The enemy still uses the same tactics today with us. He is trying to make us fall as well. Fall in our walk and fall away from God. He will mix in enough truth to catch our attention with enough poison to separate us from God. What was the goal of this opening lie from Satan? The goal was twofold. First the enemy used it to start a conversation with Eve. Secondly, he used it to get Eve to doubt God. The enemy has the same goals today as well. In order to have us believe the lies, Satan needs to engage us in a conversation. We have to consider, what it is he is trying to say. Eve may have started out with the good intentions of correcting the enemy but once she answers his charge, she is now in the conversation exactly where the enemy wants her to be. That is also exactly where the enemy wants us to be. A stronghold in our lives began as a foothold. Just enough of the devil's foot in the door to allow a conversation. Maybe you are being noticed by someone of the opposite sex at work but are married. Maybe the opening lie is just as subtle as it appeared to Eve "surely flirting is not a big deal; it's not like you are committing adultery." That is it. The enemy is now in conversation with you. Maybe you can make extra money at work by cutting some dubious corners. The opening lie can still be subtle "surely there is nothing wrong with trying to take care of my family." That is it. The enemy is now in conversation with you.
And look at the opening lies the devil uses. They are designed to make you doubt God. There is no such thing as a harmless flirt. It does matter to God:
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. - Matthew 5:28
God does care if you take short cuts to further your own financial end. Besides it showing a lack of trust that God will provide, Jesus spoke directly against it:
Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay." Luke 3: 12-13
It was the same in the Garden of Eden. God had specifically forbid them from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The devil, seeking a conversation with Eve so he could establish a foothold, lies to her with just enough truth to get her interested. So too today, the devil seeks to engage us in a conversation so he can establish a foothold in our mind. That foothold if not dealt with can become a stronghold, further pushing you away from God.
Having successfully engaged Eve in a conversation, the enemy now expands his deception by accusing God of being a liar.
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. Genesis 3:4
