Satan deceives us into disobeying God’s Word by:
I. Attacking the truth of God’s Word - Gen. 3:1-5
A. Challenge to God’s Word (v.1)
In Gen. 2:15-17, God had given Adam a clear restriction. Satan sought to challenge the truth of and reason for the restriction.
B. Contradiction of God’s Word (v.4)
Satan said to Eve that God was telling a lie. Eve had to choose whether she would believe God or Satan. We must make the same choice.
C. Corruption of God’s Word (v.5)
Satan distorted the truth of God’s Word—it was half truth and half lie.
Satan tempts us to sin by:
II. Appealing to man’s natural lusts – Gen. 3:6
A. Temptation of bodily cravings –
The fruit was “good for food.”
B. Temptation of desire (covetousness) of the eyes –
The fruit was “pleasing to the eye.”
C. Temptation to pride –
The fruit was “desirable for gaining wisdom.”
For the related passage for these basic three types of temptation, see 1 John 2:15-16, Matthew Chapter 4.
How do we resist temptation?
III. We resist falling into temptation by standing on the truth of God’s Word.
All Adam and Eve had to do was remember God’s commandment and choose to believe Him instead of Satan.
For related passages on resisting temptations, see 1 Cor. 10:11-13 and James 1:13-18.
Conclusion: We must stand firm by faith on the truth of God’s Word to resist Satan’s temptations. Will we fall or will we stand? The choice is ours!
