Victory over Temptation

Gary Hoikka  |  The Voice of Zion February 2026 - The Sabbath Word 4 --

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, 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. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. – Genesis 3:1–7

Temptation has plagued humankind since the very first human pair that God created on earth. The account of the serpent, Satan, and the temptation he placed before Eve and Adam in the garden of Eden was passed down from generation to generation among the early believers. Moses then recorded this account in the book of Genesis – meaning “in the beginning” – as God directed, so that all people would understand the subtle and evil nature of Satan.

God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden of Eden, a paradise where they knew no sin or evil. God gave the first human pair simple instructions: to care for the garden, to be fruitful and multiply, and not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Life was peaceful in the garden. Then Satan came, as Eve was near the forbidden tree, and asked a seemingly innocent question: “Did God say, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

On the First Sunday in Lent, God’s children turn our attention to temptation – not only as it entered the world through Adam and Eve, but also as it was met and overcome by Jesus Christ. There are important lessons to be learned from this example of temptation that God has recorded for us. One lesson is to avoid places and situations of temptation, as the Bible instructs in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “Neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:27). We do not want to give Satan an opportunity to tempt our flesh, for we often find ourselves just as Paul described in his letter to the Romans: “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Rom. 7:19).

Another lesson is that we do not debate questions of right and wrong with Satan, the world, or even our own flesh using the wisdom of our carnal mind. Rather, we follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who was victorious over temptation. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He answered Satan with the Word of God. God’s Word clearly instructs us to trust in Him and avoid temptation, as written in Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil” (Prov. 3:5–7).

We can examine the account in Genesis even further and note that Satan approached Eve, and Eve began to discuss God’s instruction with Satan rather than with Adam. When we face questions of right and wrong, we are encouraged to seek counsel within God’s kingdom – from a fellow believer – so that we may be guided by the Holy Spirit. 

When we try to face temptation alone, we often find ourselves unable to resist in our own strength. We are more susceptible to temptation when we are isolated. Scripture reminds us of this in Ecclesiastes: “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:12). This is a reminder that in the battle against the threefold enemy – the devil, the world, and our flesh – gathering with God’s children is a powerful help against temptation.

As the apostle Paul writes, we do not do what we should, but often do what we should not, because our flesh is weak. God, who created us and knows all things, understands our struggle with Satan and with our own flesh. God also knew Satan and removed him from heaven, paradise. Yet even as God spoke judgment upon the serpent, He also spoke a promise to the first human pair: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15).

This promise belongs to us still today through belief in the gospel message – that sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood. Jesus was tempted just as we are, yet without sin, and He was victorious over temptation. Where Adam fell, Christ stood firm. Jesus used God’s Word to defend against Satan’s temptations, and we too may turn to God and His Word for strength, even in moments when we feel alone.

Dear friend, you may find yourself, like the first human pair, unable to resist temptation. Do not despair. Trust securely in the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior. Jesus was victorious over temptation and victorious over death on our behalf. He fulfilled God’s promise spoken in the garden, and that promise belongs to you today. Continue to endeavor to keep a good conscience, trusting not in your own strength, but in the faith God has graciously given you.

The Bible, God’s holy Word, promises us in the book of Revelation that those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb will stand in the glorious throng, praising God in heaven. The gospel is victory even when we have been unable to resist temptation, because through the gospel we hear and believe that our sins are forgiven. This brings peace to our conscience and leads us safely toward our heavenly home.