Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve existed in a state of grace far removed from the brokenness of modern humanity. Their hearts were equipped to always do good. Malice was not in them. Distrust of others and of God did not exist in their minds. However, this original order of creation was interrupted in an instant. It was then that the devil, represented by the cunning serpent, entered their lives.

Scripture characterizes the devil as the tempter, the accuser, and the father of lies. The Book of Genesis uses the serpent—an animal defined by its cunning—to represent him. The devil’s strategy centers on a deceptive brilliance; his words to Eve were crafted to seem harmless at first, masking their true, lethal intent. Through this manipulation, he fundamentally altered Eve’s nature, successfully inciting her to doubt God’s character, His words, and His intentions.

The focus of their dialogue centers on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. By prohibiting them from eating its fruit, God established a clear boundary with a profound theological implication: God alone decides what is good and what is not. The father of lies accused God of being a liar. He made Eve believe that the punishment for eating the forbidden fruit was not real because God was selfish and did not want them to possess the ability to discern good from evil.

Like Eve before Him, the Lord was also tempted; but this time the devil’s cunning was at its peak—the greatest he could ever use to tempt anyone. In a similar manner, the devil attempted to entice the Lord with the pleasures, glory and power of this world. But unlike Eve, the Lord refused to enter into a dialogue with the devil. He did not debate or rationalize; instead, He countered every insinuation with the direct authority of Scripture. Through this, the Lord provides a vital lesson: we must never negotiate with temptation. He demonstrates that our greatest defense is to engrave the Word of God so deeply in our minds that it is readily available to reaffirm our convictions the moment they are challenged.

The fundamental change in the hearts of Adam and Eve left a lasting imprint of brokenness on all humanity—with the singular exceptions of the Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The human condition of sin is undeniable. Since the fall, something within us has remained fundamentally fractured. We now possess a natural inclination to doubt God, questioning His goodness and the wisdom of His laws.

This Lenten season offers an opportunity to deepen our understanding of spiritual life. It is a time to recognize that our personal sins are the direct result of our choices—moments when we have elevated our own opinions above the wisdom of God.

Conversion is a return to absolute trust in God and a firm adherence to the truth of His Word. Perhaps we currently stand on the wrong side of that moral divide, lingering within the shadow of evil. Perhaps we have already crossed into the dark territory of vice and sin and now find ourselves stationary there, or maybe we feel trapped in a cycle of failure, unable to break free regardless of our own efforts.

True conversion reflects the realization of Saint Paul: we cannot liberate ourselves from the bondage of sin without the Lord’s grace. This saving grace is dispensed through the sacraments—Baptism, which initiates our life in Christ; Reconciliation, which restores us when we fall into mortal sin; and the Eucharist, which provides the spiritual nourishment and strength necessary to resist temptation.

Let us humbly ask the Lord to grant us a deeper hunger for His saving Word, engraving it so firmly upon our hearts that we may respond wisely to the deception of the tempter.