The Fall
Now the serpent, who was craftier than any of the creatures that the LORD God had made, came to Eve saying: “Did God really say not to eat of any tree in the garden?” Eve replied, “We may eat the fruit of any tree, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
–iBIBLE Chapter 2
Genesis 3:1–3a
In the beautiful garden that the Lord had created, Adam and Eve were perfectly cared for by God. They had all of their bodily and spiritual needs met with food to eat, water to drink, and a perfect relationship with their Creator. God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed to fulfill His plan for them. He told them what was good for them, and what was not.
But then the serpent entered the picture. The serpent was “crafty,” which is sometimes translated as “cunning,” or “subtle,” and carries a negative connotation. The serpent is introduced in a negative light even before he opens his mouth to speak to Eve.
The serpent wastes no time, and begins with his first deception: “Did God really say not to eat of any tree in the garden?” And with these words, he questions God’s law. He causes Eve to doubt the very voice of the Lord whom she knew so well. The serpent attacks the perfect will of God and aims to get Eve to act contrary to His Word and will.
This tactic of the serpent is still the same word game he uses in our lives today. “Did God really say…?” The evil one will do everything in his power to cause us to question God’s clear words for us and His will for our lives.
Satan uses the exact same trick with Jesus during His temptation. The evil one tells Jesus to go up to the pinnacle of the temple and throw Himself down, “For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Yes, these were quotes from Scripture, but were they in accord with how God intended them?
Jesus hears these quotes from the Bible, and immediately replies, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matthew 4). He knew that the devil was inserting falsehood into God’s Word and calling it into question. And what did Jesus use to combat it? A right understanding of the Scriptures.
The evil one will do everything in his power to cause us to question God’s clear words for us and His will for our lives.
Our Response
How do we respond when the enemy causes us to question God’s Word? When we are confronted with temptation to sin, or doubts that God’s law is good—how do we combat it?
Just as Jesus uses God’s Word to discern truth from falsehood, we should as well. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). God’s Word offers us a clear path forward for our lives.
God has graciously given us the Bible. We can test the words we hear from teachers, from our culture, from our friends and family against it for clarity. In Acts 17, the Bereans were commended for their discernment. This group of Jewish people living in Berea heard the words that Paul preached to them and “received it with eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
Likewise, we too should test the words of those who try to speak into our lives. If they contradict what God says, we should not embrace their message—we should reject it. What a gracious gift the Lord has given us in the pages of the Bible: words of comfort, words of peace, and words that help guide us in all that we do and believe. And, most importantly, words that tell the story of our redemption in Christ.
Just as Jesus uses God’s Word to discern truth from falsehood, we should as well. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
A Prayer for This Week
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word. Thank You that we can read it, study it, learn from it, and shape our lives around it. We ask that You would equip us with Your Word for discernment, that we may not fall into the devil’s trap like Eve did. When we question Your Word, help us to do so as those who cry out “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief,” and not as those who would call your work and will into question. Be with us all as we face daily temptation. Help us combat it by the power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’s name, we pray, Amen.