It seems that Eve didn’t understand or believe the difference or the consequences between what was true and what wasn’t true. God warned Adam and Eve that disobedience to Him would result in their death. Satan, however, deceived Eve with a lie, saying, “‘You will not surely die…’” (Genesis 3:4).
Reading the account about how easily both Adam and Eve sinned should cause us to reflect on ourselves when we face Satan’s deception. Add to that the fact that Satan has deceived the whole world and continues to do so (1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9).
Christians have been called to overcome the deception of Satan, but he still relentlessly seeks to deceive us (1 Peter 5:8). We would be mistaken to think that we can’t be deceived. The Apostle Paul confessed his own struggle in this regard, saying: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:24-25).
The Apostle James addressed overcoming temptation and the repercussions of falling for deception:
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren” (James 1:12-16).
As human beings, we can’t overcome sin on our own. Just as quoted above about Paul, we need the help of Jesus Christ, Who was tempted but Who never sinned. Satan sought to deceive Jesus by challenging Him with lies, but Jesus overcame him with the Truth and with His commitment to obey God (Matthew 4:1-11). Through God’s Holy Spirit, Christians have help to defeat Satan’s deception:
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Deception is powerful, and it can destroy our faith and trust in God. Yet, Jesus gives us the key to overcome the lies of Satan and his rule over this world. That is to know and choose the Truth (John 8:32). Paul adds this instruction for us:
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).
Let’s not make it easy for Satan to deceive us. Rather, we must grow stronger and stronger in our obedience to Jesus Christ and the Father so that we may be found worthy of our calling to salvation in the coming Kingdom of God.