Romans 16:20, commentary and pictures

The God of peace Himself will shortly crush Satan under the feet of His faithful people, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ will be with them. The promise stands in Paul's closing charge to mark and avoid those who cause divisions contrary to the doctrine learned and deceive the simple, while believers remain obedient and wise toward good and simple concerning evil. It belongs to those who trust in Christ rather than their own wisdom, refuse Satan's seeds of doubt and unbelief, hold fast to the Word and present truth, and lean wholly on God in prayer under the molding of the Holy Spirit. Each sinner must gain this bruising of Satan as a personal victory by becoming an overcomer through the blood of Christ, humbling the heart before God, relying on the crucified and risen Saviour, and striving with all the powers of being while watching against little departures from right. Believers tread Satan underfoot now by actively resisting him in the strength of the risen Saviour, living a wholly consecrated life, and laboring for souls in darkness, while those who yield self-control to him are defeated and, though repentance may bring pardon, bear the scars of defeat.

Promise and Its Setting

The promise stands in the closing charge to take note of those who create divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine learned and to turn away from them. Such persons do not serve Christ but by smooth and flattering speech mislead the hearts of the unsuspecting, while believers are to continue obedient and wise toward what is good and unmixed toward evil. The same close holds out trust in Him who is able to establish believers according to the gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the disclosure of the mystery hidden since the world began but now revealed through the prophetic writings by command of the everlasting God made known to all nations for obedience of faith, to the only wise God be glory through Jesus Christ forever.

God Himself, and only God, will crush Satan under the feet of believers, and will do it shortly. Christ who overcame Satan in the wilderness of temptation is mightier than Satan and will soon bring that defeat under the feet of His faithful people. That short victory comes only to those who do not trust their own wisdom and ability.

The verse also pledges that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ will be with believers. It belongs to those who come into working order with Christ, whose obedience is known abroad, who are wise toward good and simple toward evil. For such co-workers a heaven of blessings is reserved, and the promise presses each one to examine whether he is meeting Christ's expectations and what his record shows.

Bruising Satan underfoot is a personal victory each sinner must gain by becoming an overcomer rather than being overcome by Satan. It comes only through the efficacy of the blood of Christ, by humbling oneself before God and relying solely on the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour who intercedes for sin-polluted souls. It requires making a business of seeking the Lord, with much prayer and weeping, and choosing Christ as one's portion forever. Angels watch with deep interest to see which side will prevail, for it is a matter of life or death.

Conditions for Victory

The promise belongs to those whose obedience is known and who are wise toward good and simple toward evil. Such wisdom refuses to make mind and heart a storehouse for seeds of doubt and unbelief and infidelity planted by Satan. It works by individual effort to strengthen faith in God and in present truth, to lift the voice in warning and reproof, to stay evil, to bring light amid darkness, and to draw back the erring from evil.

Victory comes shortly only to those who trust in Christ and do not trust their own wisdom and capabilities. It requires close connection with God and alliance with Him rather than with unbelievers. It calls for giving Him more in return for the care He exercises as a perfect Rock who keeps His people as the apple of His eye.

It belongs to those who hold to the Word, teach present truth as it is in Jesus, feel the sacredness of the work, and are much with God in prayer. It requires trusting Him implicitly, leaning wholly on a power out of and above self, and letting the Holy Spirit use and mold the person. It requires walking steadily and softly and reverentially before God and making straight paths for the feet lest the lame be turned out of the way. This care is needed because many weak in faith and experience will copy human teachers instead of looking beyond them to Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith. It requires refusing ridicule and railing accusation against persons or positions and manifesting the meekness and lowliness of Christ in a spiritual warfare against satanic powers that will never close until the final decision is made for eternity.

God gives victory to those who strive with all the powers of being in the Christian soldier's warfare. This striving refuses ignorance of Satan's devices, prays and then watches lest Satan steal upon the soul, and keeps a sharp eye on the adversary and on self, with security depending on the state of the heart. It requires taking heed to self, refusing little departures from right and little indulgences that seem trifling but lead onto a track separating from righteousness and from God, and wanting not one's own ways but God's ways.

Believers are to overcome rather than remain in sin and guilt and mourning over failures. Sharing in the divine nature and having Christ's love abide in the soul keeps self from ruling. Indulging the lower nature instead leaves a person burdened by guilt and condemnation and unable to bruise Satan underfoot. Satan is bruised underfoot by overcoming him, but those who surrender self-control and yield their thoughts and words and hearts to him are defeated instead and become his captives. Their later repentance may bring mercy and pardon, yet the wounds and scars of defeat remain.

Active Life of Overcomers

The promise is not for passive waiting but for active struggle: believers must resist Satan rather than remain in his grasp, wrenching themselves free and trampling him underfoot by striving in the strength of the risen Saviour. Victory in that conflict is joined to the crown of life, while defeat brings ruin. God will soon bring Satan beneath the feet of those who trust in Christ.

The whole church together and each member individually must tread Satan underfoot now by obtaining a higher and holier experience beautified with the attributes of Christ. That victory is what makes the church living, active, and working, by holding up hands that are ready to fall and by keeping habits, conversation, and daily life wholly consecrated on the Lord's side. It is gained by holding communion with God as divine Counselor and by a spirit of intercession and wrestling with the covenant-keeping God for themselves and for the watchmen on the walls of Zion and the workers in God's cause. The aim is that they may be clothed with the garments of salvation and have power to prevail with God, with many souls as the fruits of ministry, for God answers earnest supplications sent to Him in faith.

Believers defeat Satan by laboring for themselves and for souls in darkness and unbelief, spending their efforts to bring those souls to where living waters flow and the light of heaven can come upon them. In this way they stand among the people as a light and not as a shadow of darkness. Even those who have fallen under Satan's temptations can defeat him under their feet when they see their errors, resist the devil, overcome their own proud spirit, and make humble confession to work their way from darkness to light. Such souls have a hard battle and suffer loss, and they need help from those who are in the light to be brought out of their blinded, discouraging condition so they can begin to hope and obtain strength for that victory.

The Lord's help to trample Satan makes believers brave and strong and living channels of light. It comes by closely connecting with God and making alliance with Him rather than with unbelievers, doing their best with vigorous, earnest, noble effort and letting God do the rest, through the grace of Christ elevating and ennobling them to be altogether what God would have them to be. Victory is gained with the help God provides through God-fearing, devoted, unselfish men and holy angels ministering to those who shall be heirs of salvation, and by counseling with such men believers win the crown of life. This bruising of Satan underfoot brings assurance of being right with God, a clear title to the immortal inheritance, and not losing heaven.

That victory requires striving with all the powers of being in the Christian soldier's warfare, not being ignorant of Satan's devices, praying and then watching lest Satan steal upon the soul, and keeping a sharp eye on the adversary and on self, with security depending on the state of the heart. It requires taking heed to self, refusing little departures from right and little indulgences that seem trifling but lead onto a track separating from righteousness and from God, and wanting not one's own ways but God's ways. It is given in return for the care He exercises as a perfect Rock who keeps His people as the apple of His eye. Though God's children may be harassed and beset by Satan and those under his influence, angels will be with them in every conflict if they remain faithful.