Formula for a Fall

Genesis 3:1–8 ESV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 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.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 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. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

We are continuing our journey Into the Word. We started the year off by going back to Genesis, looking to understand who God is, who he has created us to be, and how we got where we are today.

We started at the beginning, before the world existed. We learned that God is before all things, he created all things, and he sustains all things.

Next, we examined the fact that God rested, and why it is important that he rested. We learned that God wants us to experience rest, that he ordained a day of rest for our sake, and that we can actually draw closer to God through rest.

Last week, we looked at the issue of shame. Adam and Eve were naked, and were unashamed. Shame comes when we feel we have something to hide, but the God who sees every part of us loves us. What Jesus did on the cross doesn’t just cover up our shame. He took our shame upon himself and imparted to us his righteousness. Through Christ, we can live unashamed.

Today, we are looking at Genesis 3, the story of mankind’s fall from innocence and purity into sin.

We all know the story: Satan, in the form of a serpent, has a conversation with the woman, Eve. Through that conversation, the serpent convinces Eve to take a bite from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. She and Adam both eat the fruit, their eyes are opened, and sin is brought into the world.

There is a lot we could go into as we discuss this passage, but here is what I want to look at today.

They Had a Conversation They Never Should Have Entertained

The very first mistake Adam and Eve made was to enter into a conversation with the serpent.

We frequently hear folks say, “The devil made me do it.” That is a lie. He never made anyone do anything, except for maybe in the case of demon possession—but that’s another topic for another time.

The devil is a manipulator. He seduces. He encourages. He bullies and intimidates. But he cannot force you to do anything. That is your choice.

While the serpent didn’t force them to eat, he lured them into a conversation with him.

Clara uses this tactic on me all the time. When it’s bedtime, and she doesn’t want to go to sleep, it’s amazing all the deep questions she suddenly has. She wants to talk about her day at school. She has a thought about the Bible. She has a personal crisis. But they always come up at bedtime. Sometimes I fall for it, at least for a little while.

If the devil can get you into a conversation, he increases his influence over you. And he’s clever. Notice how he started the conversation.

Genesis 3:1 ESV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

He started with a question. Why a question? Because a question invites an answer. Spammers and hackers use the same tactic. They send you a text or email with question like, “What time do you want to get tother?” It’s a question that implies intimacy—that you know the person. So you are tempted to reply back, and then begins a conversation that gives them access to your information.

Satan intentionally misquoted God’s command, leading Eve to correct the mistake. But even his opening question revealed his intent. His question was a challenge to God’s goodness. It was a challenge to God’s word. As soon as they heard that creature challenging the word of the Lord, they should have walked away.

Proverbs 4:14–15 ESV

Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.

But they didn’t walk away, which led to their next mistake.

They Allowed the Devil to Sow Doubt in Their Hearts

The devil asked his question. Eve replied. The devil disputed her answer.

Genesis 3:4–5 ESV

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Basically, Satan called God a liar. He suggested to Eve that God did not have her best interest at heart. He made her think that God was hiding something good from her. He made her think God was holding her back from reaching her potential.

This the same lie so many of us fall into. The number one complaint about the Bible is that it is repressive, that it is imposing outdated morality and social constructs on us keeping us from being our true selves.

British actor and media personality Russell Brand used to be one of the biggest voices against the Bible and Christianity. He claimed that Christianity was the biggest threat and hindrance to human progress.

In 2024, Mr. Brand was led to the Lord. Once he quit talking about the Bible and actually read it, his views changed considerably. Today, he is actively working to spread God’s word.

He used to think the Bible was filled with lies. But he learned about the devil that

John 8:44 ESV

… He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

If the devil can get you to doubt God’s goodness, to lose trust in God, then he can convince you to rebel against God.

That’s why we don’t even want to engage with the devil on any level. When people try to tear God down in front of you, remember to keep loving them and walk away. Resist the urge to enter into the argument. It will only pull you down. God will defend himself.

Adam Stood Back and Watched

Genesis 3:6 ESV

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.

Do you see what it says there at the end? It says that Adam was there with her when Eve talked to the serpent.

Adam had been given a charge by God to watch over every creature in the garden, including his wife. It was his duty to protect her.

But when the serpent started questioning Eve and challenging God’s commandments with her, Adam stood back and watched.

He hadn’t eaten the apple yet, but he already was in disobedience.

Today, one of the biggest problems we have in the church is people’s lack of involvement in other’s lives. We don’t want to interfere. We don’t want to be bossy. We are afraid of rejection. We don’t want to be responsible.

The problem with all that is that we are called to be a voice in the wilderness. We are called to be a lamp in the hillside, pointing others to Jesus.

Imagine how the story would have ended if Adam had done his duty and stepped in when he saw Eve wavering under the serpent’s influence. He could have been like, “What are you doing? We don’t disobey God!” He could have started throwing rocks at the serpent and shouting “Get out of here!”

Instead, he stood back and let her eat. And because she seemed to come out of alright, he followed her in eating the fruit.

That’s what happens when we decide to be silent. While we can’t force anyone to follow Christ, we have to be vocal. We have to do everything we can to share truth and point others to Jesus. We have to be willing to take a stand for Christ. Again, this is not the same as getting into debates and arguments. We can’t argue anyone into the kingdom.

But we have to be clear about what it means to follow Christ. We have to be intentional about sharing the gospel. We have to be clear about the dangers of sin.

Satan came after Jesus three times in the wilderness. Each time, Satan challenged Jesus to doubt the Father, to doubt himself, and to doubt his mission. In each case, Jesus responded simply with a rebuke. He didn’t argue, but he declared the word of the Lord and sent the devil on his way.

When the enemy tries to engage you in conversation, don’t fall for it.

James 4:7 ESV

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Don’t fall for his lies. God is good. God’s commandments are for our best interest. God loves us and has a good plan for each of us.

Finally, let’s remember to help each other along this journey. Don’t let a brother fall. Don’t be a stumbling block for someone else.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 ESV

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.