Copyright © 2006 By Doug Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.
Catechism Of The Catholic Church Reprinted With Permission.
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414 Satan or the devil and the other demons are fallen angels who have freely
refused to serve God and his plan. Their choice against God is definitive. They
try to associate man in their revolt against God.
2852 "A murderer from the beginning ... a liar and the father of lies," Satan is "the
deceiver of the whole world." Through him sin and death entered the world and
by his definitive defeat all creation will be "freed from the corruption of sin and
death." Now "we know that anyone born of God does not sin, but He who was
born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we
are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one."
In Eden we had two people, educated by God, who without doubt,
clearly understood the rules set down solely for their benefit.
They also clearly understood the price they would pay for
disobedience. Armed with all that information, Adam and Eve
certainly knew better than to risk going anywhere near the
"forbidden tree"!
Maybe they were bored. Maybe they were curious. We don't know their motivation,
but one day, walking in the Garden, they encountered an amazing creature that
appeared to them as a serpent, who glittered with the brilliance of diamonds in the
mid-day sun and who spoke like a man. Moments later, they were naked and
homeless, morally and physically bankrupt and had fallen under the influence of
death, itself. They had allowed themselves to be swindled by the "father of all lies"
and they were in big, big trouble!
Genesis 3:1 - 5 Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the beasts of the
earth which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman: Why hath God
commanded you, that you should not eat of every tree of paradise? And the
woman answered him, saying: Of the fruit of the trees that are in paradise we do
eat: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, God hath
commanded us that we should not eat; and that we should not touch it, lest
perhaps we die. And the serpent said to the woman: No, you shall not die the
death. For God doth know that in what day soever you shall eat thereof, your
eyes shall be opened: and you shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil.
Genesis 3:6 And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the
eyes, and delightful to behold: and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and
gave to her husband, who did eat.
Genesis 3:7 - 8 And the eyes of them both were opened: and when they
perceived themselves to be naked, they sewed together fig leaves, and made
themselves aprons. And when they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in
paradise at the afternoon air, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of
the Lord God, amidst the trees of paradise.
Writing to the Church at Corinth, St. Paul tells us clearly that Eve was wholly
seduced by the devil and that Adam allowed himself to be completely taken
in, as well. Instead of trusting God, they chose to believe a lie (possibly the
biggest lie of all time).
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