Adam's Apple Has A Deadly Worm

Adam’s Apple Has A Deadly Worm
John R. Petrilli

It was a typically gorgeous morning. The sun shone brilliantly. A cloudlessly clear sky accompanied balmy temperatures. The birds caroled creation as a soft breeze rippled through the tree-tops. The flowers surrendered tantalizing scents that filled the air with fragrances beyond description. Every sensate impression confirmed that this was an ideal day. Indeed, paradise was exactly that. Pristine, untouched and literally perfect. Physically, functionally, environmentally, and spiritually perfect!

Interestingly enough, the scene’s two human inhabitants possessed that same purity and innocence. Theologians say that the young couple living there existed in a state known as “unconfirmed creature holiness”. They were holy, as yet untouched by, untarnished from, even unexposed to sin. The operative word in this phrase is “unconfirmed”. Adam and Eve were created perfect and sinless, yet, unlike the future-coming Messiah God-man, Jesus, they were vulnerable to a fall from their original state of grace.

But everything was about to change. In a cosmic moment. Like people involved in a traumatic event, it took place so fast that the unsuspecting pair barely had time to process and react. A serpent. An apple. An offer. And in the blink of an eye, the dirty deed was done. What appeared to be an inviting, helpful, healthful item became the means to a spiritual crash that has reverberated down through the centuries of human history. The apple that was supposed to deliver life delivered death. The apple that was supposedly capable of making wise made its victims instant fools. Tricked! … but no treat in sight! At the end of that fateful day, the apple contained a hidden worm with deadly potential.

The devil follows this same strategy today. Don’t look for Him to necessarily lurk in the alleys and slums of this world. He has captured the media. He offers his apples every day via billboards, the radio waves and the television commercials and programming. You say you don’t use any of these? Not to worry. We have a sin nature inside us and Satan knows just how to appeal to that nature whether one lives in media smothered America or out in the middle of the desert (recall Jesus’ wilderness temptation?).

What we need to get a hold of is that temptation and its author most frequently come to us cleverly dressed up as something “good”. It's no mistake that Paul describes the enemy as coming to us as an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Imagine, presenting himself as an angel? And angel of light at that? How clever. Most people automatically conclude that if angels and brilliant light are involved, it HAS to be coming from God. Wrong! To the contrary, our adversary possesses the capability to remake himself into something “positive”, attractive, appealing. His tactic has been working all too well for centuries, so he has no reason whatsoever to change the way he plays the game.

So what can we do to counter such a subtle strategy? Exercise discernment. The Apostles repeatedly warn us of this tactic of deception, and encourage us to immerse ourselves in the truth of Scripture to enable us to see through the deadly ploys. Like spotting counterfeit dollar bills, as we become familiar with the real thing, we’re able to detect the real-looking but totally phony substitute. Only then can we recognize the deadly apple when it comes across our spiritual radar. And only then will we be able to retaliate, as Jesus did, with our “Thus says the Lord!” Once we’ve successfully countered the enemy’s solicitations with pure and carefully chosen truth, he has no choice but to take flight (James 4:7)! The battle is real, the stakes are astronomically high, but the victory is sure as we follow God’s prescription.