It was certainly a curse for the serpent to creep on his belly and to eat dust all the days of his life. In this curse pronounced upon the serpent something is hidden and implied. As God judged the serpent, He limited Satan's activity and move to the earth. A bird is free and can soar in the air whenever it wishes. The serpent, on the contrary, has no such freedom, but is restricted to the earth. As long as we are above the earth, the serpent, the Devil, Satan, cannot touch us. When we are transcendent, we are over him. However, if we also creep on the earth, we will be where he is. We will become his companion and creep together with him and all the other creeping things. But we are not creeping on this earth—we are transcendent.
A second aspect of the curse pronounced upon the serpent was that the serpent was limited to eating only dust. Dust is the serpent's food. We were made from dust. If we are earthy, living in an earthy manner, we become the serpent's food and he will devour us (1 Pet. 5:8). If you are an earthy person, dealing with your wife or living with your husband in an earthy way, you will immediately become food for the Devil. Many families are completely swallowed up by the Devil because they are so earthy. Why does it seem that your marriage life is being devoured by the Devil? Because your marriage life is earthy and full of dust.
In God's condemnation upon the serpent He gave Satan a limitation: the serpent cannot move above the earth and he cannot eat anything except dust. God created man with a spirit, a soul, and a body. Although the body and the soul are earthy, the spirit is not. Since our spirit is not earthy, it is not supposed to be Satan's food. The serpent is only allowed to eat the dust. Our fallen body and soul are the food of Satan, but our spirit is different. The human spirit is not earthy; so it should not be Satan's food. Whenever we walk in our flesh we become a delectable dish for Satan, and whenever we are soulish we become a meal for the Devil. However, whenever we turn to the spirit, forgetting the body and the soul, Satan has nothing to eat. When we turn to the spirit, Satan is limited. Praise the Lord for the limitation that God in His judgment has pronounced over the serpent.
We do not need to creep on the earth and we do not have to be earthy. Sisters, when your husband or children give you a difficult time, you do not need to remain on the earth. You can exercise your spirit and immediately soar to the heavens, and the Devil will be unable to touch you. The "serpent" is limited to the earth and is only permitted to eat the earthy things. If you soar to the third heavens you will say, "Satan, what are you doing there? You are just playing with my husband and with my naughty children. Satan, I am here in the third heaven, and you cannot touch me. You cannot devour me. I can crush you under my feet." "Now the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Rom. 16:20). In order to crush Satan we must be above him. If we are under him, how can God crush him under our feet? Since "the serpent" has been limited to this earth, it is so easy for us to tread upon him. Praise the Lord that in judging "the serpent" God preached the gospel. God has limited Satan's move and diet. After pronouncing this judgment on the serpent, God proclaimed the glad tidings found in Genesis 3:15.