More Than Medicine
More Than Medicine
DWDP: Gen 3;1 Lord, Dont Let Me Be Deceived
Satan's origin story reveals fascinating insights about spiritual warfare that affects us daily. In this episode of Devotions with Dr. Papa, we explore Genesis 3:1 where the crafty serpent first appears in Eden's paradise, dramatically shifting the narrative from one of perfect harmony to dangerous deception.
Dr. Papa takes us through a comprehensive examination of when Lucifer was created, how the beautiful "day star" transformed into Satan through pride, and what motivated his rebellion against God. Drawing from passages in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Job, and Psalms, we discover that angels were present from the earliest days of creation, and Lucifer remained perfect until sometime after God declared everything "very good" on the seventh day.
What's particularly intriguing is the possibility that Satan's motivation went beyond mere power-seeking. Dr. Papa suggests that jealousy over humanity's unique privileges—being made in God's image and having reproductive abilities—may have fueled Lucifer's rebellion. This perspective adds a profound dimension to understanding why Satan targets humans with such intensity.
The serpent's timeless deception technique of questioning "Did God really say...?" remains his primary strategy today. Through a personal anecdote about a wise colleague who prayed daily against deception, Dr. Papa offers a practical three-part prayer we can incorporate into our spiritual disciplines: acknowledging our susceptibility to deception, recognizing Satan's expertise at deceiving, and asking for divine protection. This simple practice could transform our spiritual resilience in a world where deception comes not just from external sources, but from within our own hearts.
Ready to strengthen your defenses against the enemy's tactics? Listen, share, and join us again next week for more insights that bridge biblical wisdom with practical application.
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Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, Dr Robert Jackson.
Speaker 2:Papa, can you tell me a story? Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr Papa. Gather around, grab your Bibles and let us look into the written Word, which reveals to us the living Word which is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:Today we are in chapter 3 of Genesis. We're reading verse 1 in chapter 3. 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. If this were a movie script, the scene would suddenly change from a lush green garden with butterflies and colorful songbirds and two carefree lovers in chapter 2, to dark clouds, heavy foreboding music and a deep, slow baritone voice announcing, announcing. Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. This immediately brings up multiple questions when did Satan come from? How did he so easily beguile Eve and where was Adam?
Speaker 2:In Psalms, chapter 104, verses 2 through 5, let me read a scripture to you very quickly, Psalms 104, verses 2 through 5. Let me read a scripture to you very quickly, Psalms 104, verses 2 through 5. The Bible says Covering yourself with light as with a cloak, stretching out heaven like a tent curtain. He lays the beams of his upper chambers in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks upon the wings of the wind. He makes the angels his messengers, flaming fire his ministers. So you see immediately that the angels were created probably on the first day and before the third day, and they were called the host of heaven. So probably not before God created the heavens. So these angels were there on day one and they observed as God created the heavens and the earth. Let me read to you from Job, chapter 38. Job, chapter 38, verses 4 through 7. Now listen to this Job 38, verses 4 through 7. Now listen to this Job 38, verse 4 through 7. Where were you when I laid the foundations in the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding, who set its measurements, since you know, or who stretched the line on it, or on what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars that's a reference to the angels when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. You see, the angels were there when God laid the foundations of the earth. So when did Lucifer, referred to as the day star, go wrong? When did Lucifer go wrong?
Speaker 2:Lucifer is referenced in two passages of Scripture Isaiah 14, verse 12 to 15, which is a prophetic warning to the wicked king of Babylon. But the denunciation of that wicked king goes goes further, to denounce the evil spirit that empowered and possessed that king, possessed his body and his spirit State. Much like you have fallen from heaven and I will ascend to heaven and I will be like the Most High God couldn't be attributed to a mortal king. These statements are attributed to Lucifer himself. The same evil spirit is addressed by another prophet, in Ezekiel 20, verses 13, 15, and 17, and reminds us that he had been perfect in his ways and strayed. Well, he stayed that way until at least day seven, when God rested and he declared that everything was very good. So, after God created the heavens and the earth, he created all the angels. Until day seven, the creation, including the angels, was perfect, Lucifer was perfect and everything that God made, including Lucifer, was very good.
Speaker 2:But now we have to play the dark, sinister music because, shortly after day seven, the scripture informs us that Lucifer's heart was lifted up because of his beauty. Like many young women who fawn over their image in the mirror, whispering mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? Or like many young men who flex their youthful muscles and preen in front of the mirror, impressed with their young physiques. And like intellectuals who are impressed with their learning and knowledge. Or like the wealthy who are so pleased with their accumulated riches. Or like politicians who are smugly proud of their political influence. Just like them, Lucifer's heart was lifted up with arrogance and pride because of his beauty, which corrupted his wisdom by reason of his brightness, is what the Scripture says.
Speaker 2:Lucifer deceived himself into thinking he could be like the Most High God, forgetting that he was a created being himself, Further deceiving himself into believing that he could lead a successful rebellion against the Most High God. He led one-third of the angels in a rebellion which was instantaneously suppressed and caused himself and his followers to be cast down to the earth. Revelation 12 and verse 9 informs us that Satan is the deceiver of the whole world. Is it any wonder that earthly kings and potentates share the same conceit and pride as the great deceiver and exalt themselves as God and attempt to exalt their thrones above the stars of God. Nebuchadnezzar learned his lesson for attempting such foolishness.
Speaker 2:Why do the heathen rage and why do the peoples imagine vain things? What was Satan's motivation? Have you ever wondered that? What was it that motivated Satan to rebel against God? Was it just lust for God's place and position To be like God? Or was there more? I suspect there was envy, jealousy at what man was given. You see, man was made in the image and likeness of God and man could reproduce after his own kind. You understand that neither of these was true of angels. Angels were not made in the image of God and angels could not reproduce. Even though there was a huge number of angels, they could not reproduce after their own kind, Provoking envy in the heart of Lucifer. Perhaps this played a part in his rebellion against God, this envy-slash-jealousy in his heart, jealousy in his heart, and he was cast down to the earth and became the accuser, the adversary, the one who slandered God in all of his purposes. The day star became the old serpent, the most subtle of all beasts of the field.
Speaker 2:Now, when I was in my medical residency, I had a medical doctor friend. His name was Frank, and he and I would pray together at lunchtime, just about every day for two years in my residency, at lunchtime, just about every day for two years in my residency. And when we prayed he would say this in his prayer he would almost always say Lord, don't let me be deceived Now. I was young at the time, probably 26, 27 years old and every time he prayed that I thought that was an odd prayer. But as I've gone through my life, over 40 plus years since then, I've realized that was a very wise and discerning prayer, Because you see, over the course of my life, probably just like you, I've been deceived. I've been deceived by other people, I've been deceived by Satan, the enemy of my soul, and I've been deceived by my own lower nature. Can you identify with that? Can I get an amen? Yeah, I see that hand. You see it's a good daily prayer. The Bible says that we should watch and pray lest you fall into temptation, lest you fall into deception.
Speaker 2:Theologians speculate about the next part of this verse, because the Bible says that the serpent spoke to Eve. Does that seem odd to you that an animal, a creature speaks. Well, theologians can only speculate here. Did all the animals speak? Or was it just this serpent? You know, Balaam's donkey spoke to Balaam many, many years later. Did all the animals speak before the fall of man and before all of creation was cursed? And what about the serpent? Did he stand upright? Did he look her in the eye? Did he walk upright? And he must have been a dazzling and beautiful creature before he was cursed and before he was condemned to crawl on his belly and eat dust. The folks who study zoologists, the zoologists who study the creatures, they say that the serpents have vestigial limbs and perhaps before the fall of man the serpent did stand upright. Maybe he did speak, Maybe all the animals could speak before the fall of man, before the curse, before all of creation was changed by the fall of man. It's obvious that great physiological changes occurred in both man and animals due to the curse of sin. All of that's just theological speculation. We really do not know. Beautiful creature was the well?
Speaker 2:He made this insinuation that something that God had said was not true and this had never occurred to Adam and Eve, that the creature could question God's Word. And he said to them Indeed, did God say? Did God really say? And did you catch that mocking, superior condescension that was in his voice? And that same technique is used by Satan and his emissaries ever since to cast doubt in the minds of folks like you and me? The implication in the question was clear that God must be withholding something good from you, dear Eve. And why would he do that, Dear Eve? And why would he do that? Understand clearly, dear listener. Sin always begins by questioning the Word of God or the goodness of God. This was the lie with which the serpent deceived himself, and he then deceived our original parents and over time, he has deceived both you and me.
Speaker 2:Now, can I encourage you to pray daily? And I'm going to encourage you to pray daily and I'm going to encourage you to pray this and say lord, I recognize that I am weak and susceptible to being deceived. Is that true? Of course it's true. Number two I recognize, recognize that Satan is more expert at deceiving than I am at resisting. And number three please, Lord, deliver me from temptation. Isn't that what Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord's Prayer? Lord, deliver me from temptation, Lord, deliver me from being deceived. I think if we were to pray that prayer every day. It would probably be a blessing to every one of us.
Speaker 2:Let me go through those three again, Dear listener. Let me encourage you, Lord. I recognize that I am weak and susceptible to being deceived. Let me go through those three again, Dear listener. Let me encourage you, Lord. I recognize that I am weak and susceptible to being deceived. Number two I recognize that Satan, the enemy of my soul, is more expert at deceiving than I am at resisting and recognizing temptation, recognizing deception. And, Lord, please deliver me from temptation, Deliver me from being deceived. All right, You're listening to Devotions with Dr Papa. We'll be back again next week. If you like what you hear, I pray you'd share it with your friends, Like follow or share or download, and we'll be back again next week. Till then, may the Lord bless you real good.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry, Dr Jackson's books, or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their. This podcast is produced by Bob Sloan Audio Production at bobsloancom.
