Oh, What a Promise

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. bruise...: Or, tread - Romans 16:20

    Twenty years ago, I had a long bout with cancer. The Lord our God graciously and wisely sent the disease. And he graciously and wisely healed me of the disease. I am thankful both for the experience of it and for God’s deliverance from it. But there was a time, twenty years ago, right in the middle of a long, long series of cobalt treatments when neither I nor my doctors knew whether I was more likely to live or to die. I was weaker physically, mentally, and emotionally than I ever imagined I could be.

    At that critical hour, a friend sent me a card. It had no comments at all. It did not even say, “Get well,” on it. It simply had a Scripture reference written out on it. I would not have known who sent it, had he not put his return address on it. The card was not even signed. However, when I turned to the text written out on the card and read it, being blessed of God to my heart, it did more for me and gave me greater strength and peace than all the letters, cards, and visits I received from my many friends around the world. Their words were sweet, kind, thoughtful, and greatly appreciated; but God’s Word was effectual! That word from God is found in Romans 16:20. I pray that God the Holy Spirit will make it effectual to you as you read these lines - “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

    These studies were born from my personal experience of God’s great goodness in Christ and of the blessed power of his Word to comfort, strengthen, and rejoice the hearts of his saints. They are written for the glory of God and the benefit of his people who, as long as they are in this world, are now greatly oppressed by Satan. As I write, I cannot avoid thinking of dear friends, saints of God, enduing great trials of faith. It may be that your own heart is presently overwhelmed with sorrows, trials, or temptations that seem simply too great to endure. If that is the case, take heart. If you are indeed a believer, if you trust the Lord Jesus Christ, this is God’s word to you - “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” The Lord God promises all his elect a sure, speedy, and complete triumph over Satan. Let me show you three things clearly set before us by the Holy Spirit in Romans 16:20.

    The God of peace

    The Apostle Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to give us a suitable title for our god - “The God of peace.” This title for God is found nowhere except in the writings of the Apostle Paul. But what a suitable title this is for our God, “The God of Peace” (Rom. 15:33; Phil. 4:9; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:20). In the immediate context, Paul is contrasting the work of Satan, which was manifest in strife and division, with the work of God, which is peace. The church at Rome had been enduring great turmoil from men who had, by doctrine contrary to the gospel, created strife and division in the church (vv. 17-18). “Only by pride cometh contention.” Pride “stirreth up strife” (Prov. 13:10; 28:25). And the proud doctrines of Arminian, freewill, works religion, the proud teachings of self-righteousness and legalism are the things “contrary to the doctrine” of the gospel which cause divisions and offences in the kingdom of God. Therefore, Paul tells us to mark those who teach such doctrines and avoid them. As we do, “the God of peace will bruise Satan under” our heels, and the church of God will be at peace. That is the contextual interpretation of Paul’s words. Still, I cannot avoid asking, Why did the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to give this title to our God?

    God is called “The God of Peace,” because he is the Author, Cause, and Giver of all peace, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. God alone can truthfully declare, “I make peace” (Isa. 45:7). Civil peace in the nation is God’s gift. Domestic peace in the home is God’s work. Spiritual peace in the heart can be given by none but God himself. However, this title for our God arises primarily from the fact that he is the Source, Cause, and Giver of that “peace which passeth understanding,” both in his saints and in his church.

    His thoughts toward us were “thoughts of peace” from everlasting (Jer. 29:11). The covenant of grace, which secured our salvation from eternity, is a “covenant of peace” made between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit before the world began (Isa. 54:10; Ezek. 34:25; 37:26). Because our heavenly Father is “the God of peace,” he appointed his dear Son to be the Peacemaker between men and God. It pleased God to reconcile all things to himself by Christ (Col. 1:19-22). The Lord God laid upon his Son the chastisement of our peace (Isa. 53:5).

    It is “the God of peace” who, by his Holy Spirit, speaks peace to our consciences when the blood of Christ is effectually applied to guilty souls (Heb. 9:14). We find happiness and satisfaction in this world only to the extent that “the peace of God” rules our hearts and minds (Col. 3:5). The peace of God is that peace which he gives in the believer’s heart. It is a peace from God that goes out in every direction to God again. It is the peace of reconciliation to God in Christ, the peace of confident faith in the wisdom and goodness of his providence, the peace of brotherly love, and the peace of a blessed hope with regard to eternity.

    A sure promise

    The Spirit of God inspired Paul to proclaim a sure promise for the tried. This is not a promise to everyone that is tried. When men and women live without faith in Christ, while they live as rebels to God, there are no words of comfort to be found for them or promises of goodness and grace given to them. The promises of God are not for unbelievers. If you are yet a rebel to grace and a rebel against God, there is only two promises from God that you can claim as your own: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die,” and, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!” Yet this is a sure promise to every tried, tempted, troubled believer - “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”

    Victory is sure; and it will come speedily! “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come. When Satan seems to have prevailed, and you are ready to give up, he will come! And when God arises to help, “He shall bruise Satan under your feet” with utmost speed (Gen. 3:15; Ps. 91:13; Mk. 16:18). As Christ, the seed of the woman bruised the serpent’s head, so, too, we that are Christ’s shall tread Satan under our feet. The Apostle does not say that we shall bruise Satan under our feet, but that God shall do it. Yet, Paul does not say that God shall bruise Satan under his feet, but rather, “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under feet!"

    Do you see what Paul is telling us? Whatever it is by which Satan now accuses you, opposes you, and distresses you, soon he who disturbs your peace shall trouble and molest you no more! If Satan was, for a time, permitted to harass our Master, why not us? Yet, as surely as our Savior triumphed over him, so too must we! Our Lord Jesus bruised the serpent’s head for us at Calvary (John 12:31 -33). He conquered Satan and spoiled his house when he saved us by his almighty grace (Matt. 12:29; Mk. 3:27). In delivering our souls from troubles and temptations by which Satan accuses us, disturbs our peace, and harasses us with doubts, fears, and confusion, our God bruises him under our heels (Lam. 3:21-33). Yet, the promise under consideration is a declaration that you and I shall ultimately prevail over our adversary, the devil. Soon we shall be out of the serpent’s hiss as well as out of his reach. Grace shall win the day. We are, and must forever be, “more than conquerors” through the Lord Jesus Christ. Hold out a while longer. Persevere steadfast in the faith. Be patient just a little while longer. “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” Soon, the Red Sea of your woes shall open before you. You will pass through the sea as upon dry land. When you have reached the other side, you will see all your enemies dead upon the shore. Then you will laugh and sing triumphantly the song of Moses and of the Lamb. Soon, very soon, our God shall remove us from the sphere in which Satan operates.

    The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” Study this promise carefully and understand its doctrine. It is God’s promise to every tried, troubled, Satan-harassed believer. Satan is under God’s control. He is not a rival to God, but a creature of God’s making. He is God’s devil. He cannot harm you. He is a roaring lion; but he has neither fangs nor claws. Christ pulled them out at Calvary and bound him with the chain of his sovereign omnipotence (John 12:31; Rev. 20:1-3). The only reason God allows him to roar against us is to keep us clinging to Christ. Soon you will laugh at Satan and sing for joy over all your troubles in this world. You will realize that Satan was never allowed to do anything that did not serve the interests of your immortal soul. He was created for that purpose (Heb. 1:14): and, though he rebels against it with every fiber of his being, he wilt serve that purpose.

    When the Lord God is done with our old adversary, he will cast him into the pit of fire and brimstone and consign him to the place of everlasting torment. Then, not till then, but then, we will fully understand this promise - “The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your heels shortly.” What will happen in the meantime? How can we go on with the heartaches and troubles that are crushing upon our souls? You may be thinking, "I need some help now.” You will find it in the last sentence of Romans 16:20.

    A closing prayer for believers

    Here, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write out for us a blessed benediction for the chosen - “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” The good-will of Christ is toward you. The good work of Christ shall be in you. If the grace of Christ is toward us, who or what can be against us? What is implied in this blessed benediction of grace? Let me show you these five things, and I am done.

    1. If grace comes from the Lord Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ is God, because grace is the gift and operation of God alone (Eph. 2:8).

    2. All who are redeemed by the blood of Christ are supplied with grace from Christ. Would he shed his blood for you and then withhold his grace from you? Never! (Eph. 1:6). Every redeemed sinner has, in Christ, a rightful, legitimate claim upon all the fulness of God’s grace. Forgiving grace, justifying grace, regenerating grace, sanctifying grace, and preserving grace, all grace belongs to all for whom Christ died(Eph. 1:3).

    3. The grace of Christ is sufficient for us to meet our every need in this world, even when Satan buffets us (2 Cor. 12:9).

    4. The grace of God in Jesus Christ will bring us to glory at last. Grace is glory begun. Glory is grace complete. Both are the gifts of our Lord Jesus Christ. “The Lord will give grace and glory” (Psa. 84:11).

    5. The grace of God in Christ is sure to his people and heavenly glory too - “Amen!”

    That word, “Amen,” refers to the title ascribed to God, the promise that God will bruise Satan under your feet shortly, and the blessing of grace and glory from Christ. To all these things the Holy Spirit says “Amen!” “So be it!” “So shall it be!” “Amen!” Read the promise this way - “The God of peace (Amen!) shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. (Amen!) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen!