ROOTED RENEGADE

In the garden satan revealed a strategy that is key to understanding how giants infiltrate our defenses.

Genesis 3:1-2

“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’?”

Eve’s defenses were infiltrated for many reasons. The quest for knowledge and power can always be manipulated by someone, especially satan. But there is something else. If you don’t know the Word, I can promise you that satan does. He knew the truth and He knew what God told Adam about the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Satan knew that Eve was missing something. I used to find it odd that he went after Eve instead of Adam. But as I read this passage again, one thing became very clear. Eve wasn’t the one God spoke to about the tree…it was Adam.

Adam was the one who relayed to his wife.

Have you ever played the kids game telephone? Maybe you called it something else. But when I was a kid, we used to sit in a circle and someone would start with telling another something in their ear. Then we would all pass it around the group to see when and how it would change. Fun game but you could always see the breakdown in communication.

Think about this story again. Adam tells his wife what God said about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Then satan comes after Eve with a manipulative question. 

God mentioned one tree to Adam, even though there were two. God didn’t tell them they couldn’t eat from the tree of life…just the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I believe satan knew that if they ate from the tree of life it would change everything. So he took Eve’s eyes off of it and locked her in on the one that would cause destruction. And I believe Adam would have corrected satan because he knew the truth.

One tree. One whisper. Lives changed forever.

Giants don’t care what you think you know. If you can’t come back at them with faith and the Word, it’s game over. They have the upper hand like satan did with Eve. 

We have to know the Word to use the Word. And we have to believe that what God tells us is true. When we allow doubt to creep in, we open the door to these giants and allow them to whisper in our ears.

It can be hard for us at times to hold fast to promises that we know we were told, but haven’t seen the fulfillment of them. We get weary in the waiting often and need Holy Spirit to strengthen us. But we also need something else. 

Deep rooted faith. A faith that is so deeply rooted in Jesus that nothing can shake it. No amount of waiting, no trial, no whisper, no lie, no persecution can take us off the rails of faith.

Paul knew this well.

I Corinthians 16:9, 13-14

“For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.“

What was he saying? When doors open you will face giants. But watch – be the watchmen on the wall. Stand fast in faith – faith in what Jesus can do, not what you can do. Be brave – face opposition knowing that Jesus stands in front of you. He is your front and rear guard. Be strong – don’t let circumstances take you off course – remember who fights your battles.

And know that Jesus is the Word.

You may not be someone who can memorize Scripture, addresses, etc. But you don’t have to be. Having the Word deep in your heart means that when you speak, it flows out of you. And that takes practice. It takes surrender. It takes having the Word ever before you.

I know it’s hard. I used to struggle reading the Word. I would get confused and didn’t understand what I was reading. I would feel dumb for not getting it like others who had the Word rolling off their tongues. But Holy Spirit met me right where I was and opened it up to me as I could receive it.

And over time, He built the Word within my heart. Not through head knowledge but heart knowledge. Head knowledge is good, but when your heart understands, it shifts everything. Ask Holy Spirit to give you heart knowledge of the Word and to help you silence the giants whispering in your ears.

Faythe