Graceful Victory

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

The word Paul was prophesying as the timing of God crushing Satan under the feet of the believers in Rome meant soon sometimes and quickly other times. There are English translations that use quickly, meaning the work will not take long, and others that use shortly, meaning the wait until the work happens will not take long.

In either event, the process includes the victor being involved in the victory. Either in the acts that make up the process of walking, which is repeatedly picking up my feet and putting them down again, or the process of picking up a foot in an act of aggression and stomping it on my enemy, my feet can’t stay on the ground and expect the kind of victory Paul described in his prophetic declaration. At least one foot has to be moving.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation—created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:8-10 HCSB ©®)

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective. However, I worked more than any of them, yet not I, but God’s grace that was with me.
(1 Corinthians 15:9-10 HCSB ©®)

Your grace will be the power that crushes our enemies, Lord. On days, it will be in front of us. On days it will be by our own actions. In either case, it is Your grace that brings the victory to pass. Keep us alert. Stir us to obedience. Show us Your victory by Your grace. Thank You!