After considering all I have read on this subject and comparing it to the Scriptures and the mosaic picture it paints, I have come to agree with the position presented here, by Dr. Michael Heiser.  Therefore, it is his explanation and the thinking of those who studied with him that guide my current understanding.  Hence, it is what I share with you now:

Was the Snake of Genesis 3 a Spiritual Being?

Was There A Time When Snakes Could Talk?

Who Was the SERPENT in the Garden, Really? – Dr. Michael Heiser

Why Is the Serpent in Genesis Later Called Satan?

From Eden’s Serpent to Job’s Accuser: The Evolution of the satan in the Bible – Michael Heiser

EP005: The Story of Genesis 3: Does it Predict that Jesus Will Crush Satan? | The DCW Podcast