She took some and ate it.

I just started reading "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst and chapter one had an INCREDIBLE insight that really helped me understand temptation and how satan works. So most of the post that follows is taken directly from her book, but I just had to share it with you!

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. 

1 John 2:15-16 

Three ways satan tries to lure us away from loving God:

1. The cravings of the sinful man
2. The lust of his eyes
3. The boasting of what he has or does

Cravings: trying to get our physical desires met outside the will of God

Lust of eyes: trying to get our material desires met outside the will of God

Boasting: trying to get our need for significance met outside the will of God

This is found in Genesis 3:6 when satan tempts Eve:

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband,who was with her, and he ate it.

It is also found when satan tries to tempt Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

In both these circumstances, satan appealed to the cravings, the lust of the eye, and pride or significance. For Eve, it was that the fruit was good for food, looked pleasing, and would give her wisdom. For Jesus it was that the bread would have quenched his hunger, the kingdoms of the world looked pleasing, and His significance would be proved if God sent angels to save Him.

The big difference between these two situations is that Eve gave in and Jesus did not. Eve "took some and ate it." Jesus answered satan's every temptation with the Word. Eve was consumed with the object of her desire, while Jesus was consumed with the Word of God.

The way we fight temptation is with the Word. Follow Jesus' example. Hide the Word in your heart, so that when satan comes knocking, enticing you with your cravings, lust of your eyes, or boasting of what you could be or do, you can fight back with the Word that is sharper than any two-edged-sword.