The Real Enemy

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’?” (Genesis 3:1 NIV)

In our devotions over the next couple of weeks, we are going to go back to where all the sin and sadness began. The world wasn’t always the way it is now. It used to be perfect. Beautiful. Joyful!

What happened? It all started with a snake. Except, of course, it wasn’t really just a snake. It was the devil—Satan. Satan is a powerful angel who rebelled against God, was cast out of heaven, and now wants nothing more than to drag you and me and every other human being to hell with him. The devil took the form of a snake and crept into the Garden of Eden to tempt Eve and destroy God’s perfect creation.

Satan is our enemy. Before we get to the part about eating fruit or hiding from God or blaming others, take note of who the real enemy is: The devil. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Satan and his spiritual forces of evil are the real enemy.

It’s tempting to think that the cause of the evil in our lives is that cruel boss or foolish government or bad luck or broken relationship. If that were the case, the solution would be as simple as a different job or better laws or a new boyfriend. That won’t cut it. You can’t fight a spiritual enemy with human resources. It’s downright foolish to think we can battle the devil on our own. We don’t stand a chance!

We need a snake-crusher. A Savior. That’s why Jesus came. That’s why he went to the cross. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). As powerful an enemy as the devil is, as successful as he seems to be in our world, Satan didn’t win. Jesus died to forgive our sins. Jesus rose to crush death and hell. Jesus gives eternal life to all who trust in him.

As we meditate on the sad story of the fall into sin, remember who the real enemy is—the devil. Then remember who the only Savior is—Jesus.

Dear Jesus, we have an enemy whom we could never defeat on our own. As the devil continues his work in our world, lead us to trust in you and your salvation. Amen.