Temptation comes to all. Even Jesus, the Son of God, endured temptation. James 1:12-18 describes what it is and how it works. Our first understanding, however, comes from Genesis chapter 3. We read about the deceiver, the deceived, and the word of God.
The Deceiver
The Genesis story describes the deceiver as a serpent who was the most cunning of any beast of the field which God made and he could talk. In Revelations 12:9 he is called a dragon. It reads, “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
The Deceived
The first one deceived was Eve. She heard the words, “Has God indeed said?” and listened. Secondly, she reasoned with him, which opened her up to further deception. It prepared the way for disobedience and deeper degradation when she took her husband down as well.
The Word of God
Jesus stands as the Word of God and His word is true and enduring. When Satan tempted Jesus, it was the Word of God, as written in the scriptures, which gave Him the power to overcome. When Satan tried to use the scripture to trap Him, Jesus was the Word. He saw the lie in Satan’s use of it. In Genesis 3, the serpent cast doubt and then spoke half truths from God’s word to deceive and entice Eve. These verses in Genesis 3:1-3, give us our first understanding about the deceiver, the deceived, and the word of God.