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It’s Always the Devil’s Fault
Genesis 3:1-10 February 13, 2005
We live in a day and time where being self sufficient is an admirable quality. To go it alone, to be strong, to
be independent is the goal of so many people today. It is true of individuals and it is true of nations. It is
the pioneer spirit revisited.
The only problem with this lone ranger ideology is that when you meet an enemy that is tougher than you,
a problem that is bigger than you, a circumstance that is snowballing all around you, you have no one to call
on for help because you have chosen to push others away.
I don’t know the circumstances that caused Annie Hawkes to pen the words of our hymn this morning, but
it says that the inspiration for it can be found in Psalm 86, “Hear O Lord and answer me, for I am poor and
needy.” It begins with a confession that we are in need and a recognition that God can meet that need.
Sometimes, in our effort to be brave, to be independent, we forget just how much we need God. We have
some victories, some good fortune, some blessings and we lose track of the fact that it is God who has been
opening the doors before us. When that happens, it isn’t long before we find ourselves on the outside
looking in.
There was an episode of Frasier where he and his brother Niles had gained access to an exclusive health
club. They were so excited. They had finally arrived. They were somebodies. That is until they found
there was another level to the club. They were devastated. After a lot of hobnobbing and maneuvering the
two of them managed to find the door they believed would lead them in. When they walked through the
door, they found themselves out in the back alley where the dumpster was kept. Instead of being content
with where they were, they were on the outside looking in and there was no way back inside.
There is a lesson to be learned here. You see, God has an enemy who is constantly trying to separate us
from him. In the scriptures he is described as a ravaging beast who is waiting for just the right moment to
pounce upon his unsuspecting victims. His strategy is to divide and conquer. His hope is that he can cause
us to question God and leave the security of our faith walk and go it on our own.
Some of you are saying, he’s talking about the devil, but I don’t believe in the devil. That’s stuff from
fantasy magazines and horror novels. Well I want to tell you today that if you don’t believe there is a
Devil, he already has his eye on you. The scriptures, on the other hand, take the devil very seriously.
It is funny how modern culture shapes the way we think about things. In Mel Gibson’s movie, “The
Passion of the Christ” Jesus is struggling in the garden of Gethsemane. He is filled with uncertainty and
fear. His anguish is easy to see. At that moment the spectre, this image comes to him and begins to question
him and poke and prod him about his belief in what God is doing. The visitor asks pointed questions about
Jesus’ ability to take on the role of savior and defender all alone. The scene is eerily reminiscent of the one
in our text today where the tempter comes to Eve and Adam.
His questions are simple enough and they point to a reality that makes sense. He is so clever. That scene is
replayed again in the account of Jesus in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. The devil is so
subtle and he makes so much sense.
With Adam and Eve, there is no subterfuge. He comes as the serpent. With Jesus, he comes in the vision of
a man, but underneath is the hiss and rattle of his venom. The devil comes with one purpose in mind: To
lead us away from the love and protection of God.
Let’s get one thing straight right now. This is not a Flip Wilson thing: “the Devil made me do it.” We are
not talking about excuses for doing something bad. The reality is that it is always the devil’s fault. When
we are tempted to break away and do something that is wrong, it is the devil.
Steroids in baseball? It is the devil. Cocaine and drugs taking people down? It is the devil. Corporate
executives bilking companies of millions of dollars? It is the devil. Milliions of Americans overweight and
dieing of heart disease? It is the devil. Families over extended on credit, buying up everything in sight? It is
the devil. Let’s not make it an excuse anymore. Checking out the pornography on the internet? It is the
devil. Let’s look at it as a fact of life and begin to do something about it.
Sin and separation from God always begins with temptation. Look at our text today. Most people like to
write off this whole story because it seems too simple. Fruit? What could be so bad about that? Why did
God make such a big deal about the apple?
As you look at the story it is not really about fruit at all. It is about questioning God’s word and authority.
It is about going against God and believing that we know better than God.
“HE SAID TO THE WOMAN, ‘Did God really say, you must not eat from any tree in the garden.’” The
Devil loves to start conversations that draw us to a place of doubt, a place of questioning what we believe
and have been taught.
Where is it that the Devil is tempting you? What conversations has he started with you? What sin is he
making appealing to you?
Is making your marriage work just too much hassle? Wouldn’t it be easier just to start over? Find someone
new?
Wouldn’t it be nice to sit back and toss down a cold one? You have too many responsibilities. You desrve
to take a break and take it easy.
Who cares about work? They don’t appreciate you anyway. Why give them the best of your time and
abilities?
Why shouldn’t you have the best of everything? You work hard. Get a credit card and charge. You can get
a Lexus on a lease that won’t stretch you too much, or maybe a hummer. It’s your money. Why not spend
it like you want… on yourself.
It’s funny, but when you think about the temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness, they don’t seem
too unreasonable either. Everything the Tempter said was true. Bread? Power? The protection of God?
Nothing bad here. But Jesus knew what giving in meant.
You see, giving in meant that you were not trusting God anymore. It meant trusting either your own
abilities or those of the devil. God calls us to radical obedience and allegiance. He says trust me and I will
take care of you. What’s so funny is that Adam and Eve had everything. God was as good as His word.
And yet they let themselves be tempted. So that makes it evewn harder for us.
You know it is not the temptation that is sin. It is acting upon it.
But even so, the truth is that we cannot be tempted unless we want to be. We cannot be tempted unless we
are open to it.
Look at the text. First and foremost, Eve listened to the Devil! Then she noticed the fruit of the tree. Third
she took the fruit in her hand! And then, SHE ATE!! I wish I could say this is the end of the temptation
process, but look how verse 6 ends, “She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it!”
Why were they even looking? That is an important thing for us to see. When Jesus was met by the
tempter in the dessert, he immediately began pushing him away. He did not even consider what was being
offered. He went to the source of his strength. He went to the word of God and shooed away the devil
with the truth.
You know, you and I can do that too. When the devil comes our way, we need to get back into church. We
need to get involved in Bible Studies and surround ourselves with other believers. We don’t want to be
alone with him. We want to send him packing.
Unfortunately the devil often comes to us when we are at our weakest.
I like the story told about the man who was sitting at a stop light. He was late for work. The lady in front
of him wasn’t paying attention and when the light changed to green she did not move. When the light turned
to red, and she had still not moved, the man began screaming, cursing and beating on the steering wheel. The
expressions of distress were interrupted by a policeman, gun drawn, tapping on the window. Against the
protestations of "You can’t arrest me for hollering in my car," he ordered the man into the back seat of the
squad car. After about two hours in a holding cell, the arresting officer advised him he was free to go. The
man said, "I knew you couldn’t arrest me for what I was yelling in my own car. You haven’t heard the last
of this!" The officer replied, "I didn’t arrest you for shouting in your car. I was behind you at the light. I
saw you screaming and beating your steering wheel, and I said to myself, "What a jerk. But there is nothing
I can do to him for throwing a fit in his own car. Then I noticed the ’Cross’ hanging from your rear view
mirror, the bright yellow Choose Life’ license tag, the ’Jesus is Coming Soon’ bumper sticker, and the Fish
symbol, and I thought you must have stolen the car."
The truth is that all of us will sin and fall prey to the tempter. That is why Jesus came. Paul reminds us
that we, like Adam and Eve, are weak and when left on our own, we will succumb at one time or another.
Well here is the good news. Jesus came to save us from our sin and that is why he went to the cross. When
we sing Amazing Grace, we are singing about A God who loves us and will take care of us. We are rejoicing
that we are not alone and that even if we do fall prey to the tempter, God will not forget about us.
Genesis 3:1-10 February 13, 2005
We live in a day and time where being self sufficient is an admirable quality. To go it alone, to be strong, to
be independent is the goal of so many people today. It is true of individuals and it is true of nations. It is
the pioneer spirit revisited.
The only problem with this lone ranger ideology is that when you meet an enemy that is tougher than you,
a problem that is bigger than you, a circumstance that is snowballing all around you, you have no one to call
on for help because you have chosen to push others away.
I don’t know the circumstances that caused Annie Hawkes to pen the words of our hymn this morning, but
it says that the inspiration for it can be found in Psalm 86, “Hear O Lord and answer me, for I am poor and
needy.” It begins with a confession that we are in need and a recognition that God can meet that need.
Sometimes, in our effort to be brave, to be independent, we forget just how much we need God. We have
some victories, some good fortune, some blessings and we lose track of the fact that it is God who has been
opening the doors before us. When that happens, it isn’t long before we find ourselves on the outside
looking in.
There was an episode of Frasier where he and his brother Niles had gained access to an exclusive health
club. They were so excited. They had finally arrived. They were somebodies. That is until they found
there was another level to the club. They were devastated. After a lot of hobnobbing and maneuvering the
two of them managed to find the door they believed would lead them in. When they walked through the
door, they found themselves out in the back alley where the dumpster was kept. Instead of being content
with where they were, they were on the outside looking in and there was no way back inside.
There is a lesson to be learned here. You see, God has an enemy who is constantly trying to separate us
from him. In the scriptures he is described as a ravaging beast who is waiting for just the right moment to
pounce upon his unsuspecting victims. His strategy is to divide and conquer. His hope is that he can cause
us to question God and leave the security of our faith walk and go it on our own.
Some of you are saying, he’s talking about the devil, but I don’t believe in the devil. That’s stuff from
fantasy magazines and horror novels. Well I want to tell you today that if you don’t believe there is a
Devil, he already has his eye on you. The scriptures, on the other hand, take the devil very seriously.
It is funny how modern culture shapes the way we think about things. In Mel Gibson’s movie, “The
Passion of the Christ” Jesus is struggling in the garden of Gethsemane. He is filled with uncertainty and
fear. His anguish is easy to see. At that moment the spectre, this image comes to him and begins to question
him and poke and prod him about his belief in what God is doing. The visitor asks pointed questions about
Jesus’ ability to take on the role of savior and defender all alone. The scene is eerily reminiscent of the one
in our text today where the tempter comes to Eve and Adam.
His questions are simple enough and they point to a reality that makes sense. He is so clever. That scene is
replayed again in the account of Jesus in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. The devil is so
subtle and he makes so much sense.
With Adam and Eve, there is no subterfuge. He comes as the serpent. With Jesus, he comes in the vision of
a man, but underneath is the hiss and rattle of his venom. The devil comes with one purpose in mind: To
lead us away from the love and protection of God.
Let’s get one thing straight right now. This is not a Flip Wilson thing: “the Devil made me do it.” We are
not talking about excuses for doing something bad. The reality is that it is always the devil’s fault. When
we are tempted to break away and do something that is wrong, it is the devil.
Steroids in baseball? It is the devil. Cocaine and drugs taking people down? It is the devil. Corporate
executives bilking companies of millions of dollars? It is the devil. Milliions of Americans overweight and
dieing of heart disease? It is the devil. Families over extended on credit, buying up everything in sight? It is
the devil. Let’s not make it an excuse anymore. Checking out the pornography on the internet? It is the
devil. Let’s look at it as a fact of life and begin to do something about it.
Sin and separation from God always begins with temptation. Look at our text today. Most people like to
write off this whole story because it seems too simple. Fruit? What could be so bad about that? Why did
God make such a big deal about the apple?
As you look at the story it is not really about fruit at all. It is about questioning God’s word and authority.
It is about going against God and believing that we know better than God.
“HE SAID TO THE WOMAN, ‘Did God really say, you must not eat from any tree in the garden.’” The
Devil loves to start conversations that draw us to a place of doubt, a place of questioning what we believe
and have been taught.
Where is it that the Devil is tempting you? What conversations has he started with you? What sin is he
making appealing to you?
Is making your marriage work just too much hassle? Wouldn’t it be easier just to start over? Find someone
new?
Wouldn’t it be nice to sit back and toss down a cold one? You have too many responsibilities. You desrve
to take a break and take it easy.
Who cares about work? They don’t appreciate you anyway. Why give them the best of your time and
abilities?
Why shouldn’t you have the best of everything? You work hard. Get a credit card and charge. You can get
a Lexus on a lease that won’t stretch you too much, or maybe a hummer. It’s your money. Why not spend
it like you want… on yourself.
It’s funny, but when you think about the temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness, they don’t seem
too unreasonable either. Everything the Tempter said was true. Bread? Power? The protection of God?
Nothing bad here. But Jesus knew what giving in meant.
You see, giving in meant that you were not trusting God anymore. It meant trusting either your own
abilities or those of the devil. God calls us to radical obedience and allegiance. He says trust me and I will
take care of you. What’s so funny is that Adam and Eve had everything. God was as good as His word.
And yet they let themselves be tempted. So that makes it evewn harder for us.
You know it is not the temptation that is sin. It is acting upon it.
But even so, the truth is that we cannot be tempted unless we want to be. We cannot be tempted unless we
are open to it.
Look at the text. First and foremost, Eve listened to the Devil! Then she noticed the fruit of the tree. Third
she took the fruit in her hand! And then, SHE ATE!! I wish I could say this is the end of the temptation
process, but look how verse 6 ends, “She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it!”
Why were they even looking? That is an important thing for us to see. When Jesus was met by the
tempter in the dessert, he immediately began pushing him away. He did not even consider what was being
offered. He went to the source of his strength. He went to the word of God and shooed away the devil
with the truth.
You know, you and I can do that too. When the devil comes our way, we need to get back into church. We
need to get involved in Bible Studies and surround ourselves with other believers. We don’t want to be
alone with him. We want to send him packing.
Unfortunately the devil often comes to us when we are at our weakest.
I like the story told about the man who was sitting at a stop light. He was late for work. The lady in front
of him wasn’t paying attention and when the light changed to green she did not move. When the light turned
to red, and she had still not moved, the man began screaming, cursing and beating on the steering wheel. The
expressions of distress were interrupted by a policeman, gun drawn, tapping on the window. Against the
protestations of "You can’t arrest me for hollering in my car," he ordered the man into the back seat of the
squad car. After about two hours in a holding cell, the arresting officer advised him he was free to go. The
man said, "I knew you couldn’t arrest me for what I was yelling in my own car. You haven’t heard the last
of this!" The officer replied, "I didn’t arrest you for shouting in your car. I was behind you at the light. I
saw you screaming and beating your steering wheel, and I said to myself, "What a jerk. But there is nothing
I can do to him for throwing a fit in his own car. Then I noticed the ’Cross’ hanging from your rear view
mirror, the bright yellow Choose Life’ license tag, the ’Jesus is Coming Soon’ bumper sticker, and the Fish
symbol, and I thought you must have stolen the car."
The truth is that all of us will sin and fall prey to the tempter. That is why Jesus came. Paul reminds us
that we, like Adam and Eve, are weak and when left on our own, we will succumb at one time or another.
Well here is the good news. Jesus came to save us from our sin and that is why he went to the cross. When
we sing Amazing Grace, we are singing about A God who loves us and will take care of us. We are rejoicing
that we are not alone and that even if we do fall prey to the tempter, God will not forget about us.
The First Baptist Church of Norwich