Review details of the first battle on Earth and who lost

WHEN God created the Earth, he also created a very beautiful garden, called the “Garden of Eden,” for Adam and Eve to live in. In God’s wisdom, He decided to place a small, but important, test of loyalty and obedience in the Garden of Eden. God created a unique tree in the garden called the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.” God specifically instructed Adam and Eve that they could eat of any tree in the whole garden except for one tree – and that was fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. 10

God also informed Adam that the penalty for eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil would be that the life which He gave them would be taken away because God would no longer be able to trust them to be obedient with larger commands if they could not be trusted to be obedient to this simple command. If Adam or Eve disobeyed God in this small command, they would then be making the same decision that Lucifer made in Heaven – deciding to follow their own will instead of surrendering their will to the wisdom and perfection of their Creator. 11

One day, while Eve was walking in her garden home, she found herself in the same location as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This would be the location of the first battle on Earth between good and evil. God had clearly spoken to Adam that they should not eat of this particular tree, and He also clearly explained the justice of the penalty for questioning their loving Creator’s perfect judgment. Eve’s first mistake was in allowing herself to take a closer look at the tree that God had prohibited them to eat from –
she was curious about the one thing that God had forbidden. 12

As Eve approached the forbidden tree, Lucifer was ready with a temptation that would encourage her to distrust God’s clear command. While Lucifer cannot create life, and is not a divine being like God, he was created with great power and ability. Lucifer used the power he was given to cause a winged serpent in the forbidden tree to speak to Eve. Lucifer spoke through this beautiful serpent to cast doubt on what God had said. 13

First, the serpent asked Eve if God had forbidden her to eat fruit from the trees in the garden. Eve replied that they could eat of all of the trees in the garden with the exception of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve further explained that God said they would die if they touched it or ate the fruit from this tree. The serpent contradicted God’s word and told Eve that she would not die if she ate of the fruit from the tree. Then the serpent told Eve that God was trying to hide the truth from her; that if she did eat fruit from this tree, her eyes would be opened and she would be as a divine being and would know good and evil. 14

Eve saw how good the fruit looked, and she accepted the serpent’s words that by eating the fruit of this tree she would become wise. Eve had never been lied to before; she had only known truth. Sadly, Eve distrusted God and ate the fruit of this tree and then gave some of the fruit to her husband Adam; and he ate the fruit as well. Eve first sinned by believing that God was lying to her. Then Eve added to her first sin by tempting her husband Adam to join with her in rebellion against God’s clear command. 15

While this may seem like a simple story, Adam and Eve’s decisions had the terrible result of Adam losing his role as leader of the Earth. When Adam and Eve distrusted God’s word, the first battle on Earth between good and evil was lost. Now, Lucifer claimed Earth as his kingdom and became the temporary leader of this Earth. As a result, we can witness the consequences of Lucifer’s leadership in the pain, sickness, destruction, and death that is a result of sin – a result of distrusting and disrespecting the divine being that created us and all things. 16

This same battle between good and evil is being replayed in the life of each person on Earth. We each have the choice to trust our Creator – to surrender every decision to His perfect guidance. Or we can do nothing and remain as subjects of Lucifer. God does not force His followers to serve Him; He only desires the willing service of love and trusting obedience. Earth has been temporarily taken over by Lucifer, a foreign cruel dictator. If we chose to do nothing, we are serving Lucifer, the enemy – we are supporting our Creator’s enemy by our lack of action. Only those who make the life-changing choice to faithfully serve our Creator will be recognized as His followers. One of Lucifer’s greatest deceptions is convincing people that they are essentially good and that they will probably end up in heaven even if they are not faithful followers of God. Lucifer is referred to in the Bible as “Satan” because he became our adversary – there is no neutral position in the war that is taking place on Earth. 17

And yet, even though we are still living in the middle of many battles between good and evil, there is good news to share. God has a strategic and decisive plan to ensure that, after this war between good and evil is complete, there will never again be any pain, suffering, death or selfishness. 18

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“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2: 8-9

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17

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“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” Luke 16:10

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“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:14-15

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12

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“Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;” Isaiah 44:24

“But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.” Jeremiah 10:10-13

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17

“For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.” Hebrews 3:4

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11

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“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1-5

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44

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“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Genesis 3:6

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“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:5-8

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” II Corinthians 4:3-4

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” John 18:36

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Romans 5:12

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:13-15

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“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” John 12:26

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6

“And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” Luke 10:18

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Isaiah 14:12-14

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“What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.” Nahum 1:9

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4