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Ask FGBC #41: Why Does The Devil Hate Women So Much?

Jim Butler · 2025-04-05 · 474 words · 3 min

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Summary

Qa

Satan's covenantal enmity toward the woman of Genesis 3:15 and the total depravity of sinful men together explain the disproportionate oppression women have suffered throughout history.

The question of why women have historically suffered disproportionate oppression and violence is examined through a biblical theological lens. Two theological threads are drawn out: Satan's covenantal enmity against the woman whose seed would crush him (Genesis 3:15), and the doctrine of total depravity, which explains how sinful men exploit the physically weaker vessel Peter describes in 1 Peter 3. The discussion concludes that the abuse of women is a symptom of human rebellion against God's creational order of male headship and protection.

Key quotes

The devil certainly would have an active interest in opposing women if woman was going to be the vehicle by which his destruction was going to come.
Peter specifically says giving honor to them as the weaker vessel. If anything, we should be promoting protection and stability and security for women.
It's just another symptom of man's aggression against the living and true God and His Christ. It's God's order that men lead, women submit, men protect, but we invert that, and we want to hurt, we want to destroy, we want to victimize, and it's a symptom of our sin.

Applications

  1. Recognise that the physical vulnerability of women is a God-given reason to extend them greater honour, protection, and security, not to exploit them.
  2. Understand violence and oppression against women as a symptom of total depravity and rebellion against God's order, and resist it accordingly.
  3. Do not allow cultural pressure inside or outside the church to obscure God's creational design: men lead and protect, and the inversion of that order is sin.

Questions this sermon answers

Why does the devil target women specifically?

Satan has a covenantal motive rooted in Genesis 3:15 — the promised seed who would crush him would come through a woman, giving him an active interest in opposing and harming women.

What does the Bible mean by calling women the 'weaker vessel'?

Peter's phrase in 1 Peter 3:7 is not a term of contempt but a call to honour: because women are more physically vulnerable, men bear a greater responsibility to protect and provide security for them.

Is the abuse of women simply a social problem, or does it have theological roots?

The discussion treats it as a symptom of total depravity — sinful men exploit those easier to victimize — and as a direct inversion of God's creational order in which men are designed to lead and protect, not to harm.

Questions and Answers

The question is, why does the devil hate women so much? So someone submitted this with a lot of examples of You see it in history, burning of widows on funeral pyres. The rule of thumb, apparently, we use that expression all the time, but apparently you couldn't use a rod thicker than your thumb to beat your wife in England and Wales in the 1800s. Afghanistan is still covering and silencing women.

Obviously you have rape, the list goes on. So, yeah, someone says read on somebody's mind or heart of just a lot of evil and oppression more towards women than men. I would suggest theologically, I'm familiar with that questioner, and thankfully, we've been able to hash it out a little bit. But theologically, there may be an axe to grind against the woman from whom the seed of the woman would be born that would crush the devil.

So, the devil certainly would have an active interest in opposing women if woman was going to be the vehicle by which his destruction was going to come. But I think, too, just, you know, something that is not obviously common or popular today, either outside the church and unfortunately in some churches, is that women are the weaker vessel. Paul says that, or Peter says that in 1 Peter chapter 3, giving honor to the weaker vessel. Well, weaker vessels are more easily victimized.

And we cannot forget the doctrine of total depravity and the abject wickedness of men. And men love to exploit, men love to hurt, men love to bully. And I would suggest that some of that targeting is on women. because they're easy, easier prey. You know, the bully doesn't pick on somebody that's a foot taller and is carrying a sidearm.

You know, when you see these mass shootings, they're always soft targets. They don't have mass shootings at gun shows. They don't have mass shootings and, you know, military installations for the most part. they have mass shootings in schools and movie theaters where there's soft targets. So, and that's not to denigrate and that's not to offend women.

I think it's just the opposite. Peter specifically says giving honor to them as the weaker vessel. If anything, we should be, you know, promoting protection and stability and security for women. It's just another symptom of God's or man's aggression against the living and true God and His Christ.

It's God's order that men lead, women submit, men protect, but we invert that, and we want to hurt, we want to destroy, we want to victimize, and it's a symptom of our sin. Yeah. Yeah. I will put enmity between you and the woman.

That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Attacking family structure.

Yes. Hates life. Women bring life into the world. Yeah.

He's obviously pro-death. Yeah.

Scripture References

Study notes

Theological terms

  • Complementarianism
  • Seed of the Woman
  • Total Depravity
  • Weaker Vessel×2