We meet Satan when he encountered Eve and asked this question: ''Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'' Gen 3:1'' Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Did Satan know the answer to this question? Was he concerned with God's instructions? Yes and no. Satan knew that God's instructions were that Adam and Eve could eat from all the trees in the garden except the one, and he was not the least bit concerned about God's instructions. Satan knows what we forget, and that is that God's instructions lead to life and peace and blessing and everything we need to live in favor with Him and with others. But, because he is intent on understanding God's purposes and His plans, Satan uses questions to stir up doubt.
Eve responded to the serpent's question with truth: Gen 3 :2-3'' And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. The only reason Satan asked Eve about all the trees was to set her gaze on the one tree that God declared ''off limits.'' Once he had her attention focused on what she could not have, Satan went to work challenging God's character and His motives:
Gen 3:4-5'' And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Satan, in essence, calls God a liar. Was God a liar? Did He mislead Adam and Eve? Were His words not true? Better questions might be these, Is God a liar? Has He ever misled you? Have His words ever proven not to be true? The serpent was right; Eve didn't die right away, at least not physically. But the minute she ate the forbidden fruit, Eve's relationship with God was severed; spiritually she died. And later, because she ate the fruit, Eve physically died. We all haven dying since. God spoke the truth when He told Adam and Eve that if they ate the fruit from the tree of good and evil they would die. The serpent was also correct about Eve's eyes being open. As soon as she ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge, her eyes were open to evil. Before she took that bite, her eyes were only open to good. In a way she knew more than she did before, but what a terrible knowledge! I see many young people make this same mistake today. They refuse to listen to the voices of reason, experience, and love and instead turn away from the biblical values they were taught as children. In some attempt to be their ''own'' person, they choose evil over good. Certainly their eyes are open, eventually, but most of them grow to regret gaining that kind of knowledge. Do you see how Satan subtly calls God a liar then uses truth, twist it, and plants seeds of doubt in Eve's heart? Satan urged Eve to consider God's motives for His rules. He didn't say it, but he implied that God didn't want Eve to be like Him, that God wanted to Lord over Eve by giving her restrictions in her life that would cheat her out of the complete experience. Satan pitched God not as a loving companion but as a strict authoritarian. What makes me mad is that he uses the same tactic today and people still fall for it. Satan made it seem that God forbade Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit for His good rather than theirs. Satan placed seeds of doubt in Eve's heart. Examine the doubt that you are wrestling with today. What thoughts have you considered? Do any of them sound like these questions that Satan presented to Eve? If they do, then you can be sure that the devil is trying to steal blessings from your life. Don't let him do this.
The Bible tells us why Eve chose to eat the fruit that God told her not to eat. Her disobedience was not a random mistake but a well-thought out, intentional decision to go her own way rather than God's.
See if you can find the reasons Eve ate the fruit in Gen 3:6...And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
1. She saw the tree was good for food...Her taste buds wanted it.
2. She saw the tree was pleasing to the eye. She liked the way it looked.
3. She saw the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom...It promised to deliver something she never experienced before.
Satan used Eve's desire for physical pleasure and power to entice..tempt her to sin.
Please don't miss the fact that verse 6 does not say Adam happened to walk by at that moment, after Eve had already eaten the fruit. Neither does the Scripture say that Eve dressed the fruit up in a salad, and unbeknownst to Adam he ate it. The verse says, ''She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it''. Adam stood silently by and watched his ''woe man'' make a bad choice.Where was his spiritual leadership and authority? Where was his conscience? Why did he let her eat first? Was she the guinea pig? '' I'll just wait and see if Eve dies, then if not, I'll eat too!'' Oh, Adam. Satan was successful in engaging Eve and not Adam in conversation. Peter told husbands to exercise great consideration and respect in regard to their wives, calling them ''the weaker partner''...1 Peter 3:7. Satan targeted Eve because she was more likely to give in to his persuasive tactics. This should be a wake-up call to both men and women. Men, while Satan was tempting Eve, he was after Adam. Satan was set on fall of Adam. Only in the fall of Adam was Satan successful in stealing God's perfect creation from Him. He knew the amazing power of persuasion that women have over men. Satan knew how strong their influence could be, so he put Eve between him and Adam in order to bring Adam down. This ought to be a sober warning to you. Be careful which women you allow to influence you, and be on guard against women who might influence you to disobey God. Husband you are told to love your wives as Christ loves the church. When you stand silent and watch your wife fall miserably, you will be called into account for her. Christ will one day present the church to God beautiful and whole. The day will come when you will be standing before the throne of God, and God will expect you to give an account for your wife. Christ wants you to present your wife to God beautiful and whole. Perhaps you have already watched your wife fail miserably. Please don't be discouraged. Just begin to do the right thing now. Be your wife's strong support. Let her know you care and that she doesn't have to walk alone. You may be surprised at just how much your effort toward support and love will encourage her. Ask God to teach you how to love your wife as Christ loves the Church. Women, you need to recognize the power of influence you have over the men in your lives. While Adam answered to God, so did Eve. You are responsible not only for your own behavior but also for the way you exercise the powerful gift of influence you have over your husbands, sons, fathers, and all other men in your lives. Has Satan engaged you in conversation by using God's delays in answering your prayers? Has he whispered to you and said things like God's not interested in you. If He were, then why isn't He talking?''
Please don't miss the fact that verse 6 does not say Adam happened to walk by at that moment, after Eve had already eaten the fruit. Neither does the Scripture say that Eve dressed the fruit up in a salad, and unbeknownst to Adam he ate it. The verse says, ''She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it''. Adam stood silently by and watched his ''woe man'' make a bad choice.Where was his spiritual leadership and authority? Where was his conscience? Why did he let her eat first? Was she the guinea pig? '' I'll just wait and see if Eve dies, then if not, I'll eat too!'' Oh, Adam. Satan was successful in engaging Eve and not Adam in conversation. Peter told husbands to exercise great consideration and respect in regard to their wives, calling them ''the weaker partner''...1 Peter 3:7. Satan targeted Eve because she was more likely to give in to his persuasive tactics. This should be a wake-up call to both men and women. Men, while Satan was tempting Eve, he was after Adam. Satan was set on fall of Adam. Only in the fall of Adam was Satan successful in stealing God's perfect creation from Him. He knew the amazing power of persuasion that women have over men. Satan knew how strong their influence could be, so he put Eve between him and Adam in order to bring Adam down. This ought to be a sober warning to you. Be careful which women you allow to influence you, and be on guard against women who might influence you to disobey God. Husband you are told to love your wives as Christ loves the church. When you stand silent and watch your wife fall miserably, you will be called into account for her. Christ will one day present the church to God beautiful and whole. The day will come when you will be standing before the throne of God, and God will expect you to give an account for your wife. Christ wants you to present your wife to God beautiful and whole. Perhaps you have already watched your wife fail miserably. Please don't be discouraged. Just begin to do the right thing now. Be your wife's strong support. Let her know you care and that she doesn't have to walk alone. You may be surprised at just how much your effort toward support and love will encourage her. Ask God to teach you how to love your wife as Christ loves the Church. Women, you need to recognize the power of influence you have over the men in your lives. While Adam answered to God, so did Eve. You are responsible not only for your own behavior but also for the way you exercise the powerful gift of influence you have over your husbands, sons, fathers, and all other men in your lives. Has Satan engaged you in conversation by using God's delays in answering your prayers? Has he whispered to you and said things like God's not interested in you. If He were, then why isn't He talking?''
Did God really say you had to die to the flesh? You can't do that!''
If He were out there, He would make Himself known! He isn't there.''
''If He cared, He would do something about this. He doesn't care.''
''If He were listening, He would let you know! He is not listening.''
so, have you all ever heard any voices like that? I have. And it doesn't really matter how educated you may be, or how long you have been saved, or how many people you led to the Lord.'' I was saved when I was 12 years old and even did as the word tells us to and saved myself for my husband until marriage, also was very active in church, taught Sunday School, taught children's church, was later on ordained and very active in the deliverance ministry and have open my home up to bring those hurting and wounded in and allow then to stay until they are ready to go out and meet the world again. But I still hear that whisper at times and have to rebuke that in the name of Jesus. Don't ever think you might be above falling because that's when you will hear the whisper and listen to it, so be on guard and be ready for Satan's whisper.
