Three weapons that Satan used to tempt Eve in the Bible are passion, pleasure, and pride and this strategy is still used to incite sin and made us believe that wrong is permissible.
Serpents don’t have the power of speech. So how do we explain a serpent talking to Eve? The speech and the reasoning powers suggest that it was not a real serpent but Satan was the real tempter. The serpent is identified as the Devil and Satan in Revelation 12:9 and 20:2.
“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).
A part of Satan’s deception is his subtlety of visage. He can put on any disguise and appear attractive and alluring. When he tempted Eve, Satan did not unleash all his weapons at once. Observe the stages of the temptation of Eve in Genesis 3:1-5 and gauge his high level of cunningness.
(1) First, he arouses Eve’s interest by speaking to her.
(2) Next he raises a doubt about God by the question: Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?"
(3) John 8:44 says that Satan is a liar from the beginning and we get the proof here. In Genesis 2:16 & 17 God commanded Adam that he is free to eat from any tree in the garden except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If he does he will surely die. But Satan contradicts God’s word by saying "You will not surely die."
(4) Then he challenges God’s authority by telling Eve, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
One interesting fact we often overlook is that Eve deflected from the truth even before she ate the forbidden fruit. We find this in Eve’s reply to the serpent in Genesis 3:2 & 3. Eve said to the serpent that they may eat from any fruit from the trees in the garden, but they must not eat the fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. Eve added that they must not even touch it or they will die.
God only commanded them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God never mentioned anything about touching the tree or the fruit. Eve was telling a lie. Eve was portraying God as a tough task master. The seed of sin was already planted in her heart. Talking with the serpent was a big blunder. After being deceived by Satan, both Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness (Genesis 3:7). Sin entered man; God’s consciousness was replaced by self-consciousness. They went into hiding. It was not merely shame; it was also a sense of sin that drove them away.
If Satan will come after Jesus, he will certainly come after us. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” It is perfectly proper to ask God to spare us from trials and temptations because on our own we may fail under the test.
Passion, pleasure, and pride are three major incitements to sin. Their appeal is universal. Satan uses these three weapons to tempt Eve. Satan’s strategy has not changed he still uses these three things to deceive and made us believe that wrong is permissible. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are mentioned in 1 John 2:16:“For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--come not from the Father but from the world.”
Satan employed the same strategy in the Temptation of Christ which is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13. The comparison of the temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden and Jesus Christ in the wilderness is summarized below.
Temptation of Eve:
(1) The fruit of the tree was good for food.
(2) Pleasing to the eye.
(3) Desirable for gaining wisdom.
Temptation of Christ:
(1) Turn the stone into bread.
(2) Shown the kingdoms of the world.
(3) Throw yourself down from here.
How do we defeat Satan and his demons? The Bible instructs us to rely upon God to deliver us from our enemy. “Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Before we can resist the Devil, we must first submit ourselves to God. We must resist him. Resisting Satan means opposing him, turning away for him, and having nothing to do with him and the temptations that he throws at us. The ultimate weapon is “The Word of God” and “The Power of the name of Jesus.”
Jesus, when tempted by Satan, conquered Satan by the power and authority of God’s Word. We need to read and remember Bible verses so we can defeat Satan. To defeat Satan, we are not only to quote Scripture, but we are to use the power of Jesus’ name. There is power in the name of Jesus.
Selie Visa