GENESIS 3

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

The serpent is introduced as a created yet cunning being whose role is to question God’s word, distort truth, and test human trust.

The Devil is Real

REVELATION 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

The great dragon—identified as the ancient serpent, the devil, and Satan—is revealed as the deceiver of the whole world. Scripture makes clear that the serpent in Genesis is not symbolic evil but a real, personal being who leads rebellion against God. His work is deception, accusation, and division, and he did not fall alone; other angels joined his rebellion. From Genesis to Revelation, Satan is consistently presented as the same adversary, whose defeat is certain under God’s authority.

EZEKIEL 28:12 …“You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God… 14 You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you... 17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor…

This passage describes a created being marked by wisdom, beauty, and access to God’s presence, who later fell because of pride. Though spoken in an earthly context, it reflects a deeper spiritual reality: corruption did not originate from God but from a turning away from Him. Evil is shown not as something God created, but as a distortion of what was originally good.

ISAIAH 14:12 How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

While addressed to the king of Babylon, the language points beyond a human ruler to the nature of spiritual rebellion. The repeated “I will” statements expose the heart of pride—self-exaltation and the desire to rival God. This ambition to seize authority and worship defines Satan’s ongoing opposition to God and his influence toward idolatry and false allegiance.

1 PETER 5:8 …be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him…

Believers are warned that the devil is active and intentional, seeking destruction. Yet Scripture also affirms that he can be resisted. Vigilance, faith, and steadfastness in Christ are the means by which believers stand firm against his schemes.

2 CORINTHIANS 11:3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

As the serpent deceived Eve through craftiness, Satan continues to work primarily through deception rather than open hostility. His strategy is to subtly draw minds away from sincere devotion to Christ by distortion, distraction, and counterfeit wisdom. The true battleground is the mind and heart, and protection comes from remaining grounded in the truth of the gospel and anchored in Christ alone.

GENESIS 3

2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

This passage clearly reveals the deceptive strategy of Satan and how he works to undermine trust in God. The woman begins by affirming God’s goodness, acknowledging that they were free to eat from all the trees of the garden, which shows that God’s command was generous, not restrictive. However, subtle distortion enters when she adds, “or touch it,” something God did not say, already showing how God’s word can be weakened when it is not held precisely. Satan then moves from questioning to outright contradiction, boldly declaring, “You surely will not die,” directly opposing what God had spoken. He shifts the focus from God’s abundant provision to the single restriction, planting the idea that God is withholding something desirable. By suggesting that God knows the fruit will make them “like God,” Satan portrays God as selfish and untrustworthy, implying that true happiness and fulfillment are found apart from obedience. This is the heart of his lie—that God is not good and does not truly want what is best for us. From the beginning, Satan’s deception has been to make people doubt God’s word, question God’s character, and believe that disobedience leads to greater freedom. Scripture exposes him for what he is: a liar whose goal is to draw humanity away from joyful trust in the God who gives every good gift. 

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

This passage shows that Satan’s temptations do not come in obvious or frightening forms, but in ways that appear attractive, reasonable, and even beneficial. The woman saw that the fruit was good for food, appealing to the lust of the flesh; delightful to the eyes, appealing to the lust of the eyes; and desirable to make one wise, appealing to pride—the same pattern of temptation Scripture later identifies as the ways of the world. What seemed good on the surface led not to freedom, but to shame, guilt, and brokenness, as shown by their sudden awareness of nakedness and their attempt to cover themselves. This passage also highlights human responsibility. Adam was with Eve and failed to step in, protect, and uphold God’s command; when the fruit was offered to him, he chose disobedience instead of obedience. Sin entered not only through deception, but through silence and compromise. Ultimately, this account teaches that without a clear knowledge of God’s truth, people cannot discern whether what is being offered is truly good or dangerously deceptive. Knowing and standing on God’s word is essential, because temptation often disguises itself as wisdom, pleasure, or progress, while leading away from God’s life-giving truth.

8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

This passage shows the immediate relational and emotional consequences of sin. Adam and Eve hid themselves, revealing the illusion that a person can somehow hide from God, even though God is omniscient and fully aware of where they were. God’s question, “Where are you?” was not asked for information, but as an invitation to confession and restoration—God already knew the answer, yet He was the first to reach out. This passage introduces the first negative emotions in Scripture: shame and fear, both of which entered human experience as a result of sin. What was once a joyful relationship marked by openness and fellowship with God became one marked by avoidance and anxiety. Sin affected more than the physical world; it damaged the inner life, producing emotional and spiritual separation. Instead of taking responsibility, Adam responded with fear and concealment rather than repentance, showing how sin not only alienates people from God but also distorts the human heart, making honesty and accountability difficult.

12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”... 17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

This passage reveals how deeply sin distorts human responsibility and affects all of creation. When confronted by God, Adam did not repent but shifted the blame, indirectly accusing both the woman and God Himself by saying, “The woman whom You gave to be with me.” Instead of owning his disobedience, he deflected responsibility, which is the natural tendency of sin—to excuse oneself and blame others. Eve likewise pointed to the serpent, showing how sin fractures accountability at every level. God, however, did not accept excuses. His judgment made clear that obedience to His word matters and that choices carry real consequences. For the first time in Scripture, creation itself was cursed; the ground would now resist humanity’s labor, producing thorns and thistles, and work would become marked by toil and sweat. Suffering, hardship, and death entered the human experience as a direct result of disobedience. The passage teaches that sin’s consequences are not merely personal but cosmic, affecting relationships, work, and the world itself. What humanity experiences today—struggle, pain, and decay—is not how God originally designed creation, but part of the righteous judgment that followed humanity’s rejection of God’s command.

GENESIS 3:16 To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.”

God’s words to the woman reveal the relational consequences of the fall. The term “desire” points not to healthy affection, but to a distorted impulse marked by tension and struggle. Sin disrupted the mutual partnership God originally designed, introducing imbalance, conflict, and pain into marriage. What was meant to be cooperation and unity became strained by power struggles and misunderstanding—showing that relational conflict is not part of God’s original creation, but a result of sin.

GENESIS 4:7 If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

The same word for “desire” appears here in God’s warning to Cain, where sin seeks to dominate. This parallel clarifies that desire, in a fallen context, is connected to control. Together, these passages show that sin corrupts human relationships by twisting strength, authority, and responsibility. The resulting struggle for control reflects humanity’s deeper separation from God’s design, not His intention for male and female partnership.

ROMANS 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 …even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

The effects of the fall extend beyond human relationships to all of creation. Scripture describes the entire created order as groaning under the weight of sin, experiencing decay and frustration. Yet this suffering is likened to childbirth—pain that anticipates restoration. Believers share in this groaning as they wait for full redemption, revealing that while the fall was cosmic in scope, God’s plan of redemption is equally comprehensive, encompassing all creation.

ROMANS 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Paul places present suffering in eternal perspective. Though real and painful, it is temporary and insignificant when compared with the glory God will reveal. This truth anchors believers in hope, reminding them that the brokenness of the present world is not permanent. Suffering points forward to restoration and guards the heart against placing ultimate hope in a fallen world, directing attention instead to God’s promised future.

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”... 21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

These verses form the first clear message of hope in Scripture, pointing forward to God’s redemptive plan through Christ. In the midst of judgment, God declares enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between their offspring, announcing an ongoing spiritual conflict that will culminate in victory for the “seed of the woman.” This is the first prophetic promise of the Messiah, often called the protoevangelium, the first gospel. While all humans are born from a man and a woman, this prophecy points uniquely to one who would come from a woman alone—fulfilled in Jesus Christ, born of a virgin. The serpent would bruise His heel, symbolizing suffering and the cross, but the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head, signifying total and final defeat. The garments of skin God provided further reveal this redemptive truth. Adam and Eve’s fig leaves represent human effort to cover sin, which is insufficient and powerless. To clothe them properly, blood had to be shed, and God Himself initiated that sacrifice. This act foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, whose blood would be shed to truly cover sin. From the very beginning, Scripture teaches that salvation cannot come through human works, but only through divine grace and God’s intervention, fully revealed in Christ.

GENESIS 3

ROMANS 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—... 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many... 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

These verses contrasts the first Adam with the last Adam, Jesus Christ, to explain both the problem of sin and God’s solution to it. Through the first Adam, sin entered the world, and death followed as its consequence, spreading to all humanity because all sinned. Humanity made a mess through disobedience, and no amount of human effort could undo the damage. In response, God acted in grace by sending His Son, the last Adam, whose one act of righteousness—His obedience unto death on the cross—provided the way for justification and life. This passage does not teach that everyone is automatically saved; rather, it declares that the provision for salvation is now fully available. Jesus has done His part by paying the price for sin, and humanity is called to respond by trusting Him. Christianity is therefore not about earning salvation through rules or religious performance, but about placing faith in the goodness and grace of God. The ongoing deception of Satan is to urge people to trust themselves instead of God, but the gospel calls us back to faith—receiving what Christ has already accomplished.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We come before You with humble hearts, acknowledging that You are holy, good, and faithful. We confess that through sin the world was broken, and like Adam and Eve, we have often listened to voices other than Yours. We recognize that we have a real enemy—the serpent of old—who deceives, accuses, and seeks to turn our hearts away from trusting You. Forgive us, Lord, for the times we doubted Your word, questioned Your goodness, and tried to cover our sin with our own efforts.

Thank You for Your grace that reached out to us even when we were hiding in shame and fear. Thank You that from the very beginning You promised a Savior, the Seed of the woman, who would crush the power of the enemy. We praise You for Jesus, the last Adam, who obeyed where we failed, who shed His blood to clothe us with righteousness, and who paid the full price for our sins on the cross. We thank You that salvation is not earned by works, but received by trusting in You.

Lord, help us to be alert and discerning, knowing our enemy and resisting his lies. Teach us to stand firm in Your truth, to take responsibility for our choices, and to trust in Your goodness even in times of suffering. When we see pain and brokenness in the world, remind us that this life is temporary and that a greater glory awaits us. Keep our hearts from loving this world more than You.

We place our faith in You alone, not in ourselves, not in religion, but in Your grace and mercy. Strengthen our devotion to Christ, guard our minds from deception, and lead us in obedience that flows from love. We wait with hope for the redemption You have promised, and we give You all the glory.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer,

Amen.

The content of this article is adapted from the source below:

Follow God's Design - Assume Responsibility: Follow God's Instructions