Jesus Already Did the Crushing

And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 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 3:14-15)

Genesis 3 is not just the story of mankind's fall; it is also the first announcement of the Gospel. God spoke to the serpent and said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.” But anyone who knows basic anatomy knows that a woman does not have a seed. There is only One who was born without the seed of a man, and that is Jesus. God was speaking about Jesus’ ministry, saying that her Seed would bruise the serpent’s head, and the serpent would bruise His heel. God was telling the enemy that even though he struck humanity through deception and brought death, he would not win. God was sending a Seed through the woman. And when that Seed came, the enemy would not be able to keep what he stole.

A heel bruise hurts, but it does not end the fight. A crushed head, however, ends the fight immediately. So, right from the beginning, God prophesied how the story would end. The enemy would wound, but Christ would destroy.

This also shows you how Satan fights. He loves “heel” attacks. He does not always come with obvious evil. Sometimes he comes with small compromises, small offenses, and small distractions to get you to stop focusing on God. Jesus was bruised, mocked, pierced, beaten, and crucified. But when Jesus rose, the head of the enemy was crushed. The authority that held people captive was finally and completely broken. Death lost its dominance over humanity. This is why it is offensive and dangerous when believers talk like the devil is winning. The enemy is not equal to God! And God said that you win! Jesus already did the crushing.

Practical Application

If you feel bruised right now, don't interpret that as defeat. See it as proof that you are in a war with an end. Declare the name of Jesus over any worry the enemy tries to distract you with. Fight against the enemy’s attack and keep moving forward.

1 John 3:8; John 8:44