“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” — Genesis 3:1

Long before the headlines, before the wars and rumors of wars, before kingdoms rose and fell — there was a serpent in a garden.

Satan didn’t show up with a sword in his hand. He came with a lie in his mouth. His strategy has always been deception. If he can distort what you believe, he can shape how you live. That’s how the first war began.

Adam and Eve weren’t just eating fruit — they were deciding whose voice they would trust. God said, “Do not eat.” The serpent said, “Did God really say?” With that one question, he planted doubt in the human heart. The same tactic still works today.

The serpent doesn’t need to drag you into blatant rebellion if he can slowly twist your view of God’s goodness. If he can get you to question your identity, your worth, your authority, he can keep you paralyzed on the sidelines.

That’s why Jesus called Satan “a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) His strength isn’t in brute force — it’s in deception. But the good news is, he’s already been unmasked. Revelation 12 calls him “the ancient serpent… who leads the whole world astray.” His methods are predictable. His lies are old.

Brother, recognize his voice. When you hear, “You’re not enough. God won’t come through. You’re too far gone,” know the source. Don’t negotiate with lies. Crush them with truth. Jesus countered Satan in the wilderness with Scripture, not emotion. Truth is your weapon.

The enemy is cunning, but he’s not creative. His playbook hasn’t changed in millennia. So don’t fear him. Expose him. Resist him. Stand in truth, and the serpent’s power crumbles.