Temptation appeals to our senses—our spiritual, emotional, and physical senses. That was the lure for Eve in the garden, and we have followed the pattern ever since.

Genesis 3:6-7
So 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 to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Satan had successfully done his work. He convinced Eve that God was holding out, that there was so much more to experience, and that there would be no punishment for disobedience. With the barriers broken down, Eve initiated the pattern of sin. She saw the tree had something she wanted. It was a “delight to the eyes.” She wanted what the tree had to offer. She desired to experience a higher level of wisdom. So, she plucked the fruit from the tree and ate it. There’s the pattern of sin we see throughout Scripture— seeing, wanting, and taking.

In his commentary on Genesis, Allen Ross notes that the words used in Eve’s reflection are important to consider. First, the words “delight” and “desired” are close to the Hebrew verbs translated “covet” in the Ten Commandments. The prohibition against coveting is strong because it leads to unlawful taking. Second, Eve focuses on the good of the fruit and ignores the evil in the disobedience. Third, the word for wisdom (“to make one wise”) presented a strong appeal for mental and spiritual intelligence.[1]

After Eve saw, wanted, and took…she gave. She shared the fruit with Adam, who followed Eve’s disobedience. Interestingly, Adam did not eat the fruit following Satan’s clever truth-twisting deception. He simply went along with the sin. Eve was deceived. Adam sinned willingly (1 Timothy 2:14, Romans 5:12, 17-19). Consequently, sin entered humanity.

Sin is enticing. It was for the first couple. It is for us. But whether we willingly sin or join in another person’s deception, sin is sin, and consequences follow disobedience. Like Adam and Eve, we can blame others, but the responsibility always belongs to us. The first step to true confession and repentance is to own your sin. If you blame it on another person or circumstances, you will continue on your journey away from God.

Father,
Please keep our eyes open to the temptations that Satan, the world, and our flesh bring. Help us know your Word so we can know when it is being twisted by our own desires or by others around us. Help us to see the gravity of consequences before we sin. Thank you for your grace and forgiveness even when we fall. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1] Allen Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998), 136.