A Walk in the Garden

“Father, what was it like before the fall, walking side by side with you in the garden?”

I asked that question as I practiced a six minute quiet time in my prayer and Bible reading. God’s reply, “Just as it is now, thanks to Jesus.”

The response was so comforting. I linger there a bit, adoring the white robe gleaming from His glory. I reached for His hand and He clasped mine. The six minutes passed, but I stayed just a little longer, in the garden of my heart, with my father.

The experience drove me back into the Word. I realized that my Heavenly Father does not see me accursed, rather He sees what Jesus did for me and calls me beloved. I can walk in communion with Him, no shame, no fear. But, the devil tries to convince me otherwise.

He no longer has continuous access to the Father’s ear. He must wait for the invitation at the final trial of judgement. Revelation 12:10c calls him, “the accuser of the brethren.”

The enemy does not waste his limited time and resources. To those already under his dominion he throws a blessing every once in a while to convince them they are on the right track. But to those of us who pray and serve Jesus, he devotes all of his strength.

The only hope the power of darkness has is to keep the saints stymied with doubt, fear, guilt, and shame. “Who are you to believe you can author a book!” “With all of your past sin, who would listen to you?” “How can you speak with authority on anything!” And on, and on.

The Bible refers to the devil in the last days as, “the great dragon.” (See Revelation 12:9a) Do you see that? Lower case g and d. He is only a slithering snake, dwelling in the shadows to appear larger than he is. He knows that his time is running out. He only has the reinforcements that he left heaven with. (See Revelation 12:9b) He has no power or authority. (See Revelation 12:10 HECK, just read the entire chapter, it is so empowering!) So how does he triumph in our lives? By keeping us on the sidelines.

In a letter to Wormwood, the chief demon in “The Screwtape Letters,” C.S. Lewis exposes that the only true angle the devil has is to keep believers distracted and in anxiety. He will exploit politics, news media, relationships, and today he has added social media. He keeps us from the garden with our permission.

His only hope is to keep God’s Army, (I prefer Air Force, but I am prejudiced.) out of the fight and convinced we are losing while we are actually winning. If he can keep us focused on things that don’t lead us in character development becoming more Christ-like, he will take the win. He does not need your soul as long as you are not advancing the Kingdom.

So what are you believing today? Are you walking in the garden with a loving Father, or are you cowering in shame for a sin Jesus already paid the debt for? Can we emerge from the background and conquer the gates of hell for our loved ones? The lost are in need of guidance and we have the navigation tool to help them find their way home. We just must have the courage to lovingly testify of what Jesus has done.

Let’s make a pact today; that we will resist the devil in the lies he tells us and live in freedom. Your Heavenly Father is there, waiting for you to meet Him. Take six minutes and just be with Him.

Happy Honeymooning!

Revelation 12:10 “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of the brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before God, day and night.”