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’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 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.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 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. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Genesis 3:1–7

This daily devotional is designed for women as we walk beside our men during the Stand Firm and Act Like Men series for the next seven weeks. And it seems appropriate to start in the beginning—not just the beginning of sin, but the beginning of everything, including what is opposite of what God intended when He created all things perfect in the heavens and on earth.

God blessed Adam and Eve with a beautiful garden. He created this amazing place for them to tend and cultivate. It was an easy job. The rivers flowed, watering the plants and trees; there was no rain and the weather was always perfect. I can only imagine how beautiful it must have looked. The animals lived peacefully with one another. In fact, they were all vegetarians because there was no bloodshed or death!

But then something happened—the serpent appeared, and that was the end of perfection. I don’t know about you, but I’ve often wondered: If God created this perfect garden, why was there a deceptive, imperfect serpent in such a perfect place? Why did God allow the serpent to be in the garden?

Furthermore, why did God allow Satan to enter the serpent and corrupt His perfect creation? We don’t know the answers to all these questions. Many theologians have theories, but the Bible doesn’t tell us everything. We know that God created the heavens and the Earth, including all the angels. We know from Genesis 1:31 that when God looked at His creation, He saw that it was good. So somewhere between Genesis 1 and Genesis 3, something happened—creation was corrupted. And we have no idea what the time span was between those events. After the seven days of creation, Adam and Eve could have been walking around in that garden for decades, even centuries, before Satan entered the picture.

Although there is no detailed account of Satan’s origin, the Bible states in Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28 and Revelation 12 that he was an angel created by God to do His will. At some point, Satan became full of jealousy and pride and sought to lead a rebellion against God. Isaiah 14:13–14 says, “You said in your heart, …I will make myself like the Most High.” God cast Satan and his rebellion out of heaven, eternally separating him from His presence. So, Satan and all of his defeated demons continue to roam the Earth looking for ways to destroy any part of God’s creation they can get their hands on.

When the serpent approached Adam and Eve, they grew curious, and that curiosity turned into greed. God gave them one rule. He said to Adam—before Eve was created (Genesis 2:16–17):

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
—Genesis 2:16–17

So we know Adam must have told Eve that rule at some point after she was created, because she explained it to the serpent (Genesis 3:2–3). God even told them they would die if they ate from it. But the serpent knew exactly how to persuade them.

What caused Adam and Eve to give in to temptation and turn away from their Creator? Perhaps it was the idea the serpent told them—that they would become like God, possessing the knowledge of good and evil. They desired that wisdom and power. If the Creator of the universe told me I could have access to everything around me except this one tree, wouldn’t that be enough to satisfy me? Or is my greed, envy, curiosity and selfishness more powerful than my obedience to God? So, what influences you more—your faith in God or your need to control every aspect of your life?

For the next seven weeks, (Pastor) Joby will focus on men and their roles in the church, marriage, dating, parenting and everything in between. I am so thankful for this series because our men need to stand up and act like men—even as the world tells them the opposite: to shut up and sit down. Society has created a culture of self-indulgence, comfort, fear, laziness, defiance and timidity among men. Scripture teaches men to be strong and courageous, lead with love and responsibility, love as Christ loves, to work hard, serve others humbly and to protect their families. 1 Corinthians 16:13–14 says, “13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.” The beginning of that passage says “Be watchful,” because the Enemy prowls around like a roaring lion waiting to take down the next man.

Being obedient to Christ is the foundation of everything we are called to do–for both men and women. We are called to stand firm against the Enemy. As wives, mothers, daughters, aunts and Christian sisters, we are to encourage, love, respect, pray for and uplift each other–including the men in our lives. Although Eve was the one who took the fruit, Adam was right there beside her, choosing not to step up and lead his family. Eve chose to turn away from God and chase after her own desires, and Adam followed her lead. Let’s just say that’s not exactly how God had intended it.

As we go through the next seven weeks, let’s commit to praying for our men together as Christian sisters. Pray against the Enemy and the schemes he will throw at the men in our lives. Pray for life change. Pray for recovery from addictions. Pray for reconciliations in marriages and relationships. Pray for clarity and direction in our lives and in our men’s lives. Pray for community to surround those who are hurting, lonely and in need of warriors to fight for them—for their marriages, their children and their salvation. It doesn’t take a village; it takes a church. And I am so grateful for mine. Stand firm, sisters!

Father, You go before us and You know every space of our lives, the paths we have walked and the paths we have yet to walk. God, give us the strength to be the women you have called us to be every step of the way. Give us a spirit of grace and gentleness with our men where needed. Hear our humble plea, oh God, as we pour out our hearts to You. Amen