Satan deceived Eve. She allowed herself to be deceived. Then she shared her sin with her husband, who willingly sinned against God. As a result, we are all under the curse, (Genesis 3:14-19) the penalty of which is death. But, God knew all of this would take place and had a plan for our redemption (He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15b NKJV). We should never underestimate the power of Satan, but we also should never underestimate God’s mighty power over Satan.
Since I’m reading so many different books right now:
- Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan (originally published in 1891)*
- Holiness! by J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) (Available to read for free online because it’s public domain)*
- Approaching the Almighty, 100 Prayers of A.W. Tozer, Compiled by Phil Shappard.* (A.W. Tozer was a Pastor from 1919 until he passed away in 1963 at the age of 66)
all written or preached in the 1800s-1900s, I’m seeing the stark difference in what they were willing to talk about and what we skim over these days. Back then preachers preached about Satan, sin, the Fall. They discussed that we as Christians sign up to bear our own crosses, and what we must give up in order to serve Him. Easy-believism was just starting to surface back then and these wonderful men of God weren’t having any of it. They spoke truth. The truth we need to speak now more than ever. (*I do NOT receive any money if you click on a link or buy a book).
Please note:
The Bible does NOT say that Satan tempted Eve with an apple. He tempted her to eat the “fruit” of the tree. I used the photo because it conveyed in a recognizable way, the biblical context of today’s Bible verse.
Understanding the curse
I always had trouble understanding Genesis 3:15 but found this great explanation in my favorite online commentary. From EnduringWord .com (Ctrl+F then type (13) Eve’s reply in the search box)
“He shall bruise your head: For God to see the defeat of Satan at Satan’s first flush of victory shows God knew what He was doing all along. God’s plan wasn’t defeated when Adam and Eve sinned because God’s plan was to bring forth something greater than man in the innocence of Eden. God wanted more than innocent man; His plan is to bring forth redeemed man.
Redeemed man – this being who is greater than innocent man – is only possible because man had something to be redeemed from.
The heel is the part within the serpent’s reach. Jesus, in taking on humanity, brought Himself near to Satan’s domain so Satan could strike Him. “That bruised heel is painful enough. Behold our Lord in his human nature sore bruised: he was betrayed, bound, accused, buffeted, scourged, spit upon. He was nailed to the cross; he hung there in thirst and fever, and darkness and desertion” (Charles Spurgeon).”
Bible Verse of the Day
And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
Genesis 3:13-15 NKJV
Our Lord, our Father is so full of love for His children. Never forget that. But also, never forget He is a holy God and deserves children who will love Him unconditionally, will serve Him, and do His will above our own worldly desires.
Pray
Please join me today in praying for power in the name of Jesus. Let’s pray that He takes away all feelings of pride, envy, and jealousy. Let’s also pray that Satan’s grip on our family and friends who are not saved be loosened. Pray that we put on the full armor of God each and every day to battle the spiritual warfare that continues even for those of us who are saved. Pray for guidance and wisdom for our loved ones as well as for ourselves.
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