Then the serpent said to the woman, “Dying, you will not die. Because God knows that in the day you eat from it, and your eyes are opened, also you will become like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4–5).
Satan is the being behind the serpent, using its form to speak to Eve (Revelation 12:9). His response to Eve’s statement concerning the commandment from God displays that Satan heard what God said to Adam. Eve stated, “...you will not eat it, not touch it, lest you die.” Satan used the word from the Lord, “dying, you will die.”
Through his craftiness, Satan thoroughly deceived Eve into partaking of the fruit of the forbidden tree, resulting in her transgression. In the same manner, he seeks to corrupt the conclusions of the mind of the grace believer concerning the simplicity of the Christ through preaching another Jesus and receiving another spirit (2 Corinthians 11:3–4).
The Christ is the new creation in which Christ is the head and the Church is the body (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:22–23). We are all, Jew, Gentile, male, female, slave or free, immersed into the body by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12–13). As members of one body, we are all equal (Galatians 3:28). Since we are all now part of this new man, we are to put of the former conduct of the old man and being renewed in our spirits, put on the new, who is created according to God in true holiness and piety of the truth (Ephesians 4:22–24).
Let us not be deceived, as Eve was, from the simplicity in the Christ, taking hold of the doctrines of the Nicolaitans or Balaam, nor allowing the adulteress Jezebel among us.
The doctrine of the Nicolaitans is the separation of the clergy from the people, as seen in Catholicism and its daughters, as well as in many modern Protestant assemblies that make the pastor the head of the Church (Revelation 2:15). The doctrine of Balaam concerns merchandising the saints—using them for financial profit and political gain. A very popular doctrine among many evangelical assemblies today (2 Peter 2:15; Revelation 2:14). The prophetess Jezebel brings adulterous religious practices into the assemblies. The worship of saints, elevating women to a pastoral position, and sacrificing to idols (Revelation 2:20).