That Looks Tempting

Read Genesis 1:1–3:24

1. The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2. “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.
3. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4. “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.
5. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6. The woman . . . saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious. . . . So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. Genesis 3:1-6

Diets can be maddening because they make it so difficult to stick to your convictions. The plan looks great, with a limit on calories or grams of fat per day and a list of prohibited or acceptable edibles. But when offered a piece of pie, you give in to the temptation, forgetting your diet and your resolution to lose weight. This struggle is real. It’s war.

This passage right at the beginning of the Bible tells all about the origin of the world, life, people, and work. It also covers husband-wife relationships. Closest to home, it explains how a perfect world went wrong and why human beings have struggled since then against all sorts of evil. It tells about temptation.

Everyone struggles with temptation. We are tempted to lie, to cheat, to steal, and to indulge ourselves in countless ways that God has forbidden. We give in because of Satan (Genesis 3:1-6). Temptation is Satan’s invitation to live his kind of life and give up on God’s. Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in getting her to sin; soon after, Adam yielded to the pull of Satan’s tempting offer. So sin entered the world, and every person since has been born a sinner. Today, Satan is busy trying to get us to give in to his temptations.

Eve and Adam could have resisted temptation by remembering what God had commanded them. We must realize that being tempted is not sin. We have not sinned until we give in to the temptation. To resist temptation, we must (1) pray for strength to resist (see Matthew 6:13), (2) say no when confronted with what we know is wrong (see James 4:7), and (3) run away from the temptation, sometimes literally (see Genesis 39:12). James 1:12 tells of the blessings and rewards for those who don’t give in when tempted.

As you read about the tragic fall of our perfect ancestors, watch the progression of temptation and sin. Then determine to obey God rather than believe Satan’s lies. Resist Satan and his temptations, and live.