My painting, “Fall of the Ancient Serpent,” echoes back to Genesis 3:15: “He will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel.” At the cross, Christ accomplished the promise God had given to the Serpent at the Fall of man. Though it seemed that Satan had finally defeated the Messiah, on the third day he discovered that even death was nothing more than a bruised heel to God. Christ crushed the head of the Serpent for good at His resurrection, and like the figure in the painting, He gives us strength to stand against the Devil’s schemes as we dwell in Him.

When we put on the Armor of God, we are not strong in ourselves, but “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” Christ has already accomplished all, but it is our job to follow in His steps and put on His armor to battle the powers of this dark world. My piece, “Fall of the Ancient Serpent,” is meant to have a dual meaning. The warrior is Christ, who put on the armor of God perfectly in His time on earth and defeated Satan once and for all. The warrior is also every individual who chooses to clothe themselves with the Lord’s protection: truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Holy Spirit. Through His strength alone, we stand firm and become more than conquerors.

NFS

I do commissions for individuals upon request, and sell prints of some of my work upon request. If you are interested in my work, contact me through my email, miam.hershberger@gmail.com, through my website, miahershberger.com, or through instagram @minettestudio.