It struck me recently that this chapter does not open with a description of how the serpent escorted Eve to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The conversation progresses as though from the same location.  So, when the serpent approaches Eve (Adam is there, too), where was she?  It would stand to reason that she is already looking at the forbidden tree.  What is she doing there?  If she was there to eat from the tree of life nearby, the temptation story would not make sense - just eat from the tree of life, satisfy your hunger, and move along.  She stands there.  My gut tells me she was already longing for the forbidden fruit.  The serpent did not have to try and get her to do what she had no desire to do.  All the serpent had to do was help her to justify doing what she was already thinking of doing.  This fits with what we read in James...

It is too easy to buy into the Flip Wilson theology of "the devil made me do it."  No one can shove a Krispy Kreme down my throat unless I want it there.  What happens is I sit there and look at the warm donut.  I smell it.  I imagine the taste.  I begin to long for it.  All I need to do is convince myself that just one won't be that bad for me.  The next thing you know, I've shoveled a half dozen in my mouth. 

We give Satan too much credit sometimes.  His job is quite easy.  Just help us justify what we already want to do.  "It's not that bad - you can ask God to forgive you later."  "You have been stressed out lately and irritable - if you do this it will lower your stress and you will be more patient and loving, and isn't that what God wants anyway?"

Sadly, Eve did not realize that the serpent was more crafty than she was.  She had no hope of winning the conversation the longer it went on.  The longer you hold the donut, the less chance you have of putting it down uneaten.  The wisest thing we can do when the serpent comes is RUN!  Get upon ourselves the legs of Joseph!