I was reading through 2^nd Corinthians the other day and came across this verse.

2 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV) ³ But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Paul addressing believers in Corinth feared that they would be deceived by the serpent’s (Satan) craftiness and be moved away from the simplicity that is in Christ.  Paul references the story of Eve being deceived by the serpent in Genesis 3:1-6, and he was afraid that the Corinthians could also be deceived in this same way.  Satan’s deception can be boiled down to this, he will try to convince you that error is truth, and truth is error.  The truth God stated in Genesis 2:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.  The deceptive error the serpent told Eve was, Genesis 3:4-5 (NKJV) ⁴ Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.  Adam and Eve ate, and yes the truth of God’s spoken word stood true, they immediately died spiritually and eventually died physically.

After being saved for 26 years, I have found that Satan is still up to his old tricks.  His goal remains the same, trying to substitute error for truth, and truth with error.  One area that I see as a major battle ground, that Satan doesn’t want to relinquish, is believers discovering how to live out of their union with Christ by faith. The simplicity that is in Christ.   Satan doesn’t want believers discovering that trusting in their own resources to live life is fruitless, and discovering how to live fruitfully by trusting in Christ who indwells them.  Satan knows when a believer discovers this and live out of his union with Christ by faith, the believer becomes an extension of Christ in the world.  Christ lives through the believer for His purposes.  Satan knows this and tries to substitute the truth of simplicity  that is in Christ, to an error of complexity that is in Christ.  Satan wants believers to think this Christian life can’t be as simple as trusting in Christ by faith, who lives in me; to live through me.  Satan deceives believers to think that there is more to the Christian life, it can’t be that simple.  It can’t be the simplicity that is in Christ.  His ploy, Christ won’t meet your all your needs in life and Christ isn’t reliable, you need to trust in yourself, talents and intelligence, etc.  This is spiritual warfare that is unseen.  Brothers and sisters, I urge you to stop searching and trusting in everything that isn’t Christ to live life.  Living the Christian life is simply Christ.  Trusting in Christ to live His life through you.  The apostle Paul even had to discover his:

2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NKJV) ⁸ For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹ Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,

Let’s defeat Satan with the truth of the simplicity that is in Christ.  Take steps of faith in God’s promises, rest and watch Christ work in your life, and live through you.

If you would like to learn more about the Gospel of Grace and the truths described here, come join us at Grace Christian Church, currently meeting at the Freehold VFW, every Sunday at 9:30.

In Him,
Rob Parlante
Elder / Grace Christian Church