From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Just because people misinterpret God’s Word does not mean it has changed. The devil’s a master at making us question God. He’s been doing this from the beginning of time. His command to Adam and Eve had been crystal clear: they could eat of every tree in the garden, except one. If they ate of it, death would come upon them. But now Satan raises the questions: “Did God really say… ?” It’s the first question in the Bible, and it’s significant that it comes from the mouth of the one whose primary goal is to turn us away from God.

But notice: Satan misquoted God. This was not what God had told them—as Eve points out in her reply. Twisting Scripture … taking a verse out of context … deceiving us into thinking God’s mean-spirited—these are some of Satan’s favorite tricks and we see it still played out today in the hearts and minds of people.

Eve’s mistake was in prolonging the conversation—and eventually being deceived by the deceiver. The mistake was that she listened to the devil. His promise—that she would become like God if she ate from the forbidden tree—was a lie. We mustn’t let Satan sow the seeds of doubt in our minds, but always stand firm on the truth of God’s Word that we have access to. Therefore, man is without excuse.

Satan’s tactic is to call into question God’s Word. We cannot be satisfied with clichés or a secondhand knowledge of Scripture. We must pray for God to give us a hunger for His truth and not let any philosophy or person sway us from the very words of Almighty God.

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

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