bibleteacher.org: Sermons by Dr, Mike Willmouth

"The Devil's Toolbox"
Genesis 3:1-9

by Joseph "Mike" Willmouth
(This Sermon was preached at Eastview Baptist Church, Hopkinsville KY, on September 21, 2003. All Scripture
references used in this sermon are based upon the NKJV, unless otherwise stated)

This work was written and submitted by: Joseph M. Willmouth, Pastor of Eastview Baptist Church, Kentucky. This contributed article is copyright protected, and the sole property of the contributing author. It may be freely copied and used provided the above credits are included. Document expiration: indefinite.

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"

Introduction: The Apostle Peter gives us a warning in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

The Apostle Paul gives us this warning about Satan in Ephesians 6:10-12, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

There is no doubt that we are in a spiritual battle in this life. For some it is a battle for their eternal souls, and their eternal destinies. For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, it is a battle to wound, maim, and destroy the faith of believers, and local church, so that they will drop out of the fight and will no longer be effective for the cause of Christ. Charles Swindoll put it this way, "Our adversary is a master strategist, forever fogging up our minds with smokescreens." It is for these reasons, if we (i.e., believers) are going to be effective and useful in the spiritual battle for the Lord, then we must know our enemy and his battle plans if we want to win the battle. And what better way to do so, than to study his tactics in past battles to see how we can overcome him - and fortunately for us, Satan hasn't changed his tactics since the garden of Eden.

Transition: Let's begin by looking at the various tools that Satan uses against believers, the first is. . .

I. The Tools Of The Trade (vv.1, 4, 5).
1. The Saw Of Doubt: "Has God indeed said" (v.1).

- Satan casts or insinuates doubt on God's Word, God's goodness, God's purpose and even on God's people.

Application: If Satan can cast doubt upon God's people he will divide them just like a saw divides the wood that it is put to. If Satan can cast doubt in the hearts of God's people, he will cut their hopes into little pieces. The saw of doubt is designed to cut the faith of a believer so small that it will not be able to even move an anthill.

Draper's Book of Quotations speaks of doubt this way:
        "Doubt sees the obstacles; faith sees the way.
        Doubt sees the darkest night; faith sees the day.
        Doubt dreads to take a step; faith soars on high;
        Doubt questions, 'Who believes?' Faith answers, 'I.'"

Max L. Lucado says that the, "Clouds of doubt are created when the warm, moist air of our expectations meets the cold air of God's silence. The problem is not as much in God's silence as it is in your ability to hear."

The Apostle Paul tells us how we can dull Satan's tool in Romans 10:17, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." When you feel the saw of doubt being used on your faith, get into God's Word and find comfort and strength there.

Transition: There's another tool that Satan likes to use, and that's. . .

2. The Pry-bar Of Contradiction: "You will not surely die" (v.4).

A. Satan flatly contradicted God about eventuality of judgment on those who disobeyed.
- Satan is telling Eve that a person can sin and get away with it.
B. But God's Word tells us differently.
1) Jeremiah 23:24, "Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD."
2) Galatians 6:7-8, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."

Application: Satan is still using the tool of contradiction today. Some churches and denominations today contradict God's clear teaching about the office of Pastor, the Infallibility of God's Word, and today's list goes on and on. Then they wonder why they are having such conflicts and divisions within their denominations. Trying to mix the political correctness of the world with God's holy Word is like trying to oil and water - they will keep trying to separate themselves from each other. Do you know why the tool of contradiction works so well? It's because most Christians don't know God's Word well enough to even know when something is contrary to God's Word.

Transition: The third tool that Satan used on Adam and Eve was. . .

3. The Measuring Tape Of Misrepresentation: "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (v.5).

A. First, Satan implied that God was jealous and was holding back from giving Adam and Eve everything they deserved.
B. Then Satan offers the false promise of divinity, which is what he desired for himself.
- Isaiah 14:13-14, "For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'"

Application: This tool is extremely effective when it comes to the major pseudo-Christian cults today. They misrepresent themselves by making promises that cannot be supported by God's Word. Why does this work so well? Because men and women love to have their ears tickled, that's why; 2 Timothy 4:3-4, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." While Satan would promise you the moon, we must remember that Satan is also the Father of Lies (John 8:44).

Transition: Now let's look at 3 areas of our lives these tools are designed for. .

II. The Tools Design (vv.1, 4-6)
1. They Are Designed To Work On The Physical (the body) Part Of Man.

A. ". . . 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" (v.1).
B. "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food," (v.6).
C. We find this today in many different areas of our lives (materialism, worshiping the body: physical fitness, etc.).

Application: Satan's tools are designed to get you so focused upon the things of this world and this life, that you'll forget about the next world in which we will live - the eternal world. 1 John 2:15-17, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

Transition: The next area that Satan's tools are designed to be used is. . .

2. They Are Designed To Work On The Religious (the soul) Part of Man.

A. Satan appealed to the religious side of man.
1) "Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die.'" (v.4)
2) "and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." (v.6)

B. God designed man with an innate desire for a relationship with Him, but because of our sin nature we often try to fill it with designer gods that please our sin natures, and Satan is happy to help build us a god of our choice with his tools.
1) Romans 1:21-22, "because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,"
2) 2 Timothy 3:5, "having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

Application: A. W. Tozer once noted that, "The whole world has been booby-trapped by the devil, and the deadliest trap of all is the religious one." If Satan can't get you to deny the existence of God, he'll give you the god of your own choice, made in the image of man's own desires. This is why you hear people say such things as, "I can't believe in a God that would allow people to go to hell," or they start with the phrase, "well my god. . ." Then they will usually go on to describe what they think God should be like. If you want to know why there are hundreds of religions in this world you only need to look for source, the author of confusion. A good indicator that a religion is false, look to see if it is works based religion, because they all deny God's perfect and complete gift of salvation, Jesus Christ as the only source of salvation. By doing so, there refuse God's grace and try to place salvation back into the incapable hands of man, while ignoring what God says about our deeds: Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away."

Transition: The 3 area that Satan's tools are designed to used is . . .

3. They Are Designed To Work On The Mental (the ego, pride, and intellect) Part Of Man.

A. "and you will be like God" (v.5)
B. "that it was pleasant to the eyes" (v.6)

Application: A Welsh Proverb says, "The devil has three children: pride, falsehood, and envy." Mankind loves to have their egos stroked. For years, we have heard about the importance of Self-Esteem. We are told how it is important for everyone to feel good about themselves. A few years ago, I heard one radio commentator make this statement about our school systems and our children; the comment went something like this, "we have done a very good job teaching our children to feel good about themselves. By the time they graduate high school, they can't read or write, nor can they do simple math but they do feel good about themselves." Satan's tools are designed to make a person feel good about themselves all the way to Hell, but they won't help anyone feel good about themselves once they get there.

A believer doesn't find their value in Self-Esteem, but in God's-Esteem; God didn't save us because of who we are, but because of who He is. We must heed God's Word when we see Satan's tools working on our egos; Proverb 16:18-19, "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud." God's solution to pride is found in James 4:10, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

Transition: Finally, lets look at how we can put Satan's tools back into his toolbox. . .

III. Putting The Devil's Tools Back In The Box (Practical/Biblical Advise)
1. Know What God's Word Really Says.

A. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
B. 2 Timothy 2:15, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth"

Application: I saw on the Nashville News the other night that Tennessee school systems close to last in the nation, and that they only have a 60% graduation rate. The American version of Christianity has an 80% drop out rate within 6 months of professing Jesus Christ as their Savior. I wonder where we rank as compared to the world religions and cults of the world. It's been said that, "The devil is not afraid of the Bible that has dust on it" (Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World). I once heard a preacher say, "if you spend more time reading the news paper each day than you do the Bible, then you are backslidden." Maybe, he has a point.

Isn't it amazing that when it comes to the things of this world, we will take the time to diligently study their works to get ahead, but we fail to study the eternal book that gives us the answers not only for life now, but for our eternal life.

- You can't progress in the Boy or Girl Scouts unless you study and learn their manual.
- In the U.S. Military you won't get promoted unless you study and learn their manuals.
- To get your drivers licence you must study and learn the drivers manual.
- You can't get into college unless you have prepared yourself to pass their examines.

We spend our whole lives studying and preparing ourselves to get ahead in this world, but we fail to follow God's instructions when it tells us in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Is God's Word richly dwelling in you? If not, then you are making yourself an easy target for the Devil's Toolbox.

Transition: The second thing that we need to do is to. . .

2. Be Thankful Or Satisfied With What God Has Given You.

A. Adam and Eve had a forest, but gave it all up for one tree, because they weren't satisfied with what God gave them.
B. Focus on what He has done for you and not on what you don't have.

Application: We need to learn to be content with what the Lord has given us in this life, and be mindful of 1 Timothy 6:7-8, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." God didn't promise you that when you accepted Christ as your Savior that He would make you rich in this world. The Christian's reward is to be found on the other side of heaven. The Apostle Paul sets the example for us to follow in Philippians 4:11-13, ". . .for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (NIV). When worldly thoughts start to fill your mind, then follow God's advise in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate [i.e., Think, Dwell on] on these things." If you fill your minds with the things of God, there won't be any room for the tools of the Devil to work with.

Transition: The third thing that we need to do to keep Satan's tool box closed is to. . .

3. Realize That God Will Forgive You.

A. "Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, 'Where are you?'" (v.9)
B. In love and mercy God searched after His fallen creatures.
C. This question proved two things:
A) Man was lost and God came to seek that which was lost.
B) It proved man's sin and God's grace.

Application: Know that God will forgive you if you go to Him and confess/acknowledge your sins, 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Know that nothing can separate you from God if you are His child because Christ has already paid the prince for your sins, Romans 8:38-39, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Transition: The last thing that we need to do to keep Satan's tool box closed is to. . .

4. Take Time To Listen To God.

- Adam and Eve had a relationship with God that none of us will ever have on this side of heaven, they walked with God in the garden, but they didn't really listen to what God had told them.

Application: Not only should we spend time in prayer with the Lord, but we need to spend time listening to His reply also. We need to take a timeout of our prayer list of "me, me, me" and pray like Jesus did in the garden in Luke 22:42, ". . .nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Then quietly wait and listen for God's answer. Like Elijah we might learn that sometimes God doesn't answer us with a great fanfare, but we must listen carefully for His small still voice (1 Kings 19:12).

Invitation:

1. No body wants to face trials, let alone Satan's tools, but when you do you can rejoice in the Lord because you know that you must be doing something right - and that you are not alone.

A. The Lord reminded us of this in John 15:20, "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also."
B. And don't give up, because God is storing up treasures in heaven for those who overcome (Matthew 6:19-20)

2. Corrie Ten Boom once said that, "Satan wastes no ammunition on those who are dead in trespasses and sins."

A. In other words, if you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, then don't worry because Satan has you right where he wants you - and fact should worry you.
B. If God has convicted your heart, then you had better respond to His calling while you still have the chance.
1) The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:2b, ". . .Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
2) The Bible tells us in Acts 3:19, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord"
3) The Bible also tells us how to put your trust in Christ for salvation.
- Romans 10:9-11, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.'"