Who are you influenced by?

Who are you influenced by?

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also 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 loin coverings. 8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.   Genesis 3:1-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Each time I read this sad recount of the fall of man, I hope the story has been updated, and that this time Adam & Eve will choose differently. But it remains unchanged. Regretfully, Adam and Eve were so quickly scammed by Satan, disguised as a cunning serpent. It happened, but thankfully what we can do now is learn from their example.

My biggest impression from this passage is this - Influence is powerful. Who we allow to influence us can cause a ripple effect of sin in our lives and to those we have influence over. 

Eve was influenced by Satan and Adam was influenced by Eve. 

How do we learn from their big mistake and keep from being so easily influenced? 

Here are 5 points that will help us! 

1. Resist the enemy- 

First off, remember that Satan is a liar. His goal every time is to make you fall. Here we see him first questioning Eve. She begins a conversation with him, her first mistake.

Don’t have a conversation with the devil! Don’t go back and forth in your mind with thoughts that you know do not line up with the word of God. 

"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

2. Trust in God- 

If God has asked you to do something or not to do something, trust and obey Him. He knows what is best for you. Don’t try to gamble with God’s commands and compromise yourself. In verse 6, Eve began to see logical reasons why she should disobey God. It’s as if she is making a pros & cons  list of why she should disobey God. Trust God because He knows what is best for you. 

""Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” Isaiah 26:4

3. Protect those around you- 

If you are going to disobey God that is one thing, but don’t go convincing others to go down with you. I don’t know if Adam was present here when the serpent was speaking to Eve. If he was, I wish he would have stopped her, but instead he follows her without even questioning it. We all have family members and friends that look up to us, think about them before making a decision you are unsure of. We must continue to be an example as Christ has been for us. 

"Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” 1 Peter 5:2-4

4. Know & Speak God’s word- It is important to remember that anyone can become blind to the subtle lies of the enemy. That is why we should be careful of who we are letting speak into our lives. Even our loved ones and leaders fail us at times, which is why we must know God’s word for ourselves. 

In Luke 4, when Jesus is tempted in the desert by Satan, he is able to overcome these temptations each time because He knows the word of God and he speaks it. 

We also must remember that the word of God is our weapon against the lies of the enemy. Know the word and speak it. Don’t question it like Eve did. Believe it. 

"And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17

5. Ask For Wisdom- 

Jesus himself says about the pharisees- 

"Let them alone and disregard them; they are blind guides and teachers. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a ditch.” Matthew 15:14

Eve was a blind guide to Adam. They fell together. 

If someone you trust is telling you to do something that you know in your heart is against God’s word, don’t do it. That person may unknowingly be leading you against God’s will. Don’t be like Adam who blindly took what Eve gave him. 

I’m not saying you can’t trust people, but what I am saying is trust God first. Ask God to give you wisdom and discernment in your daily walk so that you will not be blindsided. Because if the enemy can’t get to you directly, he may use someone you trust to influence you directly.

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 NASB

If you are a believer I hope that one of the above points speaks to you and that you will be able to apply it to your life and grow in God’s grace as you are obedient to His word & His spirit’s leading.

Let's stop being influenced by evil and start influencing for good.

What Now? 

Jesus wants us to know the truth of His word, because it will set us free. We will be free from the influence of sin in our lives. We will be delivered from habits that keep us from getting close to God.  

If you are reading this and want to experience life being able to resist the enemies lies, you can only have the power to do so by believing in Jesus Christ, God’s son.

I implore you to pray and ask God to help you to believe in His son Jesus. Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit so that you can daily walk in obedience to God’s word. For whom the Son has set free is free indeed. And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. 

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Lord, here is a simple prayer you can pray: 

Heavenly Father,
I come to you in prayer asking for the forgiveness of my sins. I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is your Son. I believe that about 2,000 years ago he died on the cross for my sins, that I might be forgiven and have eternal life. Father, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you right now to come into my life and be my personal Lord and savior. I repent of my sins and will obey you and worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth, I confess with my mouth that I am a new creation in Christ. The old me is gone, the new me is here in the name of Jesus. Thank you Jesus, for washing my heart in your blood and making me clean, and delivering me from my sin.  Amen 

If you just said this prayer and believe God is beginning a new work in you I encourage you to reach out to me, so I can rejoice with you, and I would love to encourage you in your walk with Christ. If you are not comfortable with that, please reach out to a Christian friend you know or find a nearby christian church where you can grow in your faith.

May God bless your new walk of obedience to Christ and freedom from sin.