A few Sunday nights ago I preached a message about endurance. God is the God of endurance and encouragement. He wants us to be like Him, so we regularly find Him putting us in places (and with people) to increase our endurance. No strange thing is happening when we’re tempted to freak out because God is restoring and transforming us into His image.

On one hand, we can’t go any further back in the story than God’s own character. The theological reason that endurance is good is because the eternal God is the God of endurance. But, perhaps it would also be helpful to go back and reconsider the temporal reason that we endure, the theological reason that endurance is necessary. It’s good to know in Romans 15 that God gives us strength in this long project, but when did the project start? It started in Genesis 3.

Genesis 3 reports the single most tragic story of all time. No other single event in human history has had such far reaching, penetrating, and catastrophic consequences. The Bible hinges on this chapter. Once we walk through this wardrobe door we enter an entirely other country, and there is no return.

We live in a Genesis 3 world. Genesis 3 slingshots us into the rest of Genesis, the rest of the Old Testament, and the reason why the New Testament is so important. Genesis 3 sets the stage for early Monday mornings and for cars that need the oil changed every 3000 miles and for why people die.

The same chapter also makes it clear that the human problem is not being human, the human problem is disobeying God. It clarifies that dirt isn’t the problem, but that getting thistles out of the dirt so the fruit can grow will be sweaty. It clarifies that immaturity (in the right place) isn’t a problem, but that getting a little bundle of immaturity out of a woman’s belly is going to hurt. It clarifies that a man being different than a woman isn’t the problem, but that if one person starts demanding the other person’s role there will be problems. And it clarifies that all those challenges will be part of an ongoing war because that’s how God made it.

We’re relatively familiar with the events in chapter 3…as dualists. I’d argue that that’s part of the serpent’s strategy, but I’ll try to explain.

In Act One, Adam and Eve were minding God’s business in the garden until the serpent came and suggested that minding God’s business was a scam by God to keep them from the really good life. The serpent promised that they could be like God. Of course, they already were, in that they were made in His likeness. The serpent scammed them and got them to despise their lives of dependence. The problem was that they could have no life in independence.

In Act Two, God pursued the sinners who had run and made clothes out of excuses for their embarrassment.

In Act Three, paradise is lost as God judged and revealed the consequences of sin. When they rebelled, they died; they were separated from the source of life. God cursed the serpent (14-15), multiplied the woman’s pain, both physically in her childbearing and figuratively in her marriage (16), and made man’s life one of striving and toil until he dies (17-19). If we would enjoy an accurate worldview, we really need to read God’s judgment carefully.

The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life. (verse 14)
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” (verse 15)

To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.” (verse 16)

And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,‘
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.” (verses 17-19)

Two appetizer observations.

First, nobody gets away with anything before God. Everybody involved received judgment, and Adam and Eve received mercy. Not all of the judgment came immediately; perhaps most did not. Judgments don’t today either, but that doesn’t mean anyone is getting away with anything.

Second, neither the man or the woman were cursed. Eve and Adam were punished, they were not cursed. The serpent was cursed (verse 14) and the ground was cursed (verse 17), but childbirth doesn’t hurt because of “the curse.” Image-bearers are confronted with the cursed serpent and soil, but they themselves aren’t cursed.

The woman’s image-bearing is effected. Her primary responsibility—childbearing, and her primary relationship—to her husband, are altered. The woman’s home, the place where her work and attention are directed, is now frustrated because of sin. On a daily basis she is reminded of the disastrous consequences of sin.

The man’s image-bearing is also effected. If he wants to eat, it will be by the sweat of your face, or actually, by the sweat of your “nose,” as the wearisome, hot labor stings the eyes and drips off one’s nose. The picture is bending over, uncomfortable, stiff, or even back-breaking work.

Just because we don’t live in an agricultural society where most of our men plow the field, don’t think we’ve elevated ourselves beyond the touch of God’s curse. Computer viruses and blue screens of death and flat tires are part of the vain world. If we think we’ll have a job without problems, we are as deceived as Eve.

Two main dish applications.

The pain and difficulty of our responsibilities and relationships after the fall do not make them worthless, just painful and difficult.

The spiritual people—the dualists—act as if once sin arrived, the only God-honoring worldview is to neglect or reject things temporal, things earthy. That is a lie.

Having babies may be a god for some ladies. Acting like babies are a bother and thank goodness that when we get to heaven we won’t have to deal with squirming during the worship service is another lie. For men, becoming a workaholic or working for sake of mammon is anti-image-bearing. But acting like work can be separated from worship, or as if work is merely a necessary evil, is to act like sin made work, which is a lie.

The pain and sweat remind us, daily, that we are dependent. Are you tired? Does that make you pray for strength? Woohoo! Or, Woot! if you prefer. Then you can reflect the God or strength in a way that glorifies Him rather than trying to be your own source of strength. Endurance is not worthless.

We are in a war zone that we cannot escape because God established it.

The whole spiritual war imagery can be understood naively, even falsely. But it is really important for our worldview.

God established enmity between the serpent and the woman and between his offspring and her offspring (verse 15). The last part of the verse guarantees the ultimate end, “the [seed of the woman] shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.” We learn later that the seed of the woman is Jesus. But those who are brought into Jesus’ kingdom can also be considered offspring of the woman. There are two types of soldiers and only two types, and only soldiers, no civilians in this conflict.

To be a Christian is to be in constant, total war. We have no say in the matter, and no one is exempt from serving. This war is not just some sideline feature of the Christian life. It is the Christian life. Every step toward seeing “every knee bow” before the Lord of glory is an act of war, whether in faithfulness or hatred. Until that point, the war is ruthless and relentless. The horrific enemy onslaught never ceases. (Classical Education and the Homeschool, 53)

The two sides have co-existed among each other ever since Genesis 3. There is an uninterrupted antithesis, a sharp contrast or opposition between two things or sides. Though the antithesis exists, it is not always obvious which side is which. Sometimes the antithesis is obvious; rebels wearing rebel colors. But as often as anything, God’s children wear rebel colors. They may do it immaturely because they do not pay attention to the battle.

Jonathan came at it from a different angle back on a Sunday night in June, “Taking Over the World”. Jesus is Lord over all, so He cares about all we do in all the places we go at all times. But this is part of the battle, right? If the serpent can convince us that Jesus is Lord way over there, but not here, then he can get us to wear his uniform. Except Genesis 3 reveals that there is no neutrality. The serpent may suggest that khaki is neutral, not blue or gray, so we can be Switzerland. Then whose counsel are we following? Isn’t the serpent known for deceiving?

So what?

At the beginning of the year we worked through some thoughts on corporate worship and liturgy. In particular, we considered that worship transforms us and unites us and directs us. We also considered that it is an act of war. So when we worship we pick up the battering ram and charge at unbelief with songs. The conflict between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent is about worship. Worship God or worship another god, or even become one yourself. When we praise the true God together, we are raising the colors and declaring our allegiance and joining forces against the rebels.

We have trouble thinking that worship is war because we do not think there is a war. Or, if we do, we think that war means taking up arms or perhaps arguments (and arguments do have a place, see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). But adoration of God, through the seed of the woman, through Christ, angers the snot out of the serpent and his offspring. When we meet and sing and pray, we’re treading on territory he thinks he owns. We’re saying No. We don’t take Sunday’s off because the serpent doesn’t. Boom!

Take another example. Marriage is not a hindrance to our spiritual warfare. Sin is a hindrance to marriage as spiritual warfare.

Does the serpent and his offspring have an interest in promoting homosexuality? You bet. Is homosexuality part of the spiritual war. No doubt. Should Christians fight? Yes, we should speak truly from God’s Word and call it sin. Yes we should demonstrate how it cuts at the foundation of Trinitarian image-bearing. Yes we should warn about God’s judgment and His offer of the gospel for any who believe.

But those we ought to do and not be bitter against our wives. It is just as much a part of the battle not to be angry with our spouses or kids. The battle line over homosexuality is not only in Washington government buildings but at your front door when you walk in at 5:20 after work. Jesus is Lord over your threshold, what colors will you wear when you walk in?

We’d prefer that to think that how we treat our families isn’t as important as legislation. That’s the kind of thinking that leads to legislation. The serpent has camouflaged the battlefield.

Clothes, modesty. God made Adam and Eve clothes as another reminder of their rebellion, and also an evidence of Yahweh’s mercy and kindness.

Parenting is a huge category, so just take interruptions. Are reactions to interruptions neutral? How would the serpent like you to react? How about the God’s Spirit? Uncritical thinking about commercials (what are they really selling me?), the reason for the onslaught of political ads is because this is WAR. What do the ads make you think? That you deserve better? Or that Christ’s crown rights are ignored (think English and Scottish reformations)? How about social media, recycling, dinner time, vacations, education, movies, Life to Life groups?

Not showing up for work is a battle loss. In some cases, it leads to a glance, which leads to adultery and murder and cover up and the death of thousands. And their story being printed in the best-seller of all time in a plethora of languages.

How do you know which decision won’t matter? How do you know which disobedience—say, eating fruit you weren’t supposed to—won’t cause the fall of the human race? Thankfully, that only happens once.

Conclusion

Do you want to give up? Give in? Is endurance hard? You bet it is. It’s more difficult than we can see. We are wrestling not against flesh and blood but against the temptation to be jerks. When we become Christians, Jesus doesn’t take the fight out of us, He enables us to fight 1) on the right side and 2) with joy.

We must do more than say that the serpent is not great, we’ve got to fight him.

Being angry that we have to battle doesn’t eliminate it. We totally would have done the same. It is hypothetical (of no real value) and arrogant (really quite foolish) to think that if we were in the garden, we wouldn’t have sinned. Blaming our problems on Adam demonstrates that we came from him.

After the initial rebellion, God imposed the war between His people and His enemies. It was no accident. The war was decreed. … Since this is constant, total war is divinely imposed, we can hope for no peace except on the sovereign King’s terms. To lust after peace and compromise in the midst of such a war is the highest form of rebellion. To seek peace and compromise when God calls for war is to seek to deface God Himself. (ibid., 54)

God is serious about sharing Himself with us as He’s serious about sharing His Trinitarian joy with us and showing us the good life. For the time being, His wisdom established a battle. He’s calling us a soldiers. It’s not if, but what side we’re fighting for.

War! What is it good for? We can’t be properly heavy without understanding the battle. We can’t be properly hopeful without understanding the battle and, in particular, looking to Christ who is the Savior.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (Romans 16:20)