TEXT: GENESIS 3:6 KJV
[6] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Discussion
Today we shall focus on understanding temptation and ways to avoid it. Temptation is inevitable in our Christian journey. If Jesus had not narrated His temptation and ordeal to us, we would not have known that He was also tempted, because He was alone in the wilderness when the tempter came to Him. No one is immune to temptation, no matter how spiritually sound we are. However, our response to temptation will determine whether or not we overcome it. Temptation was so important that Jesus mentioned it while teaching the Lord’s Prayer.
Our Bible text today records the first instance in the Bible when humans were tempted by the devil. We shall analyse the Bible text today and learn important lessons from it.
Eve saw that the tree was good for food. We must realise that temptation is a process. When Satan tempts us, he does not begin with the final goal he wants to achieve. It always starts from a seemingly harmless or insignificant point, then progresses to the next phase and continues until he gets to his final stage of stealing, killing, and destroying (John 10:10).
Before Eve saw that the fruit was good for food, Satan had already planted thoughts in her mind, causing her to see something good in what was wrong. The fruit had been there all along, and it had not seemed enticing to her. But all of a sudden, it became desirable.
Temptation often begins subtly, as Satan releases thoughts into our minds. Satan speaks to us through our thoughts and influences what we allow into our hearts. We must learn to recognise and resist the devil at the stage when he begins to speak to our thoughts, using the Word of God.
Eve saw that the fruit was pleasing to the eyes. At this stage, the gate had been opened, and she could not stop looking at it. This is why we must be careful about what we look at with our eyes. If we see something immoral once by mistake, the second look can be dangerous for us. We have to be very strict about what we allow our eyes to see. We must always ask the Holy Spirit for help daily so that we do not pay attention to anything that could pollute our hearts.
We must also be careful about the friends and accounts we follow on social media. If they post immoral content or tag us in immoral content, even unknowingly, we may become exposed to it without realising it. May the Lord help us as we walk daily to meet God’s standard for our lives.
God bless you.
Declarations:
I shall give no attention to the thoughts of the enemy. The Lord shall help me to overcome temptation daily, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Light Up Christian Fellowship
