III. PREVENTING GOD BY CONTACTING MAN EARLIER
In this point we have to make it clear that God’s intention was to enter into man to be man’s life. But in the Bible we can see that when Satan realizes that God intends to do something, he will do it earlier, to prevent God from carrying out His intention. Thus, before God came to enter into man, Satan came. Because God is great, He would not force man to choose Him and receive Him. Satan acted first to enter into man earlier than God in an attempt to prevent God from carrying out His desire with man.
It seems that God always comes later than we expect Him. John 11 tells us that when the Lord heard that Lazarus was sick, He remained in the place where He was for two days (v. 6). During this time Lazarus died, and then the Lord went to raise him from the dead. Martha and Mary both told the Lord, "If You had been here, my brother would not have died" (vv. 21, 32). In the Bible there are many instances to show us that God would not do things that fast. But do not stress this point in your sharing. If you stress this point, you may distract the saints. You must stress the point that Satan came to contact man earlier than God did.
IV. APPROACHING THE WOMAN
BY TOUCHING HER MIND
The subtle adversary of God approached the female, the weaker vessel, by touching her mind. In Genesis 3:1b he asked the woman, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" This was a question put into Eve’s mind, and this question stirred up her doubting mind. This is a strong point that we have to stress. Satan would always approach people by touching their doubting mind. Here Satan questioned something concerning God, and this questioning, no doubt, aroused the mind of Eve. Satan did this to keep Eve from using her spirit. When God comes to us, He always touches our spirit. When Satan comes to us, he always comes to our mind. The spirit is the "room" that God comes to touch, and our mind is the "room" that Satan comes to touch. Satan will always come to touch the human mind.
V. CAUSING THE HUMAN MIND TO DOUBT GOD’S WORD
After Satan came to touch the female mind, he caused the human mind to doubt God’s word (Gen. 3:4). In verse 1 of Genesis 3, he stirred up Eve’s mind; then in verses 2 and 3 Eve began to talk to him. This meant that Eve had fallen into the snare already. Eve should not have talked with the serpent or answered him. She should have stood on God’s word and run away from this tempter. Instead of running away, she responded by saying, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die" (vv. 2-3). This little talk meant that Eve had fallen into the snare already. Her answer opened the door for the serpent to say unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die" (v. 4). This is a further step Satan took to deal with the female mind. Satan not only came to touch her mind, but eventually Satan caused the human mind to doubt God’s word. That means the poison of the serpent got into her mind, because the word of Satan got into her. When the word gets in, that means the person gets in. Thus, the human mind was poisoned, contaminated.
(Basic Lessons on Life, Chapter 4, by Witness Lee)
