I believe it is after studying it for over 40 years.
The serpent wasn't originally a serpent though, was he? He was a Cherub....a guardian in the Garden of Eden, placed there in a position of responsibility. The book of Ezekiel explains what happened.....
“Son of man, sing a dirge concerning the king of Tyre, and tell him, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says:
“You were the model of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eʹden, the garden of God.
You were adorned with every precious stone
—Ruby, topaz, and jasper; chrysʹo·lite, onyx, and jade; sapphire, turquoise, and emerald;
And their settings and mountings were made of gold.
They were prepared on the day you were created.
14 I assigned you as the anointed covering cherub.
You were on the holy mountain of God, and you walked about among fiery stones.
15 You were faultless in your ways from the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you. . . .
17 Your heart became haughty because of your beauty.
You corrupted your wisdom because of your own glorious splendor." (Ezekiel 28:12-17)
What is this describing?....the corruption of a once beautiful and perfect creature who, as a free moral agent allowed his own desires to lead him to rebel against his Creator. He wanted the worship that was only to be given to God. He was right there in the Garden, waiting for his chance when the couple were separated. He chose to tempt the woman as the less experienced of the two, hoping to use her influence to get to his main target.....Adam.
The fact that God
can know all things, doesn't mean that he chooses to. He has endowed his intelligent creatures with free will and demonstrated a great amount of trust in them. This formerly faithful angel corrupted himself through the abuse of his gift of free will. In order to carry out his plan, he hijacked the newly created human beings so that he could get worship from them. No one else could see him as a god. His fellow angels were his equal in power and at best he could be their leader, but now he saw an opportunity to seize what he desired....to become a god to them. Every time humans commit an act of disobedience to the true God, they unwittingly give worship to the devil.
Can you understand what led this angel to be a "satan" (resister) and a "devil" (slanderer)?
He tricked the woman into believing that God was a liar who was withholding something that they had a right to know. He lied....and she believed him, but when she offered the fruit to Adam, he had a choice.....refuse the offer and lose her.....or join her and die with her. He chose badly, because he left his children with a lethal inheritance. (Romans 5:12) This often happens when loyalties are divided. Satan is dividing our loyalties even now, as he has been all along....deceiving us with lies and deception about our Creator. He has the ability to cause a certain kind of "blindness".....but only the "unbelievers" will suffer from it. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) Those who trust in God will not fall for the devil's lies.
Do you know why God did not execute those rebels on the spot? The plot thickens......