The War We Live In, The Victory We Stand On
By Dianne Prince
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”— Genesis 3:15 (NKJV)
In our scripture today, God speaks directly to the devil. After the enemy deceives humanity into eating the forbidden fruit, God declares that an ongoing conflict will exist between good and evil. Yet He also declares the final outcome: Jesus wins.
Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to good people? Have you ever looked toward heaven and asked, “What now, Lord? Why me, Lord? When will this end, Lord? When will my change come?” Have you ever thought, “What else could possibly happen?”
It all goes back to Genesis 3:15—the war between good and evil. Good and evil exist side by side because we live in a fallen world, and the prince of this fallen world is the enemy. We live among people who choose what is right and others who choose what is wrong. Your loved one gets saved but then falls away. Your neighbor appears trustworthy but proves otherwise.
The enemy is active not only in our lives but also in the details surrounding our lives. You fix the refrigerator, and then the car breaks down. You repair the car, and then the roof leaks. You finally gather the funds to fix the roof, and an unexpected illness comes. You recover from the illness, and a catastrophe beyond your control follows. As long as we are on this earth, there will be a perpetual struggle—a continuous battle between good and evil.
Here is the takeaway from today’s lesson: in this life, the enemy will always nip at your heel. He will always place stumbling blocks in your path. Although the nip may irritate you, it will not defeat you. Although the stumble may slow you, it will not destroy you. Why? Because Jesus has already won the war at Calvary. And He has empowered you to overcome the battles you face here on earth.
When the enemy becomes active and you feel worn down by the pressures of life, remember that Jesus died to give you spiritual power to press forward and endure to the end. So, rise up. Reach deep within yourself through prayer, and draw on the power God has placed within you. Keep moving forward, even in adverse times.
The battle may be constant, but the victory is already yours.
