A Conversation with the Devil

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.  "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."~Genesis 3:1-5

 

Another great episode of LOST entitled "The Last Recruit".  Tonight, Jack came face to face with Faux Locke other wise known as the Man in Black.  He engaged in conversation with him, wherein Locke challenges what He has come to believe, contradicts what Jacob has already told him and advices him that in essence Jacob is trying to deceive Him. He suggests that it would be in Jack's best interest to gather the candidates and leave the island with him. Through  many of the Season 6 episodes, we see The Man in Black constantly planting these seeds of doubt in the minds of the candidates, clearly reminiscent of the depiction of how Satan works in the hearts and minds of people. 

Soon after Jack is reunited with his sister, she shares her delight that Jack would be leaving the island with them, to which Jack responds he had not made that decision as of yet. The next line is the one that stood out for me. Claire's response to her brother Jack was  "You decided the moment you let him [Man in Black] talk  to you - whether you like it or not you are with us now".  

Compromise begins with the first conversation.  This "what not to do" was exampled for us from the very beginning. Eve entered into conversation with Satan about whether or not she should eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  She was clearly advised by God himself of what not to do, but entertained the ideas of the devil, and got entangled in his deceitful plot of destruction.  So too, do we risk getting caught up in the plans of the enemy the moment we entertain ideas or opportunities we know are contrary to God's will and plan.  Satan tries ever so subtly but cleverly to engage us in conversation through our thoughts, other people, situations and our emotions, in order to see us defy the plans of God.

All this being said, let us not give Satan to much credit.  God gave us a brain, and He gave us Christ through whom we can overcome all things. We can be assured that  even though we may falter, and fall, we are not left trapped in the schemes of the enemy.  Hurley makes the statement to Sawyer "you can go to the dark side and you can come back to the light." 2 Peter 2:9 reads "then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation". Again we read in 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it". When we turn to God for help He his faithful to provide us a way out of our struggles and temptation, if we so choose to take it. 

As LOST comes to a conclusion, we are relieved to see Jack jump from the boat, taking a literal leap of faith into the ocean swimming back to the island and so defying the plans of the "Man in Black." The man of science converting to a man of faith, placing His trust in Jacob.