Physical vs Spiritual
Let's establish a truism. A physical body can be touched. We touch tangible objects. Things in the physical world have substance.
In contrast, a spiritual body cannot be touched. Spirits are not tangible. Objects in the spiritual world do not have physical substance like we have.
If we agree with this, we have a basis on which we can establish further truths.
Origin of Satan Under Foot
The bible speaks of Satan being under foot. That being established, we should know who's foot he is under. Let's look at the start of this conflict.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” ~ Genesis 3:15
This verse is part of the curse pronounced on the serpent, also known as Satan. God said there will be conflict and hatred between the serpent and the woman, between his seed and hers. We find this played out in Revelation 12:1-17. In verse two, we see the woman giving birth to the child mentioned in Genesis 3:15.
The Seed of the Woman
As we begin, please note that ‘seed' in Genesis 3:15 denotes fruit, plant, or offspring. Or we can view the seed as being given to the woman, by God, to nurture and bring forth. The offspring of the woman will bruise the serpent's head, thus sustaining an injury to his heel. If a serpent were to bite you on the heel, you would likely attempt to crush it's head under foot.
So the serpent and the seed wounded each other during the conflict. The keys to deciphering the truth are understanding the players, their roles, tactics, and the final outcome.
“Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” John 7:42
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” ~ Galatians 3:16
“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:” ~ 2 Timothy 2:8
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” ~ Revelation 12:5
These verses establish the fact that the seed of the woman is Christ.
The Serpent
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” ~ Revelation 12:9
Here we see the serpent is indeed Satan. Now that we have scripturally established the players, what are their roles?
Christ's Role
Christ has a multi-faceted role. Some are found in the following verses:
- Isaiah 9:6 -7
- Matthew 10:34
- Mark 1:38, 2:17
- John 6:38, 51, 12:47, 18:37
These verses paint the picture of Jesus' role in coming to this world. He came to do none else but the will of the Father. This consisted of preaching the truth, delivering the lost by his death on the cross, and restoring those who believe back to the Father.
He healed some along the way as a testament to his love for mankind and his desire our wholeness. But all was done for this ultimate, singular purpose: An undoing of the damage done!
“… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” ~ 1 John 3:8
Satan's Role
This is an interesting one. Christ's role came about as a result of Satan breaking rank! Satan's true role was established from eternity past.
“…Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created…” ~ Ezekiel 28:12-15
By reason of his attributes, he felt he deserved the worship God received.
“If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.” ~ Luke 4:7
“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:” ~ Revelation 9:20
“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” Revelation 13:4
Through rebellion, he took on the role of the serpent, dragon, devil (deviser and designer of evil), adversary, liar, accuser, and thief.
The Wounding
What specific events fulfil the bruising and wounding? Because God spoke it, it happened! And here it is…
“Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” ~ 1 Corinthians 2:6-8
Glory to the Lamb! Verse 8 hit both the serpent and the seed. Here is the explanation:
Satan thought he stopped the work of God by inciting the crowd to crucify The Lord. The crucifixion is the serpent bruising the heel of Christ. But what Satan did not count on took place three days and nights later.
Jesus rose from the dead! This act bruised the Devil's head! Jesus overcame death and the grave (hell). In crucifying Christ, Satan sealed his own fate (destruction) and delivered mankind. WOW!
The Devil under Who's Feet?
“For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:25
“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” ~ Romans 16:20
According to Paul, this act will take place in the future. And it is no mystery as to when.
A Brief Prophetic Primer
To understand and correctly interpret biblical prophecy, certain primers must be found, understood and correctly placed. The term ‘forever and ever' is one such primer.
Have you ever been in a situation that seemed to have no end? Have you ever said, “I thought they would never stop talking!” or, “I thought that event would never end!”
Did you really think they would talk forever? Didn't they stop eventually? Is that event still going on since it started?
Prophetically, an event continues until something causes it to cease. Now let's look at the result!
The Demise of Satan
Satan will not continue to exist forever.
“Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.” ~ Ezekiel 28:18
Remember this from the description of Satan? It describes his beginning and ending. He will be burned to ashes! But what about Revelation 20:10?
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” ~ Revelation 20:10
Here is an example of the primer. According to Ezekiel 28, Satan is destroyed. For ever and ever means until they are burned up! They will burn until they have atoned for their sins.
“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.” ~ Malachi 4:3
Finally, here is when Romans 16:20 is fulfilled. This is when Satan will be under our feet! He will be ashes when we walk across the earth after God's final judgement of the wicked.
Know the Truth
I hope this article is helpful in dispelling yet another myth. We can't go around thinking we can stomp the devil. He is a spirit. We are flesh.
We are not stomping him in the spirit realm or through Christ either! We are to resist the devil, not fight with him.
Thank you for visiting. God Bless!
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