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The Serpent’s Blatant Propaganda
In historian Kenneth Osgood’s book Total Cold War: Eisenhower's Secret Propaganda Battle at Home and Abroad, Osgood defines propaganda as “any technique or action that attempts to influence the emotions, attitudes or behavior of a group.” The purpose of propaganda, he explains, is to persuade. Sometimes propaganda consists of false information aimed at the masses. But it can also involve the strategic use of factual information. Even if propaganda is true, it’s not neutral. Quite often the authors of propaganda try to hide their role or even misattribute the source. And as broad as the categories of propaganda are, they represent only one flavor of psychological warfare.
‘Black propaganda’ is the stuff of spy novels. Lies. Misdirection. It includes everything from economic to political warfare to resistant movements to sabotage. The entire point of socalled ‘black propaganda’ is misinformation. It’s unseemly. Indecorous. Disreputable. Deceitful. Harmful. It can cause embarrassment or even scandal.
In fact, this is what we find in the third chapter of the book of Genesis. The scene has an almost harmless beginning. The eating of a piece of forbidden fruit. And yet, emerging from a seemingly innocent outset, evil develops into something quite sinister. Here, amidst the discourse in Genesis 3, we find an archetypal plot motif: dilemma, closely followed by tragic choice, suffering, and perception. We quickly discover that the narrative flow of the blissfulness and beauty of creation is abruptly interrupted with the startling introduction of the serpent.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
Genesis 3.1a
The serpent is an enigmatic figure. Characterized as having no equal among his peers, he is depicted as mysterious. Crafty. Shrewd. Cunning. And influential. It is a quality that colors the remainder of the narrative. Not with his presence, however, but with his words. And from the outset, we are cautioned to weigh carefully his words. Something that is soon apparent Eve did not.
He is astute and clever; an appropriate description since they aptly describe the usage of a strategy of prudence when he engages the woman. It is hence through speech and dialogue that the narrator permits the serpent to further introduce himself and disclose the nature of his intent and character. And through malice and deceit, his purpose was accomplished.
“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
Genesis 3.1b
The serpent’s words were carefully crafted around what the Lord had said. He was not seeking information here. He was presenting doubt. And thus we see that he is a manipulator of thoughts; simmering in our minds in the hope that we would adopt them as our own. He speaks in a way that makes his thoughts seem like our own. Subtle propaganda that manipulates our minds and emotions to foster a judgment in his favor.
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 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 3.4-5
Here are the words of outright denial and a contradiction of what God had earlier expressed. The serpent is unequivocally portrayed as one with malicious and deceptive intent. And through this appealing promise, the seeds of doubt began to germinate. The subtlety of the serpent’s first statement was nowhere to be found in the blatant contradiction of the second. Death was imminent.
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
James 1.15
In Milton's Paradise Lost, sin emerges full-grown from Satan's head with a form that is both hideous and enticing.
Out of thy head I sprung: amazement seis'd
All th' Host of Heav'n; back they recoild affraid
At first, and call'd me SIN, and for a Sign
Portentous held me; but familiar grown,
I pleas'd, and with attractive graces won
The most averse, thee chiefly, who full oft
Thy self in me thy perfect image viewing
Becam'st enamour'd, and such joy thou took'st
With me in secret, that my womb conceiv'd
A growing burden.
John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book II
With attractive graces sin won the most averse. Causing all who fall prey to become enamored. Temptation, you see, causes us to lower our guard and approach areas that we previously avoided. And that is exactly the Antagonist’s intent. He is one who is not only in direct opposition to what God has said, but also to God Himself. All humanity is subject to the Tempter’s sway. We all, from Adam and Eve onwards, have rebelled and sinned against God. Heeding the alluring words and shameless propaganda from the Evil One. At times, allowing our curiosity to subdue us, leading to shame and embarrassment. Failing to maintain our dedication to our Sovereign King to the end. And worse… making ourselves allies of the enemy, Satan.
“It is one thing to mortify curiosity, another to conquer it.”
Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
And conquer it we must. But we are powerless to free ourselves from the predicament into which our sin has brought us. We simply cannot free ourselves from our captivity and enslavement to Satan. Eve couldn’t. Neither could Adam. And so it is with us. We have become completely estranged from our God. Succumbing to the delusion.
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,
2 Thessalonians 2.9-11
The world became the domain of Satan. A kingdom of sinners. Because all have followed in the footsteps of Adam (Romans 5.12ff). Sin is not simply disobedience. It is disobedience in rejection of God’s reign over us.
Let us not be ignorant of Satan’s schemes. Do not believe the Tempter’s lies. We have taken and eaten of sin to our demise.
We are in dire need of God’s intervention. And intervene He has. His Word is truth and through it and it alone we are sanctified (John 17.17). Jesus’ conquest was not just a conquest over sin and death. It was not just a conquest over Satan. The Suffering Servant has made it possible for us to learn a new way. The right way of living. Selfless. Sacrificial. People of love. Spiritually transformed into the likeness of Christ.
We would do well to heed the words of the Lawgiver.
“And give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4.27)
