II Cor. 11:3 – “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
A story is told about a woman who was fascinated with snakes. She especially loved a large, seven-foot constrictor that she allowed to sleep with her. But she began to notice over several weeks that it had stopped eating. It slept with her each night. No matter how hard she tried to feed it a variety of food, it would not eat. Fearing for the animal’s life, she took it to a professional veterinarian to seek his advice. The vet asked her a number of probing questions about the snake and its situation.
"Has your snake been behaving unusually? Perhaps sleeping with you at night or snuggling up close to you and stretching out?" the vet inquired.
The woman nodded in agreement. "Yes, every night. I've been so worried that something might be wrong with him, and I've been trying everything to make him feel better."
The vet's expression turned serious as he examined the snake. After a brief inspection, he turned to the woman with a grave tone.
"Ma'am, your snake isn't sick," the vet explained slowly. "In fact, he's been preparing to eat you. By sleeping with you and stretching himself out next to you, he's been sizing you up every night. He's not eating because he wants to ensure he has enough space to eventually digest you."
The woman was shocked and horrified by the revelation. It dawned on her that all this time, the snake's intentions had not been what she assumed. The closeness and apparent affection were not signs of friendship or companionship but a calculated strategy by the snake to consume her. So it is with Satan. He is a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5:8). He is alluring to his victims, or perhaps appears to be innocent. And he is fascinating. Just as he beguiled Eve (I Tim. 2:14) into submitting to transgression, so he would trick us into following him, suggesting that it will be fun or will help us. And when we resist him, as we are commanded to do (James 4:7), he is still a tricky deceiver. Sometimes he acts hurt, appealing to our compassionate nature. Martin Luther once said, “When Satan is opposed, he weeps and speaks of love.” You’re not loving enough! You’re too judgmental! Why must you be such a loner and a fanatic? But if we stand true to the Lord Jesus, he will sooner or later get the message and withdraw (Matt. 4:11).
May God give us the strength and grace to resist Satan’s sugar-coated apples, all of which have worms in them! Only then will we have total victory in our spiritual lives.
