Sonlight Devotional

[Printable version]

By Mavis duCille

Scripture reading: Isaiah 7:15, 22

When we read the story of the Eden incident, it becomes clearer and clearer that this serpent still carries an organized opposition to God’s divine government. One of his most ingenious devices is to persuade mankind that he does not exist. His progressive rage and devastating activity, as also, thank God, his mistakes in trying to misrepresent God to man, should be enough to convince us of his existence. We should not forget that he is ever ambitious to aspire to the throne of God – man’s heart.

Let us examine his presentation to Eve.

1. The tree was good for food (to satisfy the carnal man).
2. Delight to the eyes (charming the desires working in the soul).
3. A tree to make one wise (ambition to be as God – seeking light or wisdom without LIFE).

THE BIG LIE: YOU SHALL NOT DIE. SPIRITUAL DEATH IS DEATH.

If we compare this with the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, we will notice the same order.

1. “Command this stone that it be made bread” (satisfy this carnal, physical man).
2. Satan offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world, saying they were given to him (Satan). (How could he forget that Jesus knew that he beguiled Eve, and cheated them of their possession and position?) Satan wanted to stop Jesus from dealing with the sin question, and establishing righteousness in the earth, once and for all. Satan said to Jesus, “If thou wilt worship me, all shall be thine.” A liar indeed, and the father of lies; from him comes the seed of lying and deception.
3. “Cast thyself down.” It is one thing to exercise power and authority, but another to obey God. We cannot tempt God. Make sure who gives the order, and who will get the Glory.

Here Satan met his Waterloo. He came upon the Divine Nature, and was completely devastated by the magnitude of the power of the authority of Christ, which brought to light the fact that…

1. Man’s life and existence is not bound to the provision of this earth, but will be someday altogether, by Divine Support.
2. Satan’s place is behind Jesus, since God has preeminence, and He alone must be worshiped and served.
3. It is already written that you must not tempt the Lord your God. He had a commission from the Father and nothing could distract Him.

Jesus Christ, our Lord, was eating of the tree of life; therefore, evil had no power over Him. The difference with Adam is that he did not take the advantage of the tree of Life before the Devil took advantage of Eve (the weakness of Adam). Adam’s doom was knowing good and evil without the power or the knowledge to handle evil.

Thank God, however, for the SECOND ADAM, who to the fight and to the rescue came. Jesus actually instituted for us that source of milk production, that everyone who comes into this abundance of milk might also eat butter and honey, that they might know to choose the good and refuse evil. This process is our growing into the Divine Nature, which we must progressively experience.

Let us not play with Satan and be ignorant of his subtle devices. He tried to show Eve how God wanted to keep them ignorant, not to be as wise as He, God, is – he did not tell her that God could handle the evil and keep it where it belonged. Her heart went after this knowledge; they got it, but could not handle it.

With the passage of time (thousands of years), Satan’s intentions have not changed. He is much wiser and more subtle now (accumulating thousands of years of experience). He still tries to deceive and destroy; he is still a liar and the father of lies; he might not use the same words that he used to Eve and to Jesus, but in these days he is saying things like, “Jesus is not coming back,” “Jesus died to save the whole world, and we are a part, don’t worry,” “We are all sinners, and you cannot help it,” “Jesus forgives sins, so do whatever you feel like doing, and pray afterwards,” “You don’t need anyone to teach you, you have the Holy Ghost.” Those who follow these words rebel against God’s Divine Order for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. These and numerous other unscriptural words and deeds written on life’s pages, that can be seen and read every day (if the eye is single and we have the mind of Christ), are subtly designed to cheat people out of the privilege of growing into the divine nature, which is the only weapon against the wiles of the devil. (Eating the tree of life)

God expects us to walk with Him (no independence, totally dependent) so closely that we express His full purpose. In this way, we will obtain power and authority with Christ, that the prince of this world, (who is under judgment), might find nothing in us to manipulate. We need to be less identified with the sinful world, which leads to evil and destruction (perversion of heart and mind, even to the extent where God’s truth is twisted to be a lie).

Oh, what a glorious day, when our mind, emotions, desires and will come under the complete authority of the Spirit, completely obedient to the will of the Father as Jesus (the man who walked the streets of Galilee) was to His Father. He warred a clean warfare, according to the will and pleasure of the Father, defeated Satan, put him under foot, and lifted us up together with Himself in heavenly places. By this means, we, too, by the effectual working of the Spirit within us, will also put Satan under foot, as we keep on resisting and rejecting him, until he finds nothing in us.

BUTTER AND HONEY SHALL WE ALL EAT THAT WE MAY LEARN TO CHOOSE GOOD AND REFUSE EVIL. Praise the Lord, and Amen.

(Excerpt from Nuggets for the Needy, 1997, pages 7-10)

Thought for today: Let us not play with Satan and be ignorant of his subtle devices.