Daily Thoughts from Romans: Crushing Satan Under Our Feet (16:17-27)

Daily Thoughts from Romans: Crushing Satan Under Our Feet

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.  (Romans 16:17-27 ESV)

Paul signs off his letter with a warning, greetings from other people the Romans know, and a benediction.

The warning is against those false teachers who say you have to observe Jewish laws of diet whose real motive is to meet their own needs, not those of the ones they flatter and deceive.  Holding to what the apostles have taught is the safest and wisest thing to do.  God promised in Genesis 3:15 that His representative, the seed of the woman, would crush the head of the serpent and restore His kingdom to earth and from the perspective of God that time, now that Jesus has come, is soon.  But every time we defeat false doctrine we are participating in a crushing of Satan’s head.

Paul blesses the Romans with a promise of God’s strengthening coming from Paul’s gospel, which he has just finished explaining in great depth, the mystery that the Gentiles are included in Israel’s promise and are to be brought to faith (obedience).  To Him be the glory through Jesus Christ.

And though I am no apostle Paul, may I add my benediction to those who have chosen to make daily reading and meditation on God’s Word their priority.  I hope you have experienced how life changing this is.