The Battleground Series

The Battleground

February 26, 2025

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Genesis 3

Introduction: The First Battlefield in the War of the Ages

Every great conflict has a moment where the first strike is made, where the battle officially begins. In American history, we remember The Shot Heard Around the World—the moment when the first shot of the American Revolution was fired in 1775. That single gunshot, seemingly small at the time, ignited a war that would change the course of history.

But long before that fateful morning in Lexington, there was another battle that began with a single act—the first sin in the Garden of Eden. This was The Lie Heard Around the World. When Satan deceived Eve and Adam chose to disobey God, it set off a chain reaction that plunged humanity into a war that has raged ever since. This was the moment that changed everything—where rebellion entered the world, where death became a reality, and where the enemy gained a foothold in the affairs of mankind.

Genesis 3 is not just an old story—it is the moment that defines our struggle today. Every temptation, every deception, every act of rebellion against God finds its roots in this battleground. And if we don’t understand what happened in the Garden, we will not understand the nature of the war we are in today.

Just as The Shot Heard Around the World set a nation on a path of conflict and liberation, so too does The Lie Heard Around the World explain the cosmic battle we now fight. But here’s the good news: while Genesis 3 is the beginning of the battle, it is not the end of the story. Just as God promised in Genesis 3:15, there would come a day when the seed of the woman—Jesus Christ—would crush the head of the serpent.

Now, let’s step onto the battlefield and examine what really happened in the Garden of Eden.

I. The Deception of the Serpent - Attack on Truth (Genesis 3:1-5)

The first recorded words of Satan in Scripture are an attack on God’s Word. Notice the subtlety of his approach—he does not outright deny God’s command but introduces doubt.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent,

“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1–5)

Satan’s Strategy

Distort the Word of God – "Did God actually say…?"

Challenge God’s goodness – Implying that God is withholding something beneficial.

Appeal to pride and self-determination – "You will be like God."

The modern parallels:

"Did God really say marriage is between a man and a woman?"

"Did God really say life begins in the womb?"

"Did God really say Jesus is the only way to salvation?"

The enemy thrives on creating doubt and distorting truth, leading people away from God’s authority.

II. The Fall: Disobedience and its Immediate Consequences (Genesis 3:6-7)

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:6–7)

The Threefold Temptation

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. (1 John 2:16)

"She saw that the tree was good for food" ? Desires of the Flesh (Physical temptation)

"It was a delight to the eyes" ? Desires of the Eyes (Material temptation)

"It was to be desired to make one wise" ? Pride of Life (Spiritual temptation)

In Genesis 3:6, we observe a threefold temptation that led to humanity’s fall:

Desires of the Flesh: Eve saw that the tree was “good for food,” appealing to physical appetite.

Desires of the Eyes: The tree was “a delight to the eyes,” attracting her visually.

Pride of Life: It was “desired to make one wise,” tempting her with wisdom and status.