Romans 16:20-27 NKJV
20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
In these closing verses of the book of Romans, the apostle Paul speaks of the victory of Christ over evil and the revelation of God’s eternal wisdom. Paul proclaims that “the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” Here, we find the assurance that the battle between good and evil will culminate in victory through the power of God. Even now, through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, Satan’s reign is ultimately defeated. This promise echoes the proclamation of the protoevangelium in Genesis 3:15, where God declared that the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. As believers, we are participants in this victorious outcome, standing firm against the forces of darkness through the armor of God.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” This benediction encapsulates the essence of our faith. The grace that flows from Christ’s sacrifice sustains us, empowers us, and transforms us. Our biblical understanding emphasizes that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own works. Christ’s grace is our foundation, and it is His grace that enables us to stand strong even in the face of challenges and trials.
Paul further reflects on God’s eternal wisdom revealed through Christ. The gospel Paul preached, and the message of Jesus Christ are the keys to establishing believers in faith. This wisdom, once hidden as a mystery, has been unveiled to the world. Through prophetic Scriptures, God’s plan for salvation has been made known to all nations. We, as recipients of this revelation, are called to obedience to the faith.
“To God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” These words emphasize the sovereignty and wisdom of God. In His infinite wisdom, He devised the plan of salvation, and in His grace, He executed it through the sacrifice of Christ. All glory belongs to God, who orchestrated the redemption of humanity and invites us to participate in His eternal purpose.
Let us pray: Lord, we pray that your grace may always go before and follow after us, that we may always be ready to do your good works; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.