The Three Temptations of Satan
The story of creation itself marks the beginning of the role of the blood covenant in God’s plan for humanity.
Our creation was a three-step process.
First, “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground” (Gen. 2:7). I can almost see Him scooping some mud into His hand and literally squeezing it into shape.
Second, God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Gen. 2:7). At this point, I believe our spirits came into being. The Scriptures often represent God’s Spirit as His breath. So I believe God as a Spirit created our spirits.
Third, “man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7, KJV). After man received his body and spirit, then he was a distinct individual (or a soul).
The spirit, body, and soul that God created have distinct functions.
The spirit within us is the part that knows God intimately. It is God-conscious.
Our body is the shell we dwell in. It is world-conscious.
The soul is our intellect, will, and emotions. It is self-conscious.
As we begin to comprehend the tremendous power of the blood covenant, it is important to recall what happened in the Garden of Eden. When God created Adam, he was a perfect being. He had a mind so magnificent that he was able to name every animal and remember the name of each kind.
At that time, the first man and woman lived in perfect harmony with God. He walked with them in the cool of the day. They had fellowship, and they knew God intimately.
But an enemy was lurking in the garden.
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” —Genesis 3:1
Satan was cunning and sly. He came to the woman with a question about God’s instructions regarding eating from the tree. He asked her, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1).
The devil wields this weapon of words because he wants us to question God—His faithfulness, His love, His promises, and His power. He was questioning the woman: “Did God really say that?” Her response shows she believed the tempter rather than what God said because she disobeyed.
The woman replied to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’” (Gen. 3:2–3).
Eve only said, “…lest you die,” but the Lord said, “You shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17).
Then Satan lied to the woman and said, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4–5).
The first woman not only fell for the lie, but she also gave the fruit to Adam, and he joined her.
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. —Genesis 3:6, KJV
In that one Scripture verse we find three great temptations Satan uses:
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The lust of the flesh (The tree was good for food.)
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The lust of the eyes (It was pleasant to look at.)
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The pride of life (The tree offered wisdom.)
Why does the enemy bring these forms of temptation against us? His deadly design is to lure us into a sinful world. But we are warned:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. —1 John 2:15–16
The enemy is still using the same tactics today. But the Lord Jesus defeated Satan with the power of the Word, and the same power is available to us today.
To read more from Benny Hinn’s 'The Blood Revised Edition', visit MyCharismaShop.com