The Fall of Mankind

3 Now ^(A)the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

¹² Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your ^[a]power; only do not reach out and put your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

²⁸ and I give them ^(A)eternal life, and they will never perish; and ^(B)no one will snatch them out of My hand. ^29 [a]My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ^30 (C)I and the Father are ^[b]one.”

²⁷ and do not ^(A)give the devil ^[a]an opportunity.

Abandonment of Faith

4 But ^(A)the Spirit explicitly says that ^(B)in later times some will ^[a]fall away from the faith, paying attention to ^(C)deceitful spirits and ^(D)teachings of demons,