Before considering measures we can take to protect ourselves in this regard, let us see how the Devil successfully used certain enticements with Eve but unsuccessfully with the Son of God.

“THE DESIRE OF THE FLESH”

7. How did Satan use “the desire of the flesh” to tempt Eve?

⁷ Humans have a fundamental requirement for sustaining the body​—the need for food. The Creator designed the earth to produce food bountifully. Satan may try to appeal to the natural desire for food in an effort to turn us away from doing God’s will. Consider how he did that with Eve. (Read Genesis 3:1-6.) Satan told Eve that she could eat of the fruit of “the tree of the knowledge of good and bad” without having to die, saying that on the day of her eating from it, she would be like God. (Gen. 2:9) The Devil thus insinuated that Eve did not need to be obedient to God in order to live. What a blatant lie that was! Once the idea was planted in Eve’s mind, she had two options: She could reject the idea, or she could keep dwelling on it, allowing her desire for the fruit to grow. Despite the fact that all the other trees of the garden were at her disposal, she chose to dwell on what Satan had said concerning the tree in the middle of the garden, and she “began taking of its fruit and eating it.” Satan thus created within her a desire for something that was forbidden by her Creator.

8. Using “the desire of the flesh,” how did Satan try to entice Jesus, and why did this temptation not succeed?

⁸ Satan used the same tactic when he tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. After Jesus had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, Satan attempted to appeal to Jesus’ desire for food. “If you are a son of God,” said Satan, “tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” (Luke 4:1-3) Jesus had two options: He could choose not to use his miraculous power to satisfy the need for food, or he could choose to use it. Jesus knew that he should not use such power for selfish purposes. Though he was hungry, satisfying the hunger did not take priority over maintaining his relationship with Jehovah. “It is written,” Jesus replied, “‘Man must not live by bread alone but by everything proceeding from Jehovah’s mouth.’”​—Luke 4:4, ftn.

“THE DESIRE OF THE EYES”

9. What does the expression “the desire of the eyes” suggest, and how did Satan appeal to this desire in Eve’s case?

⁹ John also mentioned “the desire of the eyes” as an enticement. The expression suggests that one can begin desiring something by simply looking at it. In the case of Eve, Satan appealed to this desire, saying: “Your eyes are bound to be opened.” The more Eve looked at it, the more the forbidden fruit became attractive to her. Eve saw that the tree “was something to be longed for to the eyes.”

10. In what way did Satan use “the desire of the eyes” to tempt Jesus, and how did Jesus respond?

¹⁰ What about in Jesus’ case? Satan “showed [Jesus] all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in an instant of time; and the Devil said to him: ‘I will give you all this authority and the glory of them.’” (Luke 4:5, 6) Jesus would not with his literal eyes see all the kingdoms in an instant, but Satan must have felt that the glory of these kingdoms, as presented in a vision, would hold some attraction for Jesus. Shamelessly, Satan suggested: “If you do an act of worship before me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:7) In no way did Jesus want to be the kind of person Satan wanted him to be. His response was immediate. He said: “It is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’”​—Luke 4:8.

“THE SHOWY DISPLAY OF ONE’S MEANS OF LIFE”

11. How was Eve enticed by Satan?

¹¹ In citing the things of the world, John mentioned “the showy display of one’s means of life.” When Adam and Eve were the only humans on earth, they could of course not make a ‘showy display of their means of life’ before other people. But they did manifest pride. When tempting Eve, Satan insinuated that God withheld something wonderful from her. The Devil told her that in the very day of her eating from “the tree of the knowledge of good and bad,” she was “bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” (Gen. 2:17; 3:5) Satan thus suggested that Eve could gain independence from Jehovah. Pride was apparently a factor that caused her to accept the lie. She partook of the forbidden fruit, believing that she would not really die. How wrong she was!

12. What was another way that Satan tried to tempt Jesus, and how did Jesus respond?

¹² In contrast with Eve, what a wonderful example of humility Jesus set! Satan tried to tempt him in another way, but Jesus rejected even the very thought of doing something dramatic that would put God to the test. That would have been an act of pride! Instead, Jesus’ reply was clear and direct: “It is said, ‘You must not put Jehovah your God to the test.’”​—Read Luke 4:9-12.

15. How can we imitate Jesus in resisting Satan’s temptations?

¹⁵ Though Eve succumbed to Satan’s temptations, Jesus successfully resisted them. Each time, he gave a Scriptural answer, saying: “It is written” or, “It is said.” If we are diligent students of the Bible, we will be well-acquainted with the Scriptures and be able to bring to mind the verses that can help us to keep our thinking straight in the face of temptation. (Ps. 1:1, 2) Remembering Scriptural examples of faithful individuals who were loyal to God will help us to imitate them. (Rom. 15:4) Having true reverence for Jehovah, loving what he loves and hating what he hates, will safeguard us.​—Ps. 97:10.

Until then, Satan will continue to use “the things in the world” to tempt us, as he tempted both Eve and Jesus. We must not be like Eve and seek to satisfy our own desires. Doing so would be tantamount to acknowledging Satan as our god. We need to be like Jesus and resist such enticements, regardless of how appealing and attractive they are made to appear.