Don’t Fall For It
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The Bible tells us that the Creator placed man and woman in the garden. They were given this charge: be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. God told them, “you shall rule over my creation. You have dominion over all the creatures, the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the ground.” God gave them meaningful work - they were be caretakers of the land and the land would provide all they needed to flourish.
As I was thinking about what life was like in the garden of Eden, before the Fall of mankind, I realized that every Country song was a happy song. Adam would pluck his guitar and sing:
“I got a good woman right next to me,
my dog is running squirrels up a tree
Prettiest sunsets you ever did see,
Coconuts, papayas, and honey from the bee”
That was like #1 on the charts for weeks.
Not only was the garden paradise, but the man and the woman were able to see God face to face. They knew their maker. He would take afternoon walks with them in garden and ask about their day. The Creator loved these humans that he had made in his own image and his desire for man and woman to be in a relationship with Him - one built on love - but for love to be love, it must be freely given, so He gave man and woman the ability to make choices and take actions - He gave them free will.
To test their love for Him, they were given one command to obey: do not eat the fruit of one particular tree. It is forbidden. You eat from it, you will die.
Of course, this also means that they could eat from any other tree in all the garden, which was a lot, and they would live.
We know how the story went down. The crafty serpent slithered into the scene. God allowed them to be tempted - would pleasing God prove to be their ultimate desire, or would they desire something else?
The serpent twisted the words of God’s command to sow the seeds of doubt.
“Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?”
Eve responds by adding to the command, making it even more restrictive that what God has said:
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
The serpent, with all the smug confidence a talking snake can muster, replies “You will not surely die. God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Now remember, Adam and Eve had been given dominion over all the creatures that moved among the earth. The response should have been a quick, “be quiet snake, we obey our Creator.”
But temptation, unchecked, has a way of finding the cracks in our resolve. The idea is allowed to linger. The tree did produce some fine looking fruit. It did look pretty tasty, in fact it looked better than all other fruit come to think about it. You say it makes one wise, huh? What can be the harm in one bite? Imagine the conversations we could have with God if we knew more?
And so the fruit was plucked from the tree and a bite was taken.
Rebellion. Disobedience. Broken trust. Fear. Hiding. Shame. The divine human relationship is fractured. The first Adam is cast out of paradise along with his wife Eve. Life now ends with death.
After the Fall, all the Country songs are sadder.
“My wife and me, we always a fightin’
My poor old dog got struck by lightnin’
I drink my whiskey heartbroken and cryin’
Oh why oh why did I believe that snake’s lyin’”
Yet even with this awful turn of events, God was not done with his beautiful creation. He would redeem His people, the story is far from over.
He makes this promise while addressing the serpent:
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
One day, the offspring of the woman would deliver a blow to the head of the serpent, but would also suffer a deadly strike.
This is the first of many prophecies that would speak of a coming redeemer. One who succeed where Adam failed.
The arrival of Jesus is the arrival of the second Adam. Where the first Adam failed to faithfully obey his Heavenly Father, and all of Creation as suffered because of it, the last Adam would be the perfect man - the one whom would reclaim dominion over all of creation - taking back what was usurped by the serpent.
It is important to ground ourselves in the foundational story as we seek to understand what is occurring with Jesus’ being tempted by Satan in the wilderness.
First, let’s place the temptation of Christ in context. The Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness for 40 days occurs directly after his baptism by John.
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
God the Father proclaims out loud: You are by beloved Son.
As was his strategy in the garden, Satan takes what God says and calls it into question.
“If you are the Son of God…
This is what the enemy does. The Bible teaches us that Satan is an accuser, a liar, a deceiver, a tempter, a murderer from the beginning who is engaged in all out war against the forces of good in the universe.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Think of the temptations you face in your life. Are they not designed to draw you away from God? Do you begin to doubt that God really cares? Of that he is withholding from you something that you need? Don’t fall for it!
We see a pattern to the temptation - one that is spelled out in 1 John 2:16-17
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
That is what we find in the original temptation:
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.
The desires of the flesh - Eve saw that the fruit of the tree could satisfy her stomach
The desires of the eyes - it was a delight to the eyes
The pride of life - it would make her wise
This is how Satan destroys our relationship with God, he goes after what we crave in our flesh, what we desire with our eyes, and that pleasure we achieve when we get what we want by our own doing. Don’t fall for it!
The same pattern of temptation is presented to Jesus:
He had not eaten for 40 days, so the devil appeals to his flesh - command stone to become bread. When that fails, Satan shows him all the kingdoms of the world, he will give them to Jesus - the desires of the eyes. Lastly, he says throw yourself down - prove you are who you think you are, for God’s Word says that the angels will bear you up - show the world what you can do.
Now look at how the Second Adam responds. Jesus does not fall into the Devil’s trap. He stands firmly in His identity as the beloved Son - He has no need to dispute it, no reason to doubt it or argue it. He has nothing to prove. He love for His Father is enough, and He knows all that the Father says is true. So He responds to each temptation with God’s Word - what God has instructed man to observe.
In his commentary The Message of Luke, Michael Wilcock writes…
The Message of Luke b. The Answers
The answers of Jesus are in effect as follows. ‘You suggest that feeding my body may take precedence over obeying my God. But God has told men’—men—‘that they shall not live by bread alone; therefore I shall not do so. You offer me universal power, at the price of worshipping you. But God has told men that they are not to worship any but him; therefore I shall not worship you. You propose that I should test his promises to suit my own convenience. But he has told men that they are not to test him in this way; therefore I shall not do so.’
God has told man…God has told woman…do this and live. His commands are for our good. He is the Creator, He alone knows what it takes to fully live as a human being. Where we will find our greatest satisfaction, where we will find our greatest purposes, where we will find shalom - peace and wellbeing. It is in obedience to His Word in loving relationship with our God.
God allows Satan to tempt us during this time in which we live. He wants us to freely choose to trust him and obey his commands. The biblical writers warn us and prepare us for this daily battle.
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
You are not alone in this fight. Jesus is with you - he has already fought temptation and won, and he will help you do so as well when you turn to Him.
For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Jesus, our Redeemer, will help you overcome. Call on Him. Ask the Lord for deliverance. Paul tells us in…
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
If you believe in Jesus and received His grace, then know that God is using temptation to strengthen your faith - not to trap you. When you fail, confess your failing, get up and keep pursuing Christ. He is faithful and he will complete this work He is doing in your life.
Our Country songs today may have sad parts, but they are filled with hope for tomorrow.
“You and me, babe, our hearts may be heavy
but our new dog is riding shotgun in the Chevy
Let’s go for a ride and watch the sunset
Good Lord - we know the best is still to come yet”
Amen!
