Doubts, Deception, and Redemption: A Fresh Look at Genesis 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”?’
The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 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.”’
‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”
If you’ve listened to me teach, you know one thing—I will always bring up Genesis 3. Even if the topic is not Genesis 3, I’m going to talk about Genesis 3.
Why?
Because this passage isn’t just about Adam and Eve. It’s about us—our doubts, our struggles, and the way sin creeps into our lives, often without us even realizing it.
On this episode, Cara and I dive into this foundational chapter and discuss how it is at the root of our struggle as humans.
So, let’s break it down.
The Setup: How Sin Creeps In
The enemy, Satan, didn’t show up with a pitchfork and a scary voice.
He was a beautiful angel before he sinned and fell from heaven. He wanted to be God, and when he couldn’t, he led a rebellion.
In the Garden of Eden, he transformed himself into a serpent to subtly and craftily plant seeds of doubt in mankind.
He started his cunning plan by lying to Eve with half-truths.
When he asked Eve, “You can’t eat from any tree?” He knew that she could. He got her to question her obedience and doubt God.
Similarly, the enemy is always working to make us question and twist what God really said. In turn, we sin because we focus on what we don’t have, instead of all the things that we do have. That’s a setup.
The slippery slope to sin starts with doubt, continues with deception, and ends with destruction. Through recognizing these patterns and guarding our minds, we can stay rooted in truth and avoid the trap Eve fell into.
The Fall: Doubting God's Goodness
Satan’s next move? He outright contradicts God.
He told Eve, “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” (Genesis 3:4-5).
Satan isn’t after you or me—he is at war with God. He wants to be God.
At its core, sin is about trust.
In Praying Like Monks and Living Like Fools, Tyler Staton describes sin like this: “They trusted themselves, not the God they believed in.”
The Consequence: Spiritual Death and Separation
The moment Eve took that bite, she didn’t physically drop dead. But something inside her did.
We see it immediately—Eve hides, runs, and lies. That’s spiritual death. When we are dead inside spiritually, we are separated from God.
And it didn’t just affect Eve. It affected her marriage, her family, and the entire human race. Eve introduced death to the world.
How to Battle Our Sin Struggle
So, what do we do with this?
First, we need to call sin what it is.
We don’t like to call sin, sin. We say it’s a struggle or a blind spot. But some people aren’t able to experience freedom from sin because they refuse to call it what it is.
If we want true freedom, we must acknowledge our sin, confess it, and let God forgive us.
Second, we must recognize when we’re being set up.
Before we fall into sin, we need to stop and say, "Wait a minute, I’m beginning to doubt God. I think He’s withholding something from me.” That’s a setup.
If we can catch that moment of doubt before it takes root, we can fight back.
And finally, we must trust God fully.
Why do we doubt the One who sent His Son, Jesus? Why do we question the God who continues to love us? When we start down that path, we need to stop and recognize—this is dangerous territory.
Final Thoughts
Genesis 3 is more than an ancient story—it’s our story. Thousands of years later, Satan’s strategy hasn’t changed. He sets us up to doubt and keeps us from the very thing that gives us the most life.
Every time we doubt God’s goodness, try to take control, or refuse to call sin what it is, we are repeating that moment in the garden.
But here’s the good news: we don’t have to stay there.
You're forgiven for that sin. The Holy Spirit convicts us, not to condemn us, but to bring us back to God.
So, as we continue to study Genesis 3 in the coming weeks, let’s be aware, recognize the setups, and trust God, even when it’s hard.
And let’s not forget—God’s grace is greater than our sin.
For Jesus Always,
Dot