Genesis 3:1-6 New International Version (NIV)
The Fall
3 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.
Why does Satan tempt us? Temptation is a invitation to give in to sin and give up on what God has for you. Sin takes you away from God’s kind of life. Satan even tempted Jesus, but Jesus did not sin. He used God’s Word to refute the temptations. How can we resist temptation? First, realize that being tempted is not a sin. Sin comes when you give in to the temptation. Next, to resist temptation, pray for strength to resist. Run from the temptation, and that may mean literally. Finally, saying ‘No’ when confronted with something that is wrong. Say ‘NO’ in a loud voice, so you can hear it. Read God’s Word. God’s Word has power. There are blessings and rewards for those who do not give in when tempted. If you fail, and you sin. Stop, ask for forgiveness, and pray, run, and say ‘NO’. Read God’s Word to make it a part of your mind, body, and soul. Do this again and again. Never give up. With each time you beat the temptation, you get stronger and stronger. The more wins you get under your belt, the more fortified in God’s strength and courage you will become. Through God’s strength, you will be strong.
