Lies Entangled in Truth are Lies

 

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (NIV)

        God made a wonderful world for man to enjoy. It was full of life, beauty, and splendor. It represented all the things that God embodies and was given to man for his pleasure. From the birds in the sky to the grass in the field, they spoke of the magnificent Creator and His glory. God wanted a creation who would not only love Him, but worship him and appreciate all the things He had made especially for them. God even handmade a special mate for the first man with whom he could enjoy the pleasures of God.  

        Adam and Eve didn’t have a care in the world. Everything was all taken care of. There were no bills, pain, tiredness, death, or sorrow. The only thing they knew was joy, peace, and serenity. No unnecessary anxieties were in their minds for God was their provider. All God required was for them to be obedient to his command of not eating from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. How hard could that have been? With a garden full of delights, to leave one tree alone, at the request of their creator, would seem to be an easy task. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed once the devil came on the scene. 

        The devil was lurking around the garden to find a way to destroy God’s creation. If he could find one small loophole then he would accomplish what he set out to do. Who would he attempt to manipulate first, Adam or Eve? Well, he first had to have a vessel to use that would be able to gain their curiosity because he couldn’t come as himself. The decision was made. He would enter into a snake who was a very wise creature. Next, he had to decide if Adam would be the easiest to deceive first or Eve. Well, Eve won out, so the race began to influence her of what she was missing out on by not being able to eat the fruit of that one tree. 

         The devil began by presenting Eve with a question that he already knew the answer to. Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ ” Eve should have run at the thought of a serpent talking to her to begin with and therefore, could have avoided the disaster to come. James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (NIV) Eve should have known that something was wrong with that picture. However, curiosity got the best of her and she began the dialogue with the serpent.

        The devil proceeded to mix truth with error to Eve by telling her that she would be like God with knowing both good and evil, and that she would not “surely” die. The truth was that she would know both good and evil. The lie was that she would be like God. As Lucifer in Heaven, he had already tried that, but had miserably failed. 

Isaiah 14:14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. (NIV) Therefore, he told Eve this same lie that he made himself believe, which got him kicked out of Heaven. The devil knew that disobedience to God would cause a separation from God for he had experienced it firsthand and therefore knew the end result. Even if she didn’t die right away in the physical, she would experience a death in the spiritual. Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. (NIV) If only Eve had run from the deceiver, she would have been spared such heartache and suffering. 

            The Apostle Paul lets us know that we must stand firm with a belt of truth. Notice that he didn’t say partial truth. Partial truth is no truth at all. Not only did he tell us to have the belt of truth, but he let us know that it was to buckled around the waist. This means that we must be secure in what we know as truth from the Lord because He is truth and no lies are found in Him. John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (NIV) Only then can we wear the breastplate of righteousness. For by holding on to the truth, which is Jesus Christ can we fully surrender to Him and walk in His righteousness that will guard us against the enemy’s venom. Proverbs 8:20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice. (NIV) As women warriors of God, let us be careful to not listen to the lies of the enemy, but wear the garments of God, which gives us protection against the enemy’s deception.