The Anatomy of a Fall, and Rise

There are only two recorded instances in the Bible, of Satan manifesting “in person” to tempt a person into doing the wrong thing; Eve in the garden of Eden, and Jesus in the wilderness during his forty-day fast.

Both events have a number of things in common. The things Satan promised Eve and Jesus were things that weren’t really his to grant. He promised them illusions. Like candy floss dropped in water—there one moment, gone the next.

Jesus saw these temptations for what they were, but Eve unfortunately didn’t. Both had illusions dangled in front of them. Jesus chose to fix His eyes (and heart) on what God actually said, but Eve fixed her eyes (and heart) on a lie sold as truth.

It’s unlikely that Satan would manifest himself to you, in all his long-horned, red skinned glory, to tempt you to do the wrong thing. All he needs to do is apply the same modus operandi that has always worked; sell an illusion as something worth holding onto, and then hope that thing stokes your desires and takes your eyes and heart away from what’s actually worth holding on to.

At the heart of every temptation—and eventual fall—is a pair of eyes (more figurative than literal) that has looked away from what is real, i.e. what God has said, and is now stealing glances at fool’s gold. Apostle James put it succinctly:

“But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires… Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.”   

James 1:14, 16 (NET)

No one whoever fell for a temptation was an innocent bystander, or a victim of circumstance.

You saw, heard, or felt something that may or may not have caused your eyes to stray from God. The eventual decision to either readjust your eyes or be led astray is all ours to make.

“Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again…”   

Proverbs 14:26 (NET)

God apparently likes a good comeback story (who doesn’t?). A fall from grace into temptation isn’t the end of the believer.

If at the core of a fall, is a straying away of the eyes/heart, then the way back is by fixing our eyes/heart on the truth of God’s word about us. Also making sure they stay fixed.

Fallen? Look and live, brother. Look and live, sister.

(Numbers 21:8-9, John 3:14-15).