LESSON 1 – THE FALLEN MAN

OVERVIEW

This lesson explores key themes related to the fall of man and its consequences, focusing on how Adam's disobedience set the law of sin in motion. It examines concepts, such as spiritual death and iniquity and how these manifest in humanity.

Despite possessing moral knowledge, individuals remain under Satan's dominion over the flesh, highlighting the need for divine intervention. Ultimately, salvation through Jesus Christ is presented as the only path to freedom and new life through the Holy Spirit.

OBJECTIVES

During this lesson, you will:

1. Explain why the spirit of iniquity is a foreign influence affecting God's creation. Use appropriate examples:

Students should identify the spiritual makeup of man before the fall and how sin altered God’s original design.

1. Describe the operations of the spirit of iniquity, beginning with the conspiracy between the serpent and Satan:

Students should identify key characteristics of iniquity at work in the Garden of Eden.

1. Reflect on the impact of the fall on human nature, authority, and your personal life:

Students should recognize the consequences of sin on humans, plants, animals, and the world around them.

1. Discuss the need for salvation, based on the detrimental effects of the fall:

Students should explain the effects of captivity under sin and explore God’s desire and plan for mankind to live free from sin.

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Activity 1.1 - PREPARATION ACTIVITY

The image above depicts a vase that has fallen and shattered.

1. What do you think the vase looked like before it broke?
2. What might have caused it to fall?
3. How does this situation symbolize the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden?
4. Record your response below:

A.

B.

C.

THE SEED OF THE SERPENT

The introductory course in this series concluded with a teaching on spiritual death. We learned that spiritual death is the separation from God caused by the presence of the spirit of iniquity in humanity. We also learned that every seed produces its own kind. Therefore, when the seed of iniquity entered Adam and Eve because of their disobedience, every child born from them also came forth with the spirit of iniquity.

The first instance where the spirit of iniquity is identified as a seed in Scripture occurs when God curses the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:15

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Take note that the serpent and the seed of the serpent received two distinct judgments.

1. The serpent’s judgment was to crawl on its belly,
2. The judgment for its seed was that its head would be bruised.

Does this mean that the heads of all serpents will one day be crushed? No, because Scripture testifies that serpents will exist forever. The seed of the serpent does not refer to the serpent’s offspring; rather, it refers to the spiritual seed planted in it—the seed of the devil (i.e., the spirit of iniquity).

How did this happen, considering that God made all things good? The fact that God judged the serpent proves that it was not simply overtaken or overpowered by the devil; instead, the serpent willingly allowed the devil to use it. The serpent's willingness to conspire with the devil opened the door for the seed of the devil to infiltrate it. This same seed then infiltrated Adam and Eve when they sinned.

“WHEN WE WERE IN THE FLESH”

To move forward, it would be helpful to recap and provide more detail on some of the concepts and principles we covered in the previous course. Let’s start with the relationship between the body and the soul.

Romans 7:5

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

The term “in the flesh” refers to the soul’s position in the body. When God made Adam in the Garden, He created him as a living soul, meaning the body He made for him was brought to life when He breathed the soul into it. Therefore, the positioning of the soul is important. When the soul is placed in the body, it gives life to the flesh and allows the soul to be expressed.

However, a change occurred. As a result of Adam and Eve’s sin, humanity was no longer simply body, soul, and spirit—they now also had the spirit of iniquity. Through their sin, the seed of Satan entered into the makeup of man and was passed down to every generation. Thus, all who are “in the flesh” experience the effects of the presence of the spirit of iniquity.

When Paul refers to those "in the flesh," he is describing the spiritual state that humanity found itself in as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin. As the verse explains, all were subject to the motions of sins working within them, leading to spiritual death. The word "motions" here refers to emotions, influences, or affections. It also indicates an affliction of inward suffering. Therefore, the presence of the spirit of iniquity produced sinful influences and emotions and inflicted inward suffering upon the soul, forcing it to obey its will.

THE CAPTIVITY OF MANKIND

So far, we have discussed the fall of man from humanity’s perspective, focusing on the spiritual and natural changes they experienced. However, let's consider the fall of man from Satan’s perspective. By planting the spirit of iniquity in Adam, Satan made himself present in every individual. This means that both the soul and the spirit of iniquity were now at war for control of the flesh.

Activity 1.2 - Use the case below to identify examples of the body being used by the spirit of iniquity.

THE CASE - Jason’s Struggle to Change

Jason notices he's becoming more aggressive, frequently getting into fights and arguments. He realizes this behavior started after watching graphic action movies at his friend Mark’s house, as such films are not allowed at home. Determined to avoid temptation, Jason decides to stop visiting Mark’s house.

Despite his decision, Jason continues to struggle. He can't stop thinking about the gory scenes and the thrill he felt while watching them. Even though he resolved to change, he finds himself walking to Mark's house once again.

a) How does the spirit of iniquity operate through Jason’s body? Discuss with another student.

b) Use the table below to record your findings from the discussion.

PARTS OF THE BODY

THE SPIRIT OF INIQUITY AT WORK

Eyes

Mouth

Jason’s frequent arguments

Feet

Brain

Imagining new fighting moves

?

Although the soul was created to be the master of the flesh, it is not more powerful than the devil. Therefore, in the struggle for control of the body, the soul stands no chance. Satan exercises his dominion over fallen humanity by forcing the soul to do his will and using the body according to his desires. This is the satanic captivity or spiritual death that came upon man as a result of Adam’s disobedience.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT - Adam and Eve were given authority over the earth, tasked with subduing it. When Satan (a foreign spirit) entered humanity, he gained access to this God-given authority, allowing him to subdue and dominate the earth (man, animals, and plants).

Refer to Lesson 4 of Course I, Introduction to Salvation, on this captivity.

The presence of the spirit of iniquity in the flesh allowed Satan to exercise dominion over humanity. As a result, when Adam and Eve bore children, this spirit was passed down to all people, making them spiritually the offspring of the devil. For this reason, the Scripture calls the devil the father of the human race.

John 8:44

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

This means that humanity is no longer considered pure and acceptable to God—they have experienced a change in nature and are now sinful and in need of rescuing.

THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH

Earlier, we discussed the motions of sin and the spiritual affliction that Satan brought upon the flesh. This is due to Satan establishing a law when he entered the flesh, known as thelaw of sin and death.

Romans 7:23

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

In this context, a law refers to a rule or principle that describes how something will always behave or what will always happen. For example, the law of gravity states that what goes up must come down. Once you are subject to gravity, this law is unbreakable, because gravity is a force that pulls you down and is stronger than your ability to resist it. Similarly, the law of sin and death describes the experience of the unbeliever.

Law of Sin and Death: As long as the spirit of iniquity abides in the flesh, the soul must sin, because Satan creates emotions and influences that are more powerful than the soul’s ability to resist. The result of sin will always be death, which is separation from God.

These motions of sin create an environment that forces one to bow to their power. They feed the soul unrighteous thoughts and create insatiable cravings for sin called evil concupiscence. The law of sin and death gives man a sinful nature. Furthermore, the working of Satan suppresses the activity of the conscience, allowing the sinner to do evil without feeling convicted. This state of the fallen man is explained in the verses below.

Romans 7:22-23

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Activity 1.3

1. Use the scenarios below to discuss the following
2. Evil Concupiscence
3. Awareness of God
4. Absence of Conviction.

Characters from Scenario

Evil Concupiscence

Awareness of God (Conscience)

Absence of Conviction

Fayvie

Darion

1. Reflect: Can someone be born a thief or homosexual?

Scenario 1 - Fayvie

Fayvie is an 18-year-old young woman whose parents are pastors. She vividly remembers the day they received the Holy Spirit and noticed the profound change in their lives. Since then, they have consistently instilled godly principles into her life, and she has always welcomed their teachings with gladness. However, Fayvie struggles with a serious issue: she has an uncontrollable habit of stealing.

One day, while in a store, she spotted a chocolate bar she wanted to steal. In an instant, she somehow knew the exact positions of all the security cameras and the focus of the store's employees. She stole the chocolate effortlessly, without anyone noticing—a common occurrence in her life.

Fayvie is unsure of what's wrong with her. Despite repeatedly telling herself to stop, she finds herself stealing more frequently. Her habit has escalated to the point where she has accumulated a secret fortune. Although she experiences a thrill each time she steals, it conflicts with the godly principles her parents taught her. Fayvie can't shake the feeling that she will continue stealing for the rest of her life.

Scenario 2 - Darion

Darion is now in his thirties. Throughout his life, his grandmother forced him to attend church, but he never felt truly interested in it. Darion has struggled with personal issues that few people know about. When he was 5 years old, he would put on his mother’s shoes and lipstick, feeling more drawn to the things girls did, said, and liked. Additionally, he always felt an attraction to boys at school, even though they liked girls. These feelings have since intensified, and Darion is now fully immersed in a homosexual lifestyle.

As a result of his church upbringing, Darion understands what God expects of him. He knows he needs the Holy Spirit and a fresh start. However, he struggles with believing that the Christian life is for him, despite all he has heard about salvation. He wonders why he experienced homosexual feelings from such a young age and concludes that he must have been born in the wrong body. Darion believes he will never be able to develop affection for women as he is expected to.

GOD’S GREAT SALVATION

With the spirit of iniquity reshaping the spiritual make-up of humanity, mankind continues to search for ways to be free from this captivity. The only solution available to them, however, is God’s great salvation.

Romans 8:1-2

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The only way one can be freed from the law of sin and death is through the power of Jesus Christ. When the Holy Ghost comes into the flesh, He creates His own law to destroy the power and effects of the law of sin and death.

CONCLUSION

Let us give thanks to the Lord for His amazing grace in revealing His desire for us to live free from sin and captivity. As we move forward, hold fast to God’s plan for redemption and embrace the freedom offered through Christ to restore His fallen creation.

MAIN POINTS

Here are some key points from this lesson that you should remember:

1. The Seed of Satan: The serpent’s willingness to conspire with the devil welcomed the seed of the devil to infiltrate it. The spirit of iniquity is deceptive, controlling and causes inward sufferings.
2. When we were in the Flesh: “In the flesh” refers to the soul's position within the body, enabling the soul's expressions. Although Adam was created as a perfect being, because he disobeyed God, the spirit of iniquity entered him and Satan became the spiritual father of humanity.
3. Captivity of Mankind: The spirit of iniquity produces emotions and cravings for sin in the flesh (evil concupiscence). This is because every soul that does not have the Spirit of God is subject to the power of the devil.
4. The Law of Sin & Death: With the law of seed at work due to sin, every child was born with the same spirit of iniquity that was in their father Adam.