March 5
Crushed
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. ––Romans 16:20
“He crushed it.”
“I’ve got a crush on you.”
“They suffered a crushing blow.”
Like many words in the crazy thing that is the English language, “crush” can mean a few different things. Miriam Webster’s says: “to squeeze or force by pressure so as to alter or destroy structure (e.g., to crush grapes).” It can also refer to a strong romantic feeling. It’s a word that pertains to strong forces—either physical or emotional. In the Bible, arguably the most famous verses that use the word “crush” are linked across many millennia. They include today’s verse and …
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. –– Genesis 3:15
Romans 16 is a prophetic fulfillment of what God told the serpent after he tricked Adam and Eve: “You are cursed, and you will be crushed.” Notice that God doesn’t curse Adam or Eve? Mind-blowing, considering the egregious act they’d just committed. Instead of cursing them, He clothes their nakedness (Genesis 3:21). He shows compassion, even though the consequences of their actions are real (i.e., mortality, toil, pain in childbirth). Man of God, don’t let this slip by you today: You are not condemned; you are not cursed, and you are not crushed. In Christ, the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet!
That all sounds well and good, right? What about those times in life when pretty much all we seem to experience are crushing blows and toxic words (curses)? It’s like going to the beach and getting caught on the inside on a big day when wave after wave pounds down on your head. Life is like that at times—when you just want to scream, “Okay, I cry uncle! I give up!”
The key is in what Paul actually says in Romans 16. What it doesn’t say is that we alone will crush Satan under our feet. It says: The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. In other words, it’s critical that we realize that the battle is the Lord’s; yes, we fight via our Ephesians 6 armor, but the battle is won in the Spirit. He guides our steps; He wins the battles.
What does that look like, though, in the day-to-day? How do we go from feeling crushed and cursed to walking in clarity? Again, Paul reveals the answer: He is the God of peace (Romans 16:20), which means that He is the One who brings order from disorder. When you feel confused or crushed under the weight of your problems, remember that we serve the Prince of Peace, the One who is the authority over godly, lasting peace. Satan sows chaos and violence, and will do everything in his power to make your life as unpeaceful as possible. Inviting God’s peace into an intense, chaotic situation is not a limp-wristed, “Kumbaya” response—it’s warfare, brother. A muscular, powerful, biblical act that takes resolve. It’s a posture that says, “In the midst of this confusion and chaos, I invite the God of power and peace. I exchange disorder for order, confusion for clarity, and chaos for peace.”
Father, help me remember that You are the One who guides my steps and has the power to crush Satan under my feet. I surrender control of the chaos to You, and ask for Your peace that passes understanding.