That Voice
So, almost every March I have tried to use the month to dedicate to women, as March 8th is International Women’s Day, and in the U.S. the UK, and Australia- March is Women’s History Month.
I want to use this March to talk about one woman for 4 weeks. This woman has brought shame, sin, and all of the nastiness that we see in the world- our first mother whose name is Eve. But there is quite a bit of significance to Eve that you may have never thought about and I look forward to shedding some light on her.
This week, I want usher in the month of Eve with the topic of: “that voice.” We know that voice. Eve knew that voice, for it caught her off guard in the garden, in Genesis 3: 1-5. That voice is a nasty voice, it comes in the form of our thoughts. That voice is used to attack and cause pain and it sounds something like:
“You’re not good enough!;” or “Who do you think you are trying to put on an event to help starving children around the world?;” or “Your father said you were always nothing and it’s true, ‘I am nothing;’” or “you’re ugly;” or “You’re fat, you’ll never meet anyone who will love you;” “Your mom had you by a married man, so you’re illegitimate. You’re not authentic.”
Or, when it comes to sinning the voice says: “It’s ok to sleep with your boyfriend. You have to try it before you buy it, right? Yeah, so try it. Besides, everyone is sleeping with or living with their unmarried partners;” or “It’s ok to go to the your friend’s bachelor party at the strip club. It’s only fun!;” or “Sure, watch that pornography. You haven’t been able to meet anyone so yeah, let lose a little;” or “Did God surely say marriage is between a man and a woman?;” or “Did God really say that life begins at conception?” or “Did God really say don’t lust?” or “I’m 50 and have been married before, surely God is ok with me sleeping with this new man I met? He’s 50 like me and has been through the marriage thing with kids. We’re older, so surely the pre-marital sex thing doesn’t apply to people at my age, right? Right!”
Or, “that voice” will entice you with thoughts: “Go tell so and so, who does she think she is trying to make the church look nice by suggesting we buy flowers. We could use the money somewhere else;” or “Complain to Joe that he’s not a good husband and can never do anything right;” or “Tell your son that he’s stupid because he doesn’t understand math in school.”
That voice is vicious. It’ has gotten us all. We have all been attacked by it and we have all attacked others with it. Eve knew it all too well. Here she was, walking in the garden, most likely it was the hot of the day, when the serpent came out to converse with her- to trick her to sin. Many Bible scholars infer from Genesis 3:8 that before sin, when God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, that He [God] walked with them in the cool of the day. But the serpent came out in the hot of the day to tempt them.
Poor Eve, when the serpent started conversing with her, telling her that God wouldn’t kill her if she ate of the tree- at that point she and Adam should have walked away. Adam was right there and said nothing when Eve was talking to the serpent. Genesis 3: 1-5 is the first time we see the devil having a conversation with mankind. When the devil comes, don’t get into a conversation with him, simply walk away! The devil uses people to attack you, to spit mean, shameful and discouraging, and toxic words at you. Don’t stay there and converse with them. Walk away because you won’t win.
But the serpent falsely convinced Eve that if she ate of the tree that her eyes would be opened and she’d be like God. That’s what got her to listen to him and sin against God. As shrewd as he is with “that voice,” if you stay long enough and converse with the devil, he’ll twist the Word of God and have you believing the opposite. Before you know it, you’ve sinned and you’re in trouble. And off the devil has gone, leaving you high and dry, doomed in your sin to suffer the consequences. He [the devil] comes strongly and shrewdly, but he leaves swiftly.
When you hear “that voice” in whatever form you may hear it, (a nasty colleague, an abusive spouse, on the playground, from a church member, from a so called friend) don’t converse with it or reason with it. Put on the breastplate of righteousness and tell the devil, “It’s is written [QUOTE BACK THE SCRIPTURE THAT REBUTS WHAT THAT VOICE IS SAYING].” You’ve got to be in the Word to know who you are and to kick the devil down with “his voice.” Hit him with the Word of God, hold the words captive from “that voice” and don’t let them fester and grow strong, let them go and walk away.
If only Eve could have seen it coming. If she could have seen the serpent for who he really was, I believe she and Adam would have made a different choice. But you can make a different choice with “that voice.” You can choose to not listen, walk away, and run into the arms of God.