“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’

He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’

And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?’” (Genesis 3:8-11 NIV)

Who Told You That?

Who told you that you weren’t good enough? Who told you that you were a sinner? Who told you that you would never amount to anything?

That question—”Who told you?”—holds so much power. Because the voice you choose to listen to is the voice you give authority over your life. If you believe someone else’s word over God’s Word, you are placing that person’s opinion above God’s truth.

So, let me ask you: What voices are you allowing to shape your identity?

---

The Power of Agreement

There are two reports written about your life: God’s truth and the enemy’s lies. And whether you realize it or not, you are believing one of them. Isaiah asks in Isaiah 53:1:

“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

What report have you chosen to believe about yourself?

1. Why Did God Put the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden?

Ever wondered why God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden in the first place? If it wasn’t there, the enemy wouldn’t have had a way to deceive Eve, right? So why allow it?

The tree wasn’t a trap—it was an opportunity.

Genesis 1:26-27 tells us that God made mankind in His image to rule over the earth. The tree was humanity’s first opportunity to exercise dominion by standing firm on God’s Word. Adam and Eve should have said, “We are already like God; we don’t need to eat from this tree!” But instead, they doubted His Word and gave in to the lie.

How often do we do the same?

The enemy still asks the same question today: “Did God really say…?”

• Did God really say you’ll be successful?
• Did God really say you’re His child?
• Did God really say you’re healed?

The problem wasn’t the tree—it was the report Eve chose to believe.

2. The Enemy Always Attacks Identity First

The first thing the enemy will attack in your life is your identity. Why? Because if he can make you doubt who God says you are, he’s already won half the battle.

Even Jesus faced this attack. Before He began His ministry, God declared over Him:

“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Before Jesus had performed a single miracle, God had already affirmed His identity.

Yet, in Matthew 4:3 and 4:6, Satan tempted Jesus by saying:

“If you are the Son of God…”

The enemy tried to make Jesus question His identity—but Jesus didn’t need to prove anything. He stood firm on God’s Word.

Who is questioning your identity today?

• The world?
• Your past failures?
• Your own insecurities?

Stand firm! God’s Word never changes.

3. The Kingdom is About Agreement with Heaven

To reign as a child of God, you must be in agreement with the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:18:

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The enemy has no power over your life except what you give him by believing his lies.

Are you in agreement with:

• The world’s report?
• Fear?
• Insecurity?

Or are you in agreement with God’s truth?

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

---

Who Told You?

So let me ask you again: Who told you?

Who told you that you were a sinner, a failure, a nobody? Who wrote the report that you’ve been living by?

It’s time to stand on the Word of Truth and be in agreement with the Kingdom of Heaven.

What Does God Say About You?

• You are His beloved child. (Matthew 3:17)
• You are justified. (Romans 5:1)
• You are deeply loved, not rejected or forgotten. (Isaiah 49:15-16)
• You are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
• You are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)
• You are victorious. (Romans 8:37)
• You are provided for. (Philippians 4:19)
• You are the dwelling place of God. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Your identity is not in your past, your failures, or people’s opinions. Your identity is Jesus Christ.

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

---

Final Thought

Stop believing the lies. Stop eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil when Jesus has already given you the tree of life.

Whose report will you believe today?

Choose truth. Choose life. Choose Jesus.

Be Blessed.

Barry