The Deception of Adam

What if from the garden until today, deception from the evil one has been the driving force of conflict between men and women? His first tactic of deception worked with Eve, what if it is working on Adam today?
And, what if that deception has been the primary tactic of the enemy in his fight against the impact of the Kingdom?
This would mean that we have been the dupes of the evil one and his willing puppets in fighting against the very God we love. It would mean that we have been a hindrance to God's plan and an agent of the enemy.
We all know of Eve's deception in the garden. We’re all aware that Adam was not deceived by the serpent yet he chose to eat the forbidden fruit anyway. What we may not have realized is that Adam was indeed deceived. His deception came after his sin and is focused on Eve.
Adam was deceived by the evil one to believe that Eve was the reason for his fall (“The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”). That deception grew over the millennia causing him to believe that she was so inferior to him that she was barely above the animals, lacking intelligence, virtue and worth. She became the bringer of all evil into his life and the bane of his existence.
The revealing of this deception of Adam and how it is still in play today is our discussion in this book. It is that deception that lessens the efficacy of the Great Commission and has caused, and continues to cause, a huge rift in the church to the benefit only of the evil one.
The rift is between Adam and Eve but it is fueled by that great deceiver in the garden. Even with the restoration our Lord brought, the rift is still very deep and very wide today.
Deception comes through a deceiver for a specific purpose
There is always a motivation of gain for a deceiver that makes the deception a worthwhile endeavor. The amount of energy devoted to the manipulation of the subject must bring about a great return on the investment. Satan has definitely benefited greatly from his hard work. Just look at the division in the church today.
We are going to pull back the curtain and see the puppet master at work. We will see how we are his unwitting puppets. We must cut the strings.
When the deception is uncovered and we see our participation in it, we need to make a decision for our next steps back. We will take those first steps together.
What this book is not – man-bashing
Let me be clear, this book is not about bashing men. Instead, it's about recognizing that we have the same common enemy and our focus is on his tactics against the Kingdom.
We are to fight the enemy, not one another. United against the evil one and set free from his schemes we will finally turn and face him down. The key to doing this is by knowing and living the truth together. He is terrified of our recognizing his hand in the divisions of the church and that we would then unite against him.
We are all adopted into the same family. We are all together children of the King of all Kings. We stand at level ground at the foot of the cross each of us needing a Savior. I have no quarrel with men but I do want to offer a bridge across this awful divide the evil one has caused in the church.
Our common enemy has worked very hard to divide us, but we can stop him in his tracks by recognizing his influence and standing together.
My hope for this book is for it to be a redemptive, empowering, and a uniting resource against our enemy. The truth sets us free and the lies of the enemy have imprisoned us, divided us and weakened the body of Christ.
To turn back to God's ways, we must recognize that our own ways do not align with His but do with the evil one's. Then we can recognize the deception, repent and work together going forward.
This book is also not about feminism – Christian or otherwise
I'm not here to fight for women's rights inside or outside the church. Instead, my goal is that we unite against the force that has been so successful in dividing us.
For too long this enemy has succeeded in creating division and dissent amongst brothers and sisters while we fail to see his sinister plan. He reaps the benefits and watches with delight.
He has kept us focused on opposition with one another in order to divert our attention from his plans and, in turn, causes us to disempower the church. Imagine what we can achieve by working as a team against this adversary.
To really understand this battle, we need to read with the Spirit present and let Him guide us on this journey. With His help, we will see the enemy's deception and be empowered to unite against him.
I also will not be telling anyone what to do or not do.
Discovering the appropriate roles for men and women in the church is a complex topic that requires thoughtful consideration. The roles in which men and women serve the church are not the focus here. I want to start the discussion, yes, but only as it relates to how the deception has impacted those roles.
We are uncovering the enemy's influence in our understanding of men and women in the church. From there, the Spirit will guide us in restoration from division and healing of the deep wounds between us.