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| No Other God |
Exodus 20:3
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
One of the Ten Commandments in Exodus is, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
Did you know that this commandment is not only the first—but the very root of all sin committed by mankind, even by the first humans, Adam and Eve?
Yes, this was the first sin committed by the first humans. And until now, it remains the same sin that continues to live in the hearts of many.
As we read in Genesis 3:1–6: Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (2) And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (4) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (5) For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
It is clearly shown there how they sinned against God.
Many preachers teach that the first humans sinned because of disobedience—and that is true.
But brethren, let us not stop there. Because disobedience is only the fruit. There is something deeper—something more dangerous—at the root.
BEHIND THEIR DISOBEDIENCE
I believe that every action we make—whether in obedience or disobedience—has something hidden behind it.
In the case of the first humans, it was not only the serpent, the devil, that caused them to fall. There was already something in their hearts that responded to the temptation.
Let us be honest.
The devil may tempt—but he cannot create desire within us if there is nothing in us to agree with him.
Remember this: the devil does not know what is in our hearts or minds.
So how did he succeed?
Through what they revealed.
Through their response. Through their attention. Through their actions.
Yes. Our actions speak louder than our silence.
Even when our mouths do not confess it, our choices already answer.
And when Eve entertained the voice of the serpent—when she looked, desired, and considered—that was already an open door.
The fall did not begin when she ate.
The fall began when she allowed something in her heart to rise above God's command.
THE LORD COMMANDED THEM
Eve knew the command of the Lord.
Genesis 2:16–17: (16) And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
The command was clear. The warning was clear. The consequence was clear.
Yet they still chose otherwise.
Why?
Because they desired their own will more than the will of God.
Brethren, this is where it becomes serious.
This is not just disobedience.
This is replacing God.
IN THIS SITUATION
SELF is the greatest enemy of the soul.
Not the devil first—but self.
Because before the devil can enter, self must first agree.
Even when we say we want to obey God, there are moments when we choose ourselves—our feelings, our desires, our reasoning—over His truth.
And in that moment, we do not just disobey God…
We take His place.
We become our own god. That is why this commandment is first. Because every sin begins when God is no longer first.
Just like Adam and Eve.
Just like the Israelites at Mount Sinai.
They made a golden calf—not because they were forced, not because they were threatened—but because they chose something visible, something convenient, something that satisfied them.
Exodus 32:1–8: And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. (2) And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. (3) And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. (4) And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (5) And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. (6) And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. (7) And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: (8) They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt
They did not just break a command.
They replaced God.
BRETHREN,
Let this be a warning, but also a call to return. The devil is not the greatest enemy of mankind.
It is ourselves.
The devil cannot take authority over us unless we give it. He studies what we allow. He moves where there is agreement. He enters where there is surrender—not to God—but to self.
Be careful.
Because every time we choose our will over God's will, we are silently saying:
“I will be my own god.”
And that is the very sin God warned us about from the beginning.
But here is the grace:
You can choose differently.
You can return.
You can surrender.
Put God back in His rightful place—not just in words, but in every decision, every desire, every action.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY
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| Pray with all your heart |
A Letter for My Brethren
I pray that each one of us will be awakened—not only to see sin, but to see its root.
May we not only fight disobedience, but surrender the self that causes it.
May the Spirit of God continually teach us what to do and what to say, so that we will not open doors for the enemy, nor fall into the traps of our own desires.
I plead the blood of Jesus to cover us, to cleanse us, and to restore us.
May we live not for ourselves—but for the will of God alone.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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