God’s Power over Satan

The Bible first mentions of the “End Times” in Genesis 3:13-15. Yes, in the very first chapters of the Bible we hear from God about his promise to defeat sin.

But before we jump into that you may want a quick refresher on the Story of Adam and Eve in the Garden. Eve is deceived by the serpent and eats fruit that is forbidden. This is when sin enters the world. Now fast forward to God addressing the consequences of that sin.

Genesis 3:13-15

¹³ Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”

“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

¹⁴ Then the Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this, you are cursed
more than all animals, domestic and wild.
You will crawl on your belly,
groveling in the dust as long as you live.
¹⁵ And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike^[b] your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

Who is the “He” mentioned in verse 15? I’ve always thought this entire verse was about conflict between the woman and the serpent. But the 2^nd half of the verse isn’t talking about the woman. The “He” is Jesus. One day Jesus will return and strike the head of the serpent or Satan. Satan’s power is at work and causes hostility amongst people today and will continue until the time that Jesus returns. This life will not be without trials and difficulty, but God’s promise is that at the appointed time the serpent’s power will be stuck down once and for all when Jesus defeats Satan. I love that God included this as part of his message to the serpent, and to Adam and Eve who were part of the conversation. Everyone present hears that the serpent will be defeated. There isn’t a single day since sin entered the world that God hasn’t planned to conquer sin and redeem us. Praise the Lord!

Take comfort and have hope today in knowing that God is in control and will have the ultimate victory over sin.