Why does Rebellion seem so attractive?, Ep 3-10
Welcome Back! I am your host Dawn Simmons, and in this episode of Conquering Our Unseen Enemies we are going to be discussing the Spirit of Rebellion. We will look at Rebellion from the very beginning and see how it played out in the Bible. Then we will discuss how we get caught in the trap of Rebellion and why so many people fall for Satan’s trap.
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When we think about Satan, we likely draw some inference in our imagination to evil and come up with some imagery of what we think evil looks like. The first time we meet Satan is in Genesis 3. He appears to Eve in the Garden of Eden as a serpent. So Satan presents himself not as he appears in his own natural state, but rather how he wants us to see him, how he wanted Eve to perceive him. From there, he began to engage with her. Notice that a serpent spoke to Eve and she spoke back. If this were us and a snake began to speak to us, I doubt we would just respond and continue the conversation. We don’t want to overlook that point however, because it gives us insight into an interesting principle that still applies today. The principle we learn in that interaction, short as it is, is that Satan can and will communicate with us and it is up to us to make a choice on how we will respond.
Let’s look at how Eve responds. First, she engages in conversation. I don’t know that she understood who she was talking to, the Bible doesn’t give us insight into how much of what we would consider “the unseen world” was revealed to Adam and Eve. We don’t know if the “unseen world” was in fact unseen to them. By this point in time, we only know the Fall of Satan had occurred. Jesus tells us a little about it in Luke 10:18, He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I think that must have been a sad day. That was the first rebellion. We do it every day so maybe it doesn’t seem so shocking, but it had to have deeply hurt God to see this happen. Satan is a created being, like we are. When Eve first encounters Satan, or at least it is the first encounter we are made aware of, meaning, not every single event or act that has occurred is included in the Bible. God provided what we need, not all the information there ever was. So when we see Eve encounter the serpent, what is the first thing Satan does? As the conversation begins Satan creates a wedge that he slowly starts to weave into the conversation through doubt and as he pulls Eve into the conversation, he is gently hammering that wedge in to place to create a divide between her and the relationship she and Adam had with God. Once Adam entered the picture, we don’t see the serpent in the conversation, only Eve pulling Adam into her sin. He participates in an act of Rebellion against God that he knows is contrary to what God has told him. Satan successfully created a divide and their daily walks with God in the cool of the day as is described in Genesis 3:8, Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
When we look at how this encounter worked so well we see that Satan masterfully used deception as a way to lead Adam and Eve into Rebellion against God. Satan knew exactly what the result would be for Adam and Eve. He didn’t care what happened to them. The more he can do to tear apart God’s creations, the better. He used deception to convince Eve that God was not truthful, that what God said was a lie to keep all the good stuff for Himself, as if God were withholding the best from them for his own selfish reasons. Remember that while Eve is being told this, she is standing in the most lush land and diverse yet peaceful animal community ever created. She was standing in an earthly heaven in the Garden of Eden. How much more could she have wanted than what she already had? Yet even in all of that, Satan managed to convince her that she could have more. Why?
Why does Rebellion seem so attractive? When we are considering rebellion, we are in essence saying that we are questioning the nature of God. We are saying that God cannot be trusted. We are saying that what Jesus did, which is what we are celebrating this week was nothing. The life that Jesus gave for us, his death and resurrection, none of that was enough. Let’s go to the Garden of Gethsemane for a minute. Matthew 26:39, let’s see what Jesus is experiencing, Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus knows what He is about to experience. He obviously doesn’t want to and in a moment of prayer He speaks to His Father and says if there is any way He can avoid it, then please arrange it, but if not, then He will follow His Father’s will. Jesus had a moment there where if He had chosen Rebellion, He could have spared Himself. He had free will, just as we do. He chose His Father. Jesus was afraid, so fearful He sweat blood. Satan was working to create everything that was about to take place, all the evil acts, the betrayal of Jesus, all to ensure the death of Jesus. Fear, Satan was using fear.
If we go back to the Garden of Eden, I’m sure when Adam and Eve were banished from their beautiful Garden, a Garden created specifically for them, I am sure when they look out at the vast, barren, darkness that awaited them, I’m sure they were fearful. The land was no longer full of food, they were going to have to do that themselves. Their lives changed forever. Physically their lives changed, spiritually their lives changed, they began to experience their own death which wasn’t present up to that moment. Animals did not pursue each other, there were no carnivores up to that point. Now the animal kingdom had predators and prey and man was brought into that kingdom as both a predator and prey. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the unthinkable happens. One of their sons, commits the first murder, and so then they experienced their first loss of life, their son.
Rebellion breeds sin. When we take that first step, we don’t stop at one step. Rebellion is a staircase that progressively leads us deeper down into sinful behavior and the consequences continue to build. We are choosing self-will. We are choosing our own ways, or we think we are. In reality, we are choosing Satan’s ways. Our freewill, that will eventually end because we become so ensnared in sin and its consequences that we will eventually feel we are being choked out of our life.
So back to the question of why does it seem so attractive? Well firstly, we don’t always realize we are entering into rebellion. It starts slowly. We rationalize or justify what we are about to do. We say things like, “I earned it,” “just this one time,” “It can’t hurt,” then we move to “no one will know” and begin trying to hide sin. The consequences will still come no matter how hard you try to hide rebellion. God will not be mocked. Second, our desire to obtain what the rebellion provides becomes more important than what God provides. The rebellion provides may bring a short-term benefit, but over time that short term benefit won’t be enough. More will be wanted and deeper we go down that staircase. Third, we aren’t willing to be honest with ourselves that our rebellion is taking us to a place that is drawing us further from God. Fourth, we would rather continue in rebellion than have to admit we are involved in things we should not be, we don’t want to have to admit what we are doing. Fifth, we have become so engaged in what we are receiving, money, sex, various addictions, status, possessions that we no longer want a relationship with our Creator, the Great I Am. Satan knows our weaknesses. He knows what He can use to draw us further away and deeper into rebellion with him.
From the beginning, Satan set the traps of rebellion before you. You have the free will to turn away and go toward God, or you can choose to accept what Satan is offering and walk the path of Rebellion. Rebellion is turning our back on God. Rebellion is the source of evil. Satan is the father of lies and everything he offers is a lie and temporal.
So why do so many people fall for this trap from Satan? Well let’s think about this. Satan rebelled from God as a result of his pride and his desire to become God or overthrow God. Selfish, narcissistic, self-absorbed, arrogant, greedy, self-righteous, vain, haughty, what else was in Satan that drove his rebellion? All of those qualities, he uses all of those against our weaknesses so we begin to believe we should have whatever he is offering us to pull us into rebellion. However, he can twist the truth to turn your heart and mind against God as if God were keeping “things” from you. You deserve more than what you have, you should have xyz. All of these tactics are what he did in the beginning, what he is doing now and what he will do after we are all gone until the end of times. Because, for the most part, people are pretty shallow and not interested in the “deep” things of God and fulfilling our kingdom purposes, well rebellion seems tantalizing. I mean “YOLO!” You only live once, right? “Life is short, might as well enjoy it!” These sayings are repeated mindlessly without consideration for the references being made and the resulting decision made. We need to be better than that and keep ourselves focused on what matters. Relationship. In the end, relationship, not rebellion, will be what you have to show in your YOLO! If we make the wrong choice, it is a costly choice.
Here is how God views the rebellion of man:
1 Samuel 15:23. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
Proverbs 17:11, Evildoers foster rebellion against God; the messenger of death will be sent against them.
When I read that, I hear God saying, if you want to rebel, you are partnering with Satan himself and I will have no part of you. Those are words I never want to hear. Not out of fear, it would just hurt my heart if that is how God saw me. Most people see God as someone who only wants us to be afraid of Him, but no, He wants relationship with us. Have a healthy fear of Him, just like you would of a grizzly bear or a white shark, but you still respect that grizzly bear or white shark, you can have an appreciation of them. Unlike the bear or the shark, God rewards, God blesses, God supports, God comforts, God provides comfort, God counsels, God creates. When you think of things in those terms, I don’t think rebellion seems so attractive. I know people who are years into recovery from various addictions, I am sure they would not see rebellion as attractive. The man or woman who has lost their family due to their infidelities, they may not see rebellion as attractive anymore.
We need to wake up as a church. We need to see Satan for what He is, a void, a darkness that offers us nothing in rebellion. God is the provider of all things. Rebellion is death. God is life.
We will end with the words of Jesus, “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10.
I hope this has been time that inspires you to want to learn to grow in your relationship with the Lord and build your desire to partner with Him. We want to grow in Him and learn how to work with Him to build the Kingdom and Conquer Our Unseen Enemies. The more we grow the more our life will change, and you can help change the lives of anyone around you who is willing.
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As always, let’s discuss our Top Show points:
· Why the Spirit of Rebellion seems attractive.
· Genesis 3. He appears to Eve in the Garden of Eden as a serpent. Satan presents himself not as he is, but how he wants us to see him
· Satan can and will communicate with us and it is up to us to make a choice on how we will respond.
· Eve responds and engages in conversation.
· Jesus tells us a little about it in Luke 10:18, He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I think that must have been a sad day.
· Satan creates a wedge through doubt to create a divide between her and the relationship she and Adam had with God.
· Adam participates in an act of Rebellion against God that he knows is contrary to what God has told him.
· Satan successfully created a divide Genesis 3:8, Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
· Satan used deception as a way to lead Adam and Eve into Rebellion against God.
· When we are considering rebellion, we are questioning the nature of God, that God cannot be trusted.
· We are saying that what Jesus did, his death and resurrection, was not enough.
· Matthew 26:39, let’s see what Jesus is experiencing, Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
· When Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, their lives changed forever. Physically their lives changed, spiritually their lives changed.
· One of their sons, commits the first murder.
· Rebellion breeds sin. When we take that first step, we don’t stop at one step.
· Why does Rebellion seem so attractive?
o First, we don’t always realize we are entering into rebellion. We rationalize or justify what we are about to do.
o Second, our desire to obtain what the rebellion provides becomes more important than what God provides.
o Third, we aren’t willing to be honest with ourselves that our rebellion is taking us to a place that is drawing us further from God.
o Fourth, we would rather continue in rebellion than have to admit we are involved in things we should not be.
o Fifth, we have become so engaged in what we are receiving, that we no longer want a relationship with our Creator, the Great I Am.
· Rebellion is turning our back on God. Rebellion is the source of evil. Satan is the father of lies and everything he offers is a lie and temporal.
· So why do so many people fall for this trap from Satan?
o Satan rebelled from God as a result of his pride and his desire to become God
o Satan uses our weaknesses against us to pull us into rebellion.
· Here is how God views the rebellion of man:
o 1 Samuel 15:23. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
o Proverbs 17:11, Evildoers foster rebellion against God; the messenger of death will be sent against them.
· We need to wake up as a church. We need to see Satan for what He is, a void, a darkness that offers us nothing in rebellion. God is the provider of all things. Rebellion is death. God is life.
· We will end with the words of Jesus, “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10.
We encourage you:
· To have an active Bible reading plan, if you want a personal relationship with the Lord, you need to be active about reading His word.
· If you want to learn more about how to Hear God's Voice, visit our website, lovingconversationssalo.com. My book, Loving Conversations: How to Pray and Hear God's Voice has helped so many people in their relationship with the Lord, check out the testimonials. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Walmart. Those are also available on our website www.lovingconversationssalo.com.
· Follow us in Instagram, @conqueringourunseenenemies
I have enjoyed our time this week and look forward to spending time with you again next week!
I have enjoyed our time this week and look forward to spending time with you again next week!