Believer or Beguiled

2 Corinthians 11:3 

[3] But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Genesis 3:1-6 

[1] 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.

Satan's strategy:

1. Start positive - "Yea"

2. Cast doubt on what God said - "hath God said..."

3. Add to what God said - "Ye shall NOT surely die" (Prov. 30:5-6)

4. Supplant God's truth with his lie - "Ye shall not surely die" (cf. Gen. 2:16-17)

5. Appeal to pride - "ye shall be as gods" (be your own authority) 

He works through false teachers to:

1. Question the inspiration of scripture

2. Deny it's sound doctrine

3. Substitute his false doctrine 

The woman set herself up for deception by tampering with the word of God:

1. She omitted "freely" in v.2

2. She added "neither shall ye touch it" in v.3

3. She changed "thou shalt surely die" to "lest ye die" in v.3

If you do not believe that you have the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17), you cannot stand against the "wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11). 

2 Timothy 3:13-17 

[13] But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 

[14] But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 

[15] And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 

[16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

[17] That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Proverbs 30:5 

[5] Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.