The Opponents Gameplan

The first rule of war is know thine enemy.  We all recognize satan as the one who tempts us to do things that are contrary to GOD's command.  The tempter does not come to us with random attempts to get us to fall.  He has a plan and a process that he has been using since the creation of the world. The enemy is like a very crafty and successful coach.  He studies tapes of all of out lives and finds our weak spots. Once he finds those weak spots he strategically puts the right people in place to open you open for his offensive attack. We talk about the Original Sin all the time, but let's look at the original temptation.  Let's study the past game highlights on the tempters game tape.  Let's learn his tactics so that when he attacks we can identify how he plans to attack our lives.  We need to look at no more than satans first crafty attack on man kind, in the garden of Eden. Genesis chapter 3 is the game film we will study.

1 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?”


2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.3 “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.’”

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.5 “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.”

6 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.7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

11 “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?”

12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”

13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”

“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

Gen 3:1-13 (NLT)

1. Disbelief in GOD-The enemy tempts you to disbelieve GOD is more than enough. satan wants us to deny that GOD is all we need. satan got Eve to believe his plan was not the best path for her life.  Once he gets us to invest into what could be a brief moment of disbelief, satan then offers an alternative plan.

2. The Alternative Plan-Anything alternative to the way GOD designed it is a work of satan and ungodly no matter how awesome it sounds. No matter how cunning and wise the alternative plan may sound, it will not lead you to where GOD has destined you nor will it align with his will. Therefore engaging in any alternative to GOD and His will (which is the only perfect and pure will by the way) is sin.  The wages of sin bring death. When Adam & Eve accepted satans alternative to GOD original plan, they committed an act of sin and the ensuing result was death. Since the death is something we always talk about and know, let's talk about the shame Adam & Even endured for following satans alternative to GOD perfect will.

3. Guilt in Our Shame-Once we have followed the tempters alternative plan and come to the end we find ourselves  in complete disgust. We find ourselves isolated, embarrassed, and ashamed for being so foolish. In the process we have hurt ourselves and others.  We then begin to find coping mechanisms to cover our shame.  We turn and run to cover ourselves from the world as to hide the a gun shot wound with a band-aid.  People turn to drugs, sex, bullying, gossip, and some many other things to cover the shame.  The blood of Christ, the Son of GOD, is the only thing sufficient enough to not only cover but cleanse our shame. It is at this truth that the tempter tries to blind us. He is one step away from his ultimate end goal.  If we don't turn to the blood of Christ to cleanse our shame, we then hide ourselves from GOD, which is where satan wants to ultimately keep all people.

4. Guilt enough to hide from GOD-This was where the Creator finds Adam and Eve after they got to the enemy's step 3.  They were hiding from the very GOD who had the best plan for their lives. This is satans overall goal.  He wants to break the relationship between GOD and man and we aid him when we allow ourselves to get to step 4.

So what do we do after we identify these...

1. NEVER DOUBT GOD. RECOGNIZE HIS WILL IS THE ONLY PERFECT WILL. NEVER WAVER IN GOD

2. DONT ACCEPT THE ALTERNATIVE PLAN. IF IT IS NOT IN GODS WORD IT IS NOT HIS PLAN. DONT FOLLOW WHATS SOCIALLY ACCEPTED, FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD

3. WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN GUILT, RUN TO GOD AND THE ARMS OF OUR SAVIOR AS FAST AS YOU CAN. REMEMBER NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU THINK YOU'VE STUNK THINGS UP, IT'S NEVER TO MUCH FOR GOD TO CLEANSE

4. WE DONT HAVE TO HIDE FROM GOD. FIRST OF ALL HE'S EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIME, HE'S ALL SEEING, AND ALL KNOWING. AND REMEMBER HE HAS YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND. "FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD. PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT HARM YOU. PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE.

Be blessed. let always watch, fight, and pray.

Chris Cross