The movie came out in 1967. That was five years before I was born, so I know I did not see it at the theater. My parents bought a 45 record with the song “Bare Necessities” on it, and my brother and I listened to it repeatedly. All I know is that I saw the movie “The Jungle Book” in my childhood and loved it.

It was not until I had children of my own and bought the VHS tape of the movie that it burned indelibly into my brain. In one scene, the boy Mowgli encounters Kaa, the snake, in the forest. He wants to eat the boy, so he tries to trick him with his words. He tells the boy he has a way for him to never leave the jungle. He will show Mowgli the way to stay there forever. Then he launches into a little song with the simple words “Trust in Me.”

Before the serpent can complete his task of destroying the boy, Mowgli must trust him more than anything else.

Does any of this sound familiar?

It is an echo of Eden. More than that, it is how the devil still works today. Evil comes to us and asks, “Did God really say?” Satan invites us into a trusting relationship with him.

Spiritual confrontation is never “Choosing good or choosing evil.” It is the more subtle, “Will you trust God or something else?”