Life Well Inspired

FallLeaves-LuciferText

We all know that Lucifer is the fallen angel who we now know as Satan. Common knowledge is that he thought himself able to be God and therefore got himself thrown out of Heaven.   But when you look back at the story in Genesis of how he deceived Eve, there are many points and lessons to be gleaned.

Although I read through Genesis one chapter at a time with the Good Morning Girls, I wanted to dive in a little deeper so I am reading through it again with the help of The Genesis Record by Henry Morris, Adventuring Through the Bible by Ray Stedman and Matthew Henry’s commentary.

Looking deeper into Genesis, it is amazing the parallels pointing to the Christian walk and the fundamental truths laid out in the very beginning chapters just waiting to be unpacked.

Getting back to Lucifer, though, the start of his downfall was when he decided he could be like the Most High, as if it was a matter of just overthrowing God. He seemed to forget that he, too, was a being created by the Most High.

He took roughly 1/3 of the angels with him in his downfall and then began trying to take some of the humans he was created to minister to into his rebellion against his creator, starting with Eve.

We can see this in concept form today as people reject God’s role in creation and sustaining of the world, substituting order coming from chaos and natural processes managing the earth.

When he came to Eve, he approached her when she was alone and got her to question the word of God. This is also a point to be aware of. This is the root of Lucifer’s original sin… he questioned God’s Word and goodness and even today we can see this at play.

He gets us stagnant in our walk, rendering us useless to further the kingdom and then begins to whisper into our ears things that cause us to doubt God. Sometimes this looks like an undermining of biblical truth while other times it attacks our personal belief system.   Either way, anytime we begin to question God’s sovereign authority, we can be sure we are being engaged in a spiritual battle and are in danger of following’s Satan’s way.

Once we fall for the bait and begin to question God’s word, doubt and pride take root in our minds, allowing the temptation to appear sweeter and sweeter. Just as the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden seemed to get more and more desirable as the conversation continued between Satan and Eve.

Henry Morris suggests that like the fruit of the forbidden tree, sin in any form appears “(1) “good for food” (that is, something appealing to the physical bodily appetites); (2) “pleasant to the eyes” (that is, something appealing to the emotions- the esthetic senses); (3) “desired to make wise” (that is, appealing to the mind and spirit, and to one’s pride of knowledge and spiritual insight.”

This is also laid out for us in 1 John 2:16:

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
~ 1 John 2: 16

We see a parallel also here to Satan’s 3 part temptation of Jesus (known as the second Adam) in the wilderness, but this time the temptation was overcome.

Eve follows the same slope we slip down when we are tempted.  Henry Morris describes it this way:  “Instead of believing and obeying God’s Word, Eve questioned, doubted, then modified and finally rejected God’s Word, in favor of of the temptation to the body, soul, and spirit which the fruit represented to her.”

We lastly see Eve inviting Adam to share in her sin, which is also Satan’s way. He got Eve then used her to get another one to sin and step away from God’s Word. Matthew Henry, is his commentary,  makes this warning:

In eating forbidden fruit, we have offended a great and gracious God, broken a just and righteous law, violated a sacred and most solemn covenant, and wronged our own precious souls by forfeiting God’s favour and exposing ourselves to his wrath and curse: in enticing others to eat of it, we do the devil’s work, make ourselves guilty of other men’s sins, and accessory to their ruin.

Just being aware of Satan’s most basic move, we are equipped to fight temptation.  If we begin to see parallels in our thought processes or in other popular teachings to Eve’s fall we need to seek God’s Word and obedience to Him. In these times of temptation, we need to draw closer to Him in prayer and seek wisdom through reading His Word rather than engaging Satan and his temptation.

Satan’s separation from God started when he questioned God’s word and His sovereignty.  Let’s then live carefully!

I'd love to know your thoughts!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For Further Reading

Sign up for access the eBook Library!