We Should Have Known Better!

My husband and I have both known Jesus from a very young age, had significant calls on our lives and spent many years involved in ministry. And yet there have been many times in our lives where we’ve misstepped into sin – some smaller missteps and some doozies – individually and together. And in the aftermath, we often ask ourselves how we could have been so blind, so deceived, so unwise?

 

We know better! Shouldn’t we have seen the sin coming? Shouldn’t we have been aware of the moment our armor weakened or an arrow found its way through? Shouldn’t we have been able to recognize the slippery footing and shout firmly against the enemy’s attempt to take us down?

 

We’d all like to believe that because we serve God and submit our lives to Him, we can expect to not fall into sin so readily. But when we realize the truth that we are fallible, we just want to find someplace to assign the blame.

 

Like another couple – created and raised by God Himself. This is the couple to which we default our blame in a heartbeat. Adam and Eve. The ‘golden children’ – the ones who seemingly had no excuse for not seeing sin coming. They literally walked with God and had daily conversations with Him everyday. They experienced His provision first-holy-hand. Shouldn’t they have known better? And just like us, they sought to assign blame. Let’s blame the devil, let’s blame each other – let’s blame Adam, let’s blame Eve – hey, let’s blame God…

Don’t we?

 

Satan is the Master Deceiver. He knows his craft well and the sorry part is that he is able to know us, too. So he can find that weak spot in our armor. And just as sure as we have to get up every morning and put on clothes, we need to be putting on God’s armor every day. Examining it for its integrity so we can wear it comfortably and effectively all day.

 

Adam and Eve brought their own hearts and minds to the dance with the devil. And the fall happened in their minds before the conversation ever did. You see they had already decided that they could operate without their armor and decide for themselves what was best for their present and their future. They determined that what the deceiver had to offer could be beneficial for them and they chose it for themselves. They didn’t fight for each other and they didn’t seek counsel from God. They misstepped big time.

 

I picture Satan like that snake that spits venom. He sprays this terrible mist over our eyes and it alters how we see things and numbs our minds to what he’s offering. Its called temptation but its essence is more sinister than its name suggests. It’s an organic compound that morphs into something that perverts what satisfies our most base desires – holy or unholy – making it a nearly impossible feat to resist.

 

And the most perplexing part? He only presents it to us. Tipping it in the light to cast the illusion of sparkle and beauty, drawing us to it. Petting it, tasting it – doesn’t it look good? He can’t force it upon us. We choose to take it or wipe the temptation away ourselves.

 

What a terribly difficult spot to be in. And we are there every day more often than we aren’t. We face ‘trials of many kinds’. We need to be on guard – for ourselves and for our loved ones in Christ. We need to protect each other just as sure as we would if we were side by side on a battle field surrounded by gunfire.

 

Eve didn’t seek her husband’s counsel, Adam didn’t protect his wife, neither asked God to advise or intercede. Each only thought independently and selfishly. We are each there today. You can be sure that just as Satan presented something incredibly tempting to Eve, he’s presenting something to you today. What is it? What looks and sounds alluring to you today? Have you asked God what He thinks? Maybe you already know what He’d think and that keeps you from asking while you linger a little longer! So have you asked your loved one in Christ to fight for you or with you? Asked God to intercede for you? Checked your armor and repaired the chinks?

 

Take your time. Satan’s offer isn’t going anywhere. He’ll be consistent in keeping it in the window for you. He wants you to buy it more than anything! Maybe we should know better. But we aren’t deceived without deceit; so we know things aren’t always as they seem. So you want to know something better? Know your enemy and know your heart. Know your weaknesses and don’t be too proud or too selfish to reach out to God or your loved ones when you discern the Deceiver’s storefront.

 

We are designed to be strengths for each other as spouses, friends, brothers, neighbors….and the Holy Spirit is designed to be a strength to us! We should know better to lean on each other!

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