The first step in the process of the fall was man’s failure to use his spirit. After man was created, he ought to have always used his spirit to contact God and live before Him. When man lives according to the spirit, he is preserved by God. But whenever man does not use his spirit to contact God, he bypasses God and puts God aside; consequently, he falls into the hand of the evil one.
The second step was the exercising of the soul (Gen. 3:2, 3, 6). When Eve spoke to the serpent, she firstly reasoned in her mind. Then she was tempted in her emotion and desired the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Eventually, she decided in her will to take the fruit and eat it.
The third step was the action of the body. When the soul is exercised, the body will naturally follow. The soul directs the body. When she was tempted this way, surely she would take and eat. Her taking the fruit to eat was the action of the body. First, the eye sees. Second, the hand takes. Third, the mouth eats.
In our daily living, we should use our spirit first, and then let our spirit direct our soul, which, in turn, directs our body. If we do not use our spirit but use our soul instead, we assume the headship and our soul takes the lead. Once the soul takes the lead, it will direct the body to do things that offend God.
The first result of the fall was that the soul was polluted, corrupted, and occupied. Even before Eve partook of the tree of knowledge, her mind had been polluted already. While she was talking to the serpent, the serpent’s concept penetrated her mind and defiled it. Hence, her mind was corrupted. Eventually, her mind was fully occupied by the evil one after she ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The second result was that the body was changed in nature, having the element of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the element of Satan, added to it, making it the flesh (Gen. 3:7). The human body originally created by God was pure. However, it now contains the evil element of Satan. This evil element is the indwelling sin which makes its home in man’s flesh. In Romans 7:17 Paul says, “So now it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.” This evil substance, the nature of sin, has contaminated our body, making it flesh, full of evil and lust.
The third result was that man’s spirit was deadened, becoming insulated from God and losing its function toward God. Ephesians 2:5 tells us that before we were saved we were dead. We were not dead in our body or in our soul, but in our spirit. To be dead is to be without function or sensation. When man’s spirit was deadened, man no longer possessed the ability to contact God and fellowship with Him.
The fourth result was that the fallen man was constituted a sinner (Rom. 5:19). Due to man’s fall, a certain element has been injected into man, an element which the Bible calls sin. Romans 5:12 says, “As through one man sin entered into the world.” Thus, we all have been constituted sinners. Sin has already entered into us and become our subjective element within. Hence, we are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we have been constituted sinners.
The fifth result was that the fallen man was condemned (Rom. 5:18). We were all in Adam. The condemnation includes not only Adam but also the entire human race. The entire human race was condemned in Adam.
The sixth result was that the curse was brought in (Gen. 3:17-19). Because of one man’s sin, all of creation is subjected to vanity, groaning and travailing under the slavery of corruption (Rom. 8:20). The earth was cursed and it brought forth thorns and thistles. Furthermore, by the sweat of his face man will eat bread throughout his lifetime. These are the items of the curse brought in through man’s fall.
The seventh result was that man was cast out of paradise (Gen. 3:23-24). Paradise was the realm of life which included the tree of life and the sphere in which man may receive life. Thus, to be cast out of paradise means to be driven away from the sphere of life.
The eighth result was death (Gen. 3:19; Rom. 5:12). First, man’s spirit was deadened, and eventually his body will die. Through Adam’s transgression sin entered into the world and death through sin. Death reigns over all men (Rom. 5:14). Thus, in Adam all die (1 Cor. 15:22).