Do you know what is the “oldest trick in the book?” No? Yes? Please write what you think. The oldest trick in the book is __________________________.
When I was younger, I used to make prank phone calls and say, “Excuse me, but do you know if your refrigerator is running?” If they answered, “Yes,” then I would show off a morsel of my brilliance and blurt, “It is? Then you better go catch it!” My speech was usually hardly audible as I would begin laughing before I could even complete the sentence. Soon, friends and family would tell me that this is one of the oldest tricks in the book.
As I got older, my grandpa used to put his finger on my shirt and say, “Look, there is some food on your shirt.” When I would look down, he would flick my nose. I am embarrassed to admit how many times I fell for that gag, but I did.
Moving into puberty, the tricks I noticed and used became more and more clever. In high school, a person would stand behind me on my right side and reach over and tap my left shoulder. I would spin around to my left and discover no one was there. My friend and all bystanders would get a laugh. This trick worked more times than I care to confess. As a brilliant comeback, I would look them in the eye and say, “That’s the oldest trick in the book” and then shake my head in disgust with their lack of creativity. For some reason they would laugh even more as my attempt to put them in their place only made me look more and more foolish. I realize it wasn’t their lack of creativity but rather the consistency of using tricks that work.
While these are somewhat silly gags, the gag I am about to expose is not. This trick is rather insidious, subtle, and has far deeper consequences than merely thinking there is something on your shirt or that your refrigerator is literally running. As a matter of fact, I would coin this as “the oldest trick in the book.” It is the first and continual strategy used today to lead people astray and it is used far more frequently than I ever imagined.
This trick is performed by the greatest trickster. Actually to call him a trickster is far too kind, he is a deceiver and the father of lies. “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for his is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44-45). His agenda has three objectives which are to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). The Bible instructs us not to be unaware of Satan’s schemes (2 Cor 2:11) and that he is our adversary prowling “around like a lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 peter 6:8).
Let’s study one of his schemes. In my opinion, this is the oldest and greatest trick in the book.
Turn with me in your Bible to Genesis 3:1. It is here that we meet Satan. Before we begin, take note to where this is happening. This takes place in the Garden of Eden. Man was still in a perfect sinless state. Sin had not entered the world until Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command. In Genesis 2:16, “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.’” This was a command given to Adam directly from God.
Later, God puts Adam to sleep and “fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man” (Gen 2:22). Eve was created. Adam received a command from God not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and he would have shared this with Eve.
In comes Satan. Genesis 3:1 states, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” More crafty? Other Bible translations use the word “subtle” or “clever”. Think about what it would look like if you met Satan. When I was growing up, cartoons used to portray him in a red suit and holding on to a pitchfork You always knew it was him because he had a long tail and looked as if he was on fire. However, the Bible describes him differently. And as you get to know this enemy you learn that he is subtle, clever, and very crafty.
I want to be very clear in exposing this trick. I want you to fully grasp what is happening from the first exposure to Satan. Let’s examine his scheme. I believe he uses this technique more than anything in our lives, in the church, and in the world. We need to recognize this technique and learn how to combat it.
OK, here it is, Satan’s greatest trick, the oldest trick in the book. It is so subtle, so sinister, and so crafty that I want you to fully grasp what is happening here. Satan goes to the woman and says, “Did God really say . . . “ (Gen 3:1). His tool, his trick, his main tactic is getting a person to “doubt” God. If you can be tricked to doubt God, then you are open to listen to counsel outside of God’s Word.
The Bible says that “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). We need to be trained to put our trust, faith, and hope in the knowledge that “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16). Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
When Jesus meets Satan in the desert after fasting for forty days and forty nights in Matthew chapter 4, Satan makes three challenging statements that all begin with Jesus’ knowledge and understanding of Scripture. How crazy of a challenge since Jesus is God and the Word incarnate. He created it. He is it. Satan, once again, tries to introduce doubt and says to Jesus, “If you are . . . “ then do this for me. He wants to be in control and asks Jesus to “command” stones to turn to bread. He wants Jesus to do what he is telling the Lord God Almighty to do. He then asks Jesus to jump off the “pinnacle of the temple” (Matt 4:5) The sinister motivation is for Jesus to answer to Satan and to prove to him that He is who He says. Jesus does not have to prove anything to anyone. He chooses to reveal Himself to those He is drawing near (John 6:44). Satan’s final request is even more despicable when he attempts to negotiate with Jesus and to give Him something if the Lord submits to him and his orders. Satan said to Jesus, “’All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’” (Matt 4:9-10). Satan offered to give Jesus something from his hand if Jesus did what he said.
Satan will offer us empty promises if we follow him, listen to his voice, and do what he says. It all starts with doubting God’s Word or perhaps not even knowing what God has written. Jesus gives us the example of using Scripture to let the Bible be our guide for instruction, reproof, correction, and training. We are instructed to “let the Word of God dwell in us richly” (Col 3:16) so that we can have a “lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). The Bible is our guide for living. A friend of mine uses the acrostic: B – basic I – instructions B – before L – leaving E – earth.
Psalm 19:7-11 states, “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much find gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
The Apostle Paul writes, “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:3).
Friends, quite simply, the greatest trick in the book is used by Satan getting people to doubt the Word of God. Don’t be fool. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15).