The enticement Satan offered to Eve was a life altering experience that would affect not only Eve and Adam, but would begin a war against God that would last throughout all future generations.
The disobedience of this couple was not the central issue.
The disobeying of God's Word only opened the door to the real consequences of eating the forbidden fruit.
Satan was once an archangel known as Lucifer.
His authority grew to the point that he thought he would challenge God and become "like the most high.
" (Is.
14:12-15) He failed, and eventually was expelled from the Heavenly realm to the atmosphere of earth.
Many of Satan's angels were also expelled and cast into hell to be reserved unto judgment.
(cf.
II Peter 2:4) From that moment on, Satan declared war on God.
Satan, the ultimate strategist, decided to entice Eve into seeing the possibility of achieving a status equal to God.
"...
Your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God...
" (Gen 3:5) Satan failed to "be like the most high," but if he could get Eve and Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit, they could achieve what he had failed to achieve.
They could, in effect, decide what was good or evil.
While Satan failed to achieve the Throne, he could now influence those who became like God.
The dye was cast, and man began his rejection of God.
Cain became angry when God was not pleased with his offering.
God warned him, if he chose to continue in his self directed path, sin would be waiting at his door desiring him.
(cf.
Gen.
4:7) Not only would Cain not heed the warning, but he went out and killed his brother Abel.
When God asked him where his brother was, Cain had the audacity to say to God, "...
Am I my brother's keeper?" The Bible states that men knew God, but did not honor Him as God.
They professed to be wise, but they became fools.
God let man continue his spiral descent into the kingdom of Satan.
(cf.
Rom.
1:21-32) The moment Eve and Adam ate of the tree, spiritual death was birthed.
(cf.
Gen 2:17) As sin progressed, Satan became the "god of this world," (II Cor.
4:4) and began his reign of evil.
Evil became acceptable, while good was defined by man's interpretation.
To counter the rising tide of rebellion, God raised up Judges and Prophets, but the people wanted Kings to rule them.
There were times of spiritual renewal, but it only lasted for short periods.
Prophets were killed and the way to God was blocked by the self rule of the created.
Finally, God sent His own Son to show the way back to Him, but Jesus was crucified.
Satan and his faithless generation thought they had achieved the ultimate victory, but it turned out to be their ultimate mistake.
By Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection, not only was Satan dealt a devastating blow, but the door to God was swung wide open.
The incredible reality of all this is that Satan is still alive and well and is still recruiting for his army.
Today, the Church is fragmentized and divided more than ever.
So many have the Eve and Adam Syndrome, playing the role of God in making decisions of what spiritual truths are important and what are not.
Many Christians are deciding how they should live their lives.
Miracles, signs, wonders, prosperity, healing, gifts, prophesy, and the like are stressed, while Holiness is an archaic term.
The World continues to promote homosexuality, abortion, violence, drugs, alcohol, and sexual promiscuity, all in the guise that people, and not the Creator God, are free to determine what is good and what is evil.
Let us leave the Garden of Eden and enter the Garden of Gethsemane, there to fall on our knees and say, "Not my will, but Your will be done!"