The Appeal

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 woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 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.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 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.” 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. 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.  Genesis 3:1-7

“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...” (Gen. 3:6). What temptation has the strongest appeal in your life?

The very first reference in the Bible to Satan is that he is crafty. He craftily approached Eve in an unsuspecting manner in an attempt to cause her to go against the standard which God had declared. He still uses the same technique today, and men and women succumb to his temptation.

Look at the pattern in your own life. Watch how Satan appeals to you. He twists the truth, perverting it into a deadly lie. One of Satan’s greatest tempting tools is to question God’s Word or God’s authority: “If God is loving, would He withhold something from you that could make you happy?”

How we need to have discerning ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to weigh the persuasive and beguiling lies of the enemy! Satan’s appeal to our fleshly desires always comes with a promise to meet a need some way other than God’s way. Read John’s admonition in 1 John 2:15-16. Then ask God to heighten your awareness of temptation’s appeal.

A match for the craftiness of the evil one? Only by the Holy Spirit’s power.