharing what I’ve learned during my personal bible study time. I encourage you to take everything back to the Lord in prayer. If you have any questions regarding accuracy, please conduct your own research or seek wise counsel from the leaders in your church or a respected figure within your community.