Wednesday, March 4, 2015

The War

"I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15

In God's curse of the serpent Satan he pronounces a war that will take place through the ages between the offspring of Satan and of the woman Eve. From Eve will come a line of godly descendants who will do battle with Satan, his forces, and the humans he will corrupt. There will always be battles between good and evil. This ongoing war will culminate in a decisive battle won by the long-awaited Offspring known by many names - the Anointed One, the Root of Jesse, the Son of David, the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Redeemer, even I AM. 


In that battle he will bruise the head of Satan while receiving a wound. Both come through the battle wounded, but Satan's wound will prove to be the deadly one, even though at first the wound of the Redeemer seems greater. Satan may fight on, but his defeat is insured; his great weapon, Death, loses its sting.

The wounds of the Redeemer, though they remain visible, serve only to glorify him in his victory. He continues to bring all things under his control until the time comes when he will place all at his Father's feet. He will return again in full glory; Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire. The kingdom of God will be consummated. All evil and sorrow will be banished as God dwells with his people forever.

And so from the fall itself rises the promise of redemption; out of the ashes of defeat comes the promise of great victory; and though our first Head failed, the second Adam will come and he will be victorious for us. Upon the cross, as terrible and sad the act of sacrifice may be, from it comes everlasting goodness and joy.

No comments:

Post a Comment