Identifying the Tactics of Satan

Temptation Begins by Questioning God

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'" (Genesis 3:1).

Satan is cunning, crafty, manipulative, controlling and deceiving. He encourages doubt, discontentment and self-focus, anything that is not God's best for you.

Personal Application: Keep your eyes and heart focused on Christ, aligning your will with His. Depend on Christ in all things.

Do Not Debate

The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die'" (Genesis 3:2-3).

Satan baited Eve and she chose to listen and to explain, causing her to remain under Satan's influence. Because she took the bait, Satan outsmarted her.

Personal Application: Choose not to debate, rationalize or justify your actions. Do not try to reason or explain God's directions. Choose truth and flee from sin.

Choose Truth

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "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 3:4-5).

Satan blatantly declares that God was deceiving her and that she should disregard what God said. He led her to think there would be reward instead of severe consequences for her disobedience.

Personal Application: Choose truth. Study the word of God and spend time developing your relationship with Him. When you know God's ways you can easily choose truth.

The Battle for the Mind

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it (Genesis 3:6).

Satan won the battle for Eve's mind. Now the focus moves to the lusts of the flesh. Eve no longer looked to God to meet her needs but made her own decision as to what is best. Eve focused on the forbidden fruit, not on God's will: It looked good for food. It looked good to the eye. It would make her wise. How could it be bad?

Satan's deception was completed and she ate. Note: Adam was with her. Eve was deceived and ate, then she gave the fruit to Adam to eat. Adam knew better but made the choice to listen and follow his deceived wife instead of what he knew to be true.

Personal Application: We all sin from time to time, giving in to what we want and what we think is right instead of what God says is true. As difficult as it may seem to be at the time, choose to run to God and not away from Him. Go boldly to the throne of grace and confess your sin. God is faithful to forgive your sin and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. If you take someone into sin with you, it is important to confess your sin to him or her as well as to God. Ask for their forgiveness and speak truth in love and with humility.

From Innocence to Shame

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you" (Genesis 3:7-9).

The result of having fallen into sin is that their relationship with each other and with God changed from innocence to shame, security to fear, divine purpose to condemnation.

Personal Application: You may suffer consequences from your sin but, because of the cross, your relationship with God will be restored when you turn away from your sin and return to God's ways on His terms. If you make the choice to continue in sin you give Satan the opportunity to create a stronghold in your life.