The Pattern Of Temptation

The Pattern Of Temptation

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

All of Satan’s temptations follow the same pattern. First, Satan tests the faith of people and lures them away from God’s Word. This leads them to commit sins against others. We can see from our own experience that Satan always works this way.

When an idea first strikes us, we don’t think that we’re about to do something wrong. If we did, we might have second thoughts and consider the potential results. We would think about the harm and misery we would cause. We might even change the way we were thinking and acting. But such thoughts are usually kept hidden. So we go right ahead with our sinful action and abandon our faith.

Eve picked the fruit from the tree. She was convinced that she would not die, even though God said she would. She believed what Satan had told her. She thought her eyes would be opened and she would gain wisdom. After the devil’s poisonous words entered her ears, she reached out with her hand, took hold of the forbidden fruit, and tasted it with her mouth. Therefore, she sinned with every part of her body and soul. Still, she was not yet aware of the terrible sin she had committed. She cheerfully ate the fruit and brought some to her husband, who also ate it.

Lust, anger, and greed all work the same way. While sin is working, we don’t feel it. Sin doesn’t scare us. It doesn’t sting. Instead, it seems friendly, kind, and cheerful. We often don’t feel guilt as we’re sinning. But later, when God’s law exposes sin, the consequences crush us.