Satan, the serpent, is the evil spirit that works in fallen man (Eph. 2:2). This evil spirit does not lie dormant, but actively works in the children of disobedience. Consider, as an example, how Satan worked in Judas, the man who betrayed the Lord Jesus (John 13:2, 27; 6:70). How Satan worked in that pitiful man! We have already seen that Peter was referred to as Satan (Matt. 16:23). If we did not have such a record as Matthew 16, no one would believe that Peter, a leading apostle, could have become Satan. Furthermore, even after the day of Pentecost Ananias and Sapphira were filled with Satan and lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). Ananias and Sapphira were not in a gambling casino; they were in the church after the day of Pentecost. Nevertheless, they were filled with Satan.
Now we know Satan's whereabouts. He is not far from us; he is within us. Some Christians think to themselves, "After we are saved and are in the Body of Christ, Satan has nothing to do with us." This thought is not the voice of the Holy Spirit; it is the voice of the subtle serpent, and the preaching of this concept is the lie of the serpent. We all must be on the alert because even now the subtle one is still present with us. As long as we are in the old creation, the serpent remains within us.
Now we need to see who the woman is. Undoubtedly, the woman in Genesis 3:15 firstly is Eve. Secondly, as all the fundamental teachers agree, this woman also refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus, because the seed of the woman was the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus was not born of a man, but of a woman, a virgin. Hence, His title is "the seed of the woman." However, the woman has a threefold significance, not only signifying Eve and the virgin Mary, but also the woman revealed in Revelation 12.
The woman of Revelation 12:1 is a universal woman who includes all the people of God. Therefore, she is a corporate woman. However, some people interpret the woman of Revelation 12 as Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus. But Mary was an individual, local virgin. If we read Revelation 12, we can see that the woman unveiled there is universal, not local. She has twelve stars upon her head, the moon under her feet, and is clothed with the sun. All of this certainly indicates that she is universal and corporate. The best way to interpret the Bible is to consult other portions of the holy Word. We see a similar vision in Joseph's dream (Gen. 37:9). In that dream Joseph saw the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars. The sun signified Jacob, Joseph's father; the moon signified Joseph's mother; and the eleven stars signified Joseph's brothers. Therefore, in principle, the sun, moon, and stars together represent the entire body of God's people. Thus, the woman in Revelation 12 is not an individual, local virgin. She is universal and corporate, including all the people of God.
According to the Bible, the people of God can be classified into three categories: the patriarchs, Israel, and the church. The patriarchs, who came before the nation of Israel, are signified in Revelation 12 by the stars. Israel, which lived during the dark time, is signified by the moon under the woman's feet. When the Lord Jesus came, the sun shone (Luke 1:78-79), and the church came into existence. In a sense, during the present age the church is in the sun, in the day. So, the church is represented by the sun. Now we can see that this woman is composed of the patriarchs, Israel, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, and all the church people. She includes all the people of God beginning with Adam and continuing throughout the Old Testament period and the New Testament age until the time that the Lord Jesus returns. We are all included in this woman.
I have stated many times that our position before God is that of a woman. Our status is not that of a man, but of a wife, for we are all a woman before God. Do not consider that you are a wise, strong, capable man. If you assume this kind of position, you are immediately fallen. Whether we are brothers or sisters, we all have the same position before God—that of a wife. We must say, "Lord, I stand on the position of a wife. I know nothing and I can do nothing. Lord, I put my trust in You. You are my husband." Whenever we take such a position, leaning upon the Lord Jesus, we all are a part of the woman. All of the patriarchs were people like this. The genuine Israelites and all the people in the church throughout the generations have been people like this. We also must be people like this. We need to say, "O Lord, apart from You we are helpless and can do nothing. We put our trust in You." We must realize that according to the Bible the woman signifies the weaker vessel (1 Pet. 3:7).