In 1973 I remember the famous televised tennis match between 55-year-old Bobby Riggs and 29-year-old Billy Jean King. It was the first ever battle of the sexes in which a man played a woman in singles and doubles play. The match was viewed by an estimated 55 million people in the United States and over 90 million worldwide.
The battle of the sexes has been with us immemorial. The foundation of the battle of the sexes is found in Genesis 3. It all began in the Garden of Eden through Satan’s cunningly crafted temptation of Eve. Since that time the battle has waged between the two sexes and is more heated today than ever before.
In my blog last week, I shared the schematic design of the enemy to entrap Eve. In this blog let’s look at how the fall led to the ongoing battle between men and women, what I’m calling the battle of the sexes.
Shame and Fear
Genesis 3:7 reads, “Then the eyes of both were opened and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” Shame is the fear of disconnection. Shame is the first result of any sin. Sin always separates us from those we love. Adam and Eve were no longer pure and innocent but were now battling with shame and disconnection. All of us struggle with shame.
Next, we read, “I was afraid because I was naked.” (Genesis 3:10) Fear and shame are inseparable sisters of disconnection. Fear is disconnection from God first, but then flows into men and women disconnecting from each other. Fear hampers clear thinking and causes all of us to make bad decisions. Shame and fear are the bedrock motives of most issues in our marital destruction.
Hiding out
Following shame and fear is our newfound boldness for hiding out! Adam and Eve “hid themselves.” (Genesis 3:10) We hide from God behind the fig leaves of our shame! We hide from those we love because of self-protection from hurt. Adam and Eve are afraid to reveal who they are, who they have become. We all hide out.
And so, it is for many of us. We’ve let shame define us, fear to overtake us, and we hide behind our fake image of God. We become posers, pretenders, and posture to others in order to keep the fig leaves firmly in place over that which we hate about ourselves.
Get Real and Be Brave
But just like in the garden, God comes like the hound of heaven, crying out for the real you to show up. God loves us and He longs for us to discover our true identity in Him. We are His beloved.
Might I challenge you to get real. Be vulnerable with some bloodstained allies and quit the religious posing. Becoming the real you by revealing your sin, confessing your sin, and discovering your authentic identity in Christ. It takes courage and bravery to come out and find Jesus in your heart and in your life. Quit the fake Christianity and get real! Take it from me, the chief of fakers and posers. It will lead you to freedom when you have nothing left to hide!
Pastor Steve
