When Satan planned his attack against God through man, he decided that the woman would be the more easily deceived. I am reminded that he possessed fullness of wisdom, and I am sure that it was easy to observe how much the man treasured the woman God had given him. Maybe something he observed made him realize that the woman would be easier to deceive. He seemed to understand that the man would be more easily enticed by his wife.
So what ploy did Satan use to deceive Eve? He used the most cunning creature, the serpent; he caused her to question God’s word and awakened in her spirit a sense of discontent.
Genesis 3:1–6 “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? 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. 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. 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.”
Once the enemy had awakened a sense of discontent, a desire for more than God had given her, other senses came into play. The fruit looked good and appetizing. I am convinced that the serpent ate some of it right in front of her to convince her that there was nothing to fear. After all, everything in her life had been good to that point. What did she really understand about fear of death?
Sure enough, as soon as she took of the fruit, she gave some to her husband; and he ate of the fruit from the hands of his wife without hesitation. The difference being—he acted in willful disobedience.
1 Timothy 2:13–14 “For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”
It wasn’t long before God confronted Adam and Eve with their sin and they began to understand the consequences of disobedience to their Creator. The Lord responded by declaring that though Satan had won a victory, he would be defeated in the end. The wording declared that there would be an ongoing battle between Satan and the woman, between the Seed of the woman and the seed of Satan. Point is made that the Seed of the woman would deal a fatal blow to Satan, but Satan would only be able to wound the One who would defeat him. I think the NIV expresses the truth most clearly.
Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
The wording was carefully chosen; God already had a plan for the redemption of man in place. It is through the seed of man that children are born of woman; through the seed of man each child inherits the sin nature. There would come One born of a virgin, of seed planted within her by the Spirit of God, the very Son of God, who would one day defeat Satan.
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…and his name shall be called…The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Matthew 1:18-23 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost….And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins….Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
Thus began the war between the spiritual forces of good and evil in the fight for the souls of men. Paul identifies this struggle in his letter to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 6:11–12 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The “wiles” of the devil speak of his methods, the tricks and/or strategies he uses to deceive. His great joy is to see us fall for his tricks and then accuse us before God.
Revelation 12:9–10 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
Job 1:6–7 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
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