Genesis 3:1

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'?"

Satan is always looking for a way into the lives of people who have a right relationship with God. He would like nothing better than to take believers away from the word of God. We tend to think of Satan’s attacks as being either terror or violence, but all he does with the woman is have a conversation! He simply wants to introduce some doubt – first doubt the message, then the messenger, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 1 above, Satan is trying to get her to focus on the forbidden, instead of focusing on the provisions. Don’t we all fall into the same trap!? He loves to focus our attention on what we don’t have, or can’t do, instead of focusing on what God has provided for us. In the Garden of Eden, God had provided every kind of tree to satisfy their every need:

Genesis 2:9

9 Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God had provided perfect provision and perfect happiness for Adam and Eve in the Garden. Man was designed to have perfect happiness and blessing, unless he went against the plan of God, and the same is true today! That’s why most believers don’t have perfect happiness – they are ignoring the plan of God for their life.

In essence, the first sin was not really morality or immorality, but simply a rejection of God’s perfect provision.

Genesis 3:2-3

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.'"

Now that she has taken her eyes off of the provision, and focused on the prohibition, evil creeps in. Notice she adds to the word of God – God had not told them not to touch the tree! (Rev. 22:18)

Genesis 3:4-5

4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!

What is Satan’s attack? He contradicts the Word of God. He tells her that God is just afraid you’re going to be just like Him, knowing good and evil!

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."

Now the tree looks attractive to her, because she is not thinking about the Word of God, but about herself. She thought the tree would make her wise and prosperous. Her desires are now against the plan of God, and for herself. Of course, God had already provided wisdom and prosperity and perfect happiness for her.

Don’t think for a moment that Satan has changed his strategy. He is not out there trying to spread violence and sin to everyone in the world. His main goal is to get people away from the plan of God. All he wants to do is get you to think independently of God.

God has provided everything you need inside of His perfect plan for your life. We have that same tendency that Adam and Eve had in the Garden to operate independently of God, and want things for ourselves. But recognize that only inside of God’s plan for you is the perfect happiness that He had for Adam and Eve in the Garden.