“Has God Said…?” — Man’s First Problem and Satan’s First Move
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field…”
—Genesis 3:1
Before there was death, disease, or depression…
Before humanity fell into addiction, confusion, or pride…
There was one problem that opened the floodgates to all others: spiritual blindness.
And it didn’t come by accident—it came by deception.
👁️ Man’s First Problem: Spiritual Blindness
In the Garden, Adam and Eve had perfect sight. They walked with God. They knew His voice. They weren’t confused about who they were. They were naked and unashamed—fully exposed, yet fully secure.
But everything changed the moment they listened to another voice.
Spiritual blindness isn’t just not seeing—it’s seeing wrong. It’s what happens when we stop trusting the Truth and start entertaining a twisted version of it.
In Genesis 3, the enemy didn’t come with a sword. He came with a question:
“Has God really said…?”
That single phrase planted doubt. It turned clarity into confusion. It distorted identity. And it blinded humanity.
Because that’s how Satan operates—he doesn’t usually deny God outright. He distorts Him just enough to cause disobedience and death.
🐍 Satan’s First Tactic: Distorting the Truth
Satan didn’t force Eve to rebel. He didn’t challenge her with a battle—he challenged her with language.
“Has God said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
(Genesis 3:1)
But that’s not what God said.
God had said: “You may surely eat of every tree… but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat.”
Satan twisted abundance into restriction. He made freedom sound like oppression. And by doing so, he accomplished something deadly: he reframed God as a liar, or worse—a tyrant.
🤯 What Happened Next?
Eve saw the tree again—but now with distorted sight:
- It was “good for food”
- It was “a delight to the eyes”
- It was “desirable to make one wise”
But all of that was based on a lie.
She wasn’t seeing the tree through God’s truth anymore. She was seeing it through Satan’s lens.
That’s what spiritual blindness does—it distorts our perception and leads to disobedience. And disobedience always leads to death.
🛑 Why This Still Matters
Satan hasn’t changed his tactic. His playbook is the same:
- Twist the Word
- Target identity
- Erode trust in God
- Replace truth with half-truth
- Blind you from what’s real
He still asks the same question in new ways:
- “Did God really say sex is only for marriage?”
- “Did God really say to forgive your enemies?”
- “Did God really say you’re chosen, loved, and empowered?”
If he can get you to question God’s truth, he can get you to compromise your purpose.
👑 The Remedy: Eyes to See
Jesus came to restore sight to the blind (Luke 4:18). That’s not just physical healing—it’s spiritual clarity.
Through Christ:
- We recover the truth about God.
- We regain our true identity.
- We stop living as deceived victims and start living as redeemed sons.
Because truth isn’t just a doctrine—it’s a Person.
And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Cor. 3:17).
🔥 Final Thought
Satan’s first tactic wasn’t a sword. It was a question.
“Has God said?”
Don’t take the bait.
The greatest antidote to spiritual blindness is to cling to what God has already spoken.
Open your Bible. Know His voice. Refuse the distortion. And walk in the light of the truth.
Because when you see clearly, you live freely.