In the narrative of Christian theology, Satan represents the principal adversary, actively working to lead humanity away from God by trying to convince us He can’t be trusted. Yet, if we accept that God’s attributes surpass any of His creations, including Satan, then the Devil’s power to deceive and corrupt is ultimately temporary and inferior to God’s power to save and restore:
“As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.”
Romans 14:11-12
To suggest that anything can ultimately interfere with God’s promises would imply that someone or something possesses the ability to thwart God’s ultimate plan, even in part, thereby imposing a limitation on God’s endless omnipotence and omniscience.
“As surely as I live” underscores the certainty and authority of God’s declarations. By invoking His own life, God is not only confirming the surety of His promise but also connecting His eternal, unending existence to the inevitability of His plans coming to fruition. This phrase emphasizes the unchangeable nature of God’s promises based on His eternal existence and sovereign power. It’s a declaration of God’s omnipotence and His sovereignty over all things.
In the context of God’s desire for all to be saved and Satan’s attempts to lead humanity astray, we find reassurance that God’s purposes will indeed prevail despite Satan’s obvious yet temporary influence. Since Satan isn’t fighting God over land but over souls, his primary tactic in opposing God is to distort the human understanding of God and His love. By altering how we perceive and practice love, Satan aims to undermine the very essence of God’s character and His commandments, which are rooted in love. This deception leads people away from true divine love—selfless and sacrificial—and towards an understanding of a self-centered, transactional, conditional, and fear-based version of God and His love that has little to do with the biblical definition.
However, God’s grand plan for salvation and restoration of all things is sure and will be fulfilled because it is grounded in His loving, unchanging, unconditional, and eternal nature. Until then, we are called to live, walk, and see by faith, not by sight, “until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.” (Acts 3:21)
Paul Reiterates an Ancient Vow
The outcome mentioned in the verse, where “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God,” points to a future reality where God’s supremacy is universally recognized and accepted. This aligns with the idea that God’s power to save and restore is far superior to any deception or corruption Satan might introduce.
Romans 14:11 suggests nothing new but simply recaptures what God “promised long ago through his holy prophets.” For instance, in Isaiah 45:23 it is written:
By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.
Isaiah 45:23
Paul and Isaiah vividly illustrate a future in which not few, not some, not even many, but a future where every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, underscoring a universal acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty and goodness. This imagery is declarative, indicating a state of complete and total submission to God’s divine authority across all creation. But what does submission mean? Why will everyone bow their knees, and what will every tongue confess/swear?
Every Knee Will Bow
In the ancient world, bowing one’s knees was a gesture of profound respect and allegiance, typically reserved for deities and kings. In Daniel 3:16-18, three Jewish men refuse to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar, believing such honor should be reserved for God alone. To the Hebrew mind, therefore, the phrase “every knee will bow” signifies a freely chosen act of worship. True worship expresses love and respect, not fear (1 John 4:18).
Every Tongue Confess
In Hebrew, the word “TISHABA,” describing the action of the confessing tongue in Isaiah 45:23, means “shall take an oath” or “to swear.” Publicly confessing with one’s tongue is a way to affirm allegiance and reverence. When a king goes to war, his subjects are expected to pledge their allegiance to him, even to the extent of sacrificing their lives for their sovereign. This act of swearing loyalty signifies a profound commitment and devotion based on admiration.
In this context, bowing knees and confessing/swearing tongues do not suggest the notion of humiliation, punishment, or degradation but rather a willful surrender out of adoration and respect. These verses suggest that somehow, and willingly through divine persuasion, all hearts will fall in love with God, which will be evident by words (swearing tongues) and actions (bowing knees).
This article was a copy-paste from my new book on hell: HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine
