The war between the serpent and the seed of the woman looms large across Jesus’ whole life and ministry, as he casts out demons, heals the sick, reconciles outcasts to himself, and announces the arrival of the kingdom. The real conquest is underway. What Adam and Israel failed to do — namely, drive the serpent from God’s holy garden and extend his reign to the ends of the earth — the Last Adam and True Israel will accomplish once and for all. The serpent’s head is crushed and the powers of evil are disarmed (Ro. 16:20; Col. 2:14–15). Death and hell no longer have the last word. Oppressors and those who perpetrate violence, injustice, and suffering throughout the earth have been delivered their own death warrant. In the meantime, it is a time of grace — when enemies are reconciled and even Satan’s coconspirators can be forgiven, justified, and renewed as part of God’s new creation.
— Michael Horton, “The Christian Faith” (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Zondervan, 2011), 501
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Thanks for sharing this.
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Ah yes… the poetic theology of Michael Horton, served with a side of semi-postmillennial spice and a garnish of Reformed optimism. But let’s hold this claim up to the light and see what actually glows with biblical glory and what flickers with hopeful extrapolation.
Yes, the war between the serpent and the Seed is the through-line of Scripture. Genesis 3:15 is not just a prophecy, it’s a battle cry. And Christ is the bruised heel that crushed the serpent’s head. No argument there. Colossians 2:15 says He disarmed rulers and authorities, triumphing over them by the cross. Amen.
But let’s not pretend like the war is wrapped and the victory parade is rolling down Main Street just yet. Romans 16:20 says “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet”… future tense. Revelation 20 shows the devil still slithering until he’s finally thrown into the lake of fire. That’s not metaphor, that’s mop-up. So yes, the decisive blow has landed, but don’t confuse D-Day with V-Day. The serpent’s head is crushed, but the tail’s still thrashing. And if you’ve looked around lately, you’ll notice it’s still bruising heels and deceiving nations.
This line… “oppressors and those who perpetrate violence have been delivered their death warrant” …reads bold in print, but try telling that to the church in North Korea, or the persecuted saints in Nigeria, or even the children trafficked in Western cities while lawmakers twiddle their thumbs. Evil hasn’t been evicted from the earth yet. It’s been exposed, defeated at the cross, but not yet erased.
This is still the time of tension. The kingdom has come, but it’s not yet consummated. The King has landed, but the cleanup is ongoing. The gospel is advancing, praise God, but so is the resistance. Satan’s co-conspirators can be forgiven, yes, but don’t water down that grace into a ceasefire. The cross wasn’t a peace treaty with darkness. It was a divine invasion.
So let’s preach the triumph of Christ, absolutely. But let’s not downplay the ongoing fight. This isn’t peacetime. It’s wartime grace. And the church isn’t called to admire the conquest from a safe pew… we’re called to pick up the sword and march in the footsteps of the Victor.
—Sincere Seeker. Scripturally savage. Here for the Truth.
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Too often we rush to celebrate triumph without acknowledging the cost or the unfinished work of redemption in our world. The serpent’s head is crushed, yes—but as you said, the tail is still thrashing, and its sting is felt deeply by our persecuted brothers and sisters.