LESSON FOUR

SATAN'S PLOT TO SPOIL MAN

Scripture Reading: Gen. 3:1-7; Rom. 7:17-18a, 21, 23; Eph. 2:1, 12; 4:18

OUTLINE

1. Being God's adversary—Matt. 13:28a.
2. Hiding himself in the subtle serpent—Gen. 3:1a; 2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9a.
3. Preventing God by contacting man earlier.
4. Approaching the woman by touching her mind—Gen. 3:1b.
5. Causing the human mind to doubt God's word—Gen. 3:4.
6. Stirring up the human emotion to dislike God—Gen. 3:5.
7. Seducing the human will to choose the tree of knowledge—Gen. 3:6a.
8. Contaminating the entire human soul.
9. Entering into the human body to be the evil in man's flesh—Rom. 7:17-18a, 21, 23.
10. Capturing man through woman—Gen. 3:6b; 1 Tim. 2:14.
11. Becoming one with man and alienating man from God by deadening man's spirit—Eph. 2:1, 12; 4:18.
12. Usurping man to frustrate God from fulfilling His purpose.

In this lesson on life, we want to see Satan's plot to spoil man.

I. BEING GOD'S ADVERSARY

Satan is God's adversary. Matthew 13:28a is nearly the only verse in the New Testament which tells us that Satan is God's enemy. In Matthew 13:28 the word enemy is used, but we have to realize that Satan is not only God's enemy but also God's adversary. This is because he is within the circle where God is (Job 1:6). The name Satan, from Hebrew, means adversary. He was and still is not only an enemy from outside but also an adversary from inside. We have to point out that in the universe God has an enemy and even an adversary within His kingdom.

II. HIDING HIMSELF IN THE SUBTLE SERPENT

Genesis 3:1 shows that Satan hid himself in the subtle serpent. For this point we can also use 2 Corinthians 11:3 and Revelation 12:9. Satan is always hiding himself in some thing, in some matter, or even in some person. In Matthew 16 Satan was hiding himself in Peter, so the Lord Jesus even called Peter, "Satan" (v. 23). When Satan first came to man, he was hiding himself in a serpent. Because Satan was hiding himself in the serpent, eventually his name is called the ancient serpent in Revelation 12:9.