But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool (Hebrews 10:12-13 NIV).

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Every summer I watch a lot of soccer. It’s not the professional type soccer on TV from my couch, but the pre-teen/teenage boys running around grass fields here in Alaska (usually in the rain, unfortunately). Two of my sons play in tournaments, and so sometimes there are multiple games to watch in one weekend. There are rarely scoreboards at these games, and so unless I am really on top of it to set a timer, I never really know how much time is left in a game. If our team is winning, I am on the edge of my seat, hoping the opponents don’t score a last-minute goal. If we are losing, I am hoping there are just enough minutes left to sneak in one more goal. And if we are losing badly, I am wondering how many more minutes until I get to go back to my warm car. But the game isn’t over until you hear the referee blow his or her whistle three times. And then I know the waiting is over. The outcome is now set. We have either won or been defeated by our opponents.

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In our Scripture verse today from chapter 10 of Hebrews, we see Christ as “this priest”  who is waiting after he completed his sacrifice for sins. It says he is waiting for “his enemies to be made his footstool.” This interesting phrase is a metaphor that comes from conquerors putting their feet on the necks of their conquered enemies. There is an example of this in the Bible in Joshua 10:24: “When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, ‘Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.’ So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.”

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I don’t particularly love this image, but I think it is helpful to think about all the power being taken from an evil enemy. The bad guys no longer have any authority or control over you if they have been reduced to your footstool.  

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So, we know Christ has won the victory – we are on the winning team – but the Bible tells us the final whistle has not yet been blown.

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Christ has done the work of sacrifice for our sins, but he is waiting for the time when all will be made right, when there will no longer be enemies trying to destroy us, make us suffer, or pull us away from God.

According to one Bible commentary, “This waiting is not uncertainty, but a demonstration of God’s patience and the unfolding of His divine plan.” We are promised in the Bible that Christ will return one day and set all things right (Rev. 21:5).

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But we also have power over our enemies now. In Luke 10:19, Jesus says “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” While there are things in this earthly life that do harm us, ultimately, we as believers cannot be taken from God, and we are not powerless to fight against evil until Jesus returns and sets all things right. We know the final outcome; we don’t have to anxiously wait, like a mom at a soccer game, to see who wins. We have been promised victory when Christ returns.  

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A few things to remember as we live in light of these promises:

1. We don’t have to worry about whether good or evil will win in the end. Christ is victorious over sin and death.

2. Christ is seated, so the work is finished. Our salvation is secure.

3. We have power from the Holy Spirit to fight evil here and now while we wait.

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God, please help us to wait as those who have assurance of the victory that we can claim as those who follow Christ, who is seated at the right hand of the Father. May we wait with hope and confidence that we can face whatever comes because Christ conquered sin and death on the cross. In his mighty name, Amen.