Genesis 3:1-7. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 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. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
The most tragic day in human history was the day mankind became a spiritual orphan—completely cut off from the glory of God the Father, fallen under the power of sin, curse, and hell, and seized by the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan.
Scripture tells us that Lucifer, also known as the “Morning Star,” had been created to proclaim God’s glory, but he became proud and rebelled against God (Ezekiel 28:12–19; Isaiah 14:10–14). Having lost the war in heaven, the devil lost his place, was hurled to the earth along with his angels, and has since been leading the whole world astray (Revelation 12:7–9).
Satan began his work by deceiving the first man and woman, persuading them to side with him and turn their backs on God by breaking the covenant God had made with them. Since that day, he has ruled over the entire human race by luring them into the ways of the world and the domain of his kingdom (Ephesians 2:2–3). He masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and like a roaring lion, he prowls around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
The devil also mobilizes evil spirits to take control over people’s spirit, soul, mind, and body (Mark 5:1–10; Acts 16:16–18). This demonic influence is still visible today, as people around the world suffer from countless spiritual and mental afflictions.
Using politics, culture, and economy, the devil—“the god of this age”—is blinding people’s minds so they cannot see the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4–5). He is highly organized and relentlessly carries out his evil schemes against believers (Ephesians 6:11–13), constantly attacking them with flaming arrows (Ephesians 6:16).
To deceive Adam and Eve, Satan used the serpent as his instrument, planting seeds of unbelief and distrust in their hearts by asking, “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1). In doing so, he twisted the meaning of God’s covenant.
When the devil realized that Eve’s understanding of God’s covenant was not exactly what God had said (Genesis 2:16–17), he immediately contradicted it and told the greatest lie in history: “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5).
The devil’s aim was never just to deceive Eve. His goal was to seize control of the entire human race that God loved. His bait was the false promise of self-reliance and self-centeredness.
Satan wanted to rule over people’s lives. As Jesus revealed, the devil, the father of lies, became the spiritual father of everyone born after Adam (John 8:44), and since then, humanity has lived under his power (Acts 10:38).
As a result, people have followed their own ways (Isaiah 53:6), their own wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25), their own philosophies, traditions, and principles (Colossians 2:8), their own moral standards (Isaiah 64:6), and their own sense of righteousness (Romans 3:20).
Like Adam and Eve, everyone tries to cover their weaknesses and shame with religion and worldly solutions (Genesis 3:7). Everything revolves around themselves, but they cannot find true rest or peace. Instead, they reap fear, guilt, and insecurity.
People believe they are the masters of their lives without realizing that they are actually serving the devil and carrying out his desires (John 8:44). Since that tragic day, every kind of curse, disaster, calamity, and suffering has continued (Genesis 3:16–20).
But God promised the most glorious day in human history—the day when “the seed of the woman” would crush the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15). Jesus, God’s only Son, came and finished the work of the Christ (John 19:30). Through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, Jesus proved that He is the Christ (Matthew 28:1–15).
That was the day the power of Satan was completely shattered (Hebrews 2:14). That was the day the law of sin and death lost its grip on us (Romans 8:2). That was the day God opened a new and living way for us to return to Him (Hebrews 10:19–20).
Through Christ, God came to be with us (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22–23). Jesus came so we may have life and have it to the full (John 10:10).
So stop listening to the lies of the devil. Start listening to what God says. Stop embracing different gospels. Start experiencing the true gospel—that Jesus is the Christ, the answer to every problem.
Stop relying on your own righteousness. Start relying on the finished work of Christ. Stop following your old self, which craves the desires of the flesh. Start living by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave Himself for you (Galatians 2:20).
Make Jesus the Lord of your life and follow Him. He will take you to the ends of the earth to stand as His witness to all nations (Acts 1:8).
Prayer. Father, I thank You for the glorious day when Jesus finished the work of the Christ. He crushed the head of the serpent, removed the power of sin from me, and called me out of darkness into His wonderful light. This is all because of Your love, grace, and mercy, which I do not deserve. Help me stop following my old self—my thoughts, my ways, and my own righteousness. Help me fix my eyes on Christ alone, who loved me and died for me. Use my life to shine the light of the gospel to all nations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.