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?2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 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. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 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. 6 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.
This passage of scripture gives us a detailed account of the first "Trick" that was played upon the human family by satan, and it all began by offering Eve what was supposed to be a "Treat". The devil portrayed to her curious, wondering mind that the forbidden fruit must be good for food, even though God had explicitly stated that the after effects of eating it would be misery and death. And from the time of this first "Trick" satan has methodically followed the very same formula by offering us "Treats in order to trick us. Most people, including very many Christians are not aware of satan's devices, and so we often inadvertently put our feet into his snares before we are aware of it. The Bible teaches us that we should not be ignorant of his devices, which are tailor-made to suit the desires of our fallen nature.
In every temptation presented to us there is a "Treat" included so as to seduce us into doing wrong, and also to mask the real consequences of sin. The problem with many of us is that the so-called "Treat" looks, tastes, or smells so good that our minds are often blinded as to the results which follow on the heels of falling for his seductive overtures. This fact is stated over and over again in the scriptures with the hope that we will turn from sin in all of its forms. Let's read:
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
The apostle Paul also reiterates the same truth by teaching us that the "Treats" we are offered are indeed pleasurable to the carnal mind, but the main problem being that they are temporal and deceptive in nature. Let's read:
Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt".
Some of the treats offered by the devil in order to get us to sin include girls, foods, drinks, parties, drugs, lotto, thrills, movies, adulteries, porn, and gambling amongst others. When these enticements are carefully observed there is to be seen in each of them some form of "Treat", or promise of satisfaction, which as stated before always carry very negative consequences. When I was much younger I was employed as a musician in one of the top bands in Trinidad, and our manager, like the rest of us, was offered "Treats" on many different occasions. One such "Treat" was presented to our manager in the form of a very beautiful woman, with whom he enjoyed a raunchy rendezvous.
But he soon learned that instead of being a "Treat" she was a "Trick", for not long after he began feeling very fatigued and listless, to the point that he felt urged to see his doctor. We later learned that he had contracted the aids virus, and he became one of the first persons to die from that fatal disease in the Caribbean. The Bible teaches us the sobering truth, that the wages of sin is death, and it does not matter how it is packaged, or what the temporary pleasures may be, it always leads to our destruction, hence the reason why we are warned to stay off of satan's enchanted ground, by focusing our attention on Christ, and that which is uplifting in nature.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to be wary of satan's "Treats" lest we find out the hard way, that they are indeed "Tricks". Let's read:
1st Peter 1:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!