Reading: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LordGod had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”” Genesis 3:1
The Bible teaches us that the wisdom of Satan extends to both his purposes and his methods. Paul speaks of the “wiles” off the Devil (Ephesians 6:11). The word translated “wiles” is the Greek word from which we get our English word “method.” It is translated “lie in wait” in Ephesians 4:14.  In 2 Corinthians 2:11 Paul speaks of “Satan’s devices” and the word there points to his disposition or purposes towards us.
In Genesis three notice how Satan carried out this evil intent to bring humanity down. His usual occupation is going “to and fro on the earth” (Job 1:7; 2:2) like a roaming lion seeking his prey (I Peter 5:8). He often gives time and considers his prey, waiting for the opportune time. He sometimes attacks the parents through the children. But in Genesis three Satan knew that he had no time to lose, he could not wait to attack our first parents through Cain or Abel, or get them in their old age. He must destroy humanity at the source.
Humanity, unlike the angels were made to procreate, the angels sin individually and independently of each other, but humanity will fall as one if Satan can get to the source. There is obviously tremendous theological significance here; we all died in Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22). But there is also a great practical lesson; Satan still destroys families through the parents and children still perpetuate the “sins of the fathers.” Family sins have consequences (Ezekiel 18:2). We should be more concerned about our children’s spiritual well-being than their social standing or financial future.