The apostle Paul was a true father in the faith and had many children in the Spirit. His zeal and commitment to raising churches that served Jesus was a true testimony for us today. As a father, Paul often spoke of his concerns for his children. At the top of the list of concerns was an ancient enemy that has always been working against the will of God and, more specifically, Paul's gospel.
Understanding what the serpent represents in the Bible and your life will help you identify him and what he is after when he tries to deceive you. The question of what the serpent represents will come from Paul's teaching to the church of Corinth.
2 Corinthians 11:1–4
I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! For I feel a divine jealousy for you since I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
Note: Paul is the Father of the bride. In the context of this verse in 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul is giving his daughter (church) as a bride to her new Husband, Jesus Christ. Paul refers to Himself as her father in the first epistle to Corinth in 1 Corinthians 4:15. As the bride of Christ; she is to remain faithful to her husband and not as Eve, who acted against the commandment of God given to her husband, Adam.
Question
What does the serpent represent in the Bible?
Answer
The serpent represents another spirit other than God's Holy Spirit. He is another way, another gospel, and even worse, another Jesus, (antichrist spirit). It's the same idea as in the Old Testament when God spoke against worshipping "other gods." In the new, the serpent is "other" than Jesus Christ. As the church and bride of Christ, you must not be deceived to follow his words.
The serpent appears most often in the Scriptures as a wonder or an allegory that represents the spirit that deceives the saints of God.
Explanation
Paul's reference to the serpent is taken from a conversation that the first woman, Eve, had with the serpent in Genesis 3. It would help if you read that chapter to illustrate the depth of Paul's message. By reading Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 11:1-4, above, you can immediately see the connection between Eve and the church and how they are drawn away from their husband. He identifies the serpent as another jesus spirit that deceives the saints of God away from following her husband, the head of the church.
The serpent is more than a snake; he is a spirit. When you discern him as a spirit you will understand his many deceptions throughout the Bible through many different images.
The serpent that spoke to Eve is described as more subtle than any other creature of the field. He is crafty and divisive and succeeds in separating Eve from Adam. (Adam had to sin to keep them together.)
In the new covenant of Christ, you're promised eternal life with a husband who loves you enough to lay His life down for you. On the other hand, the serpent separates you from the simplicity in Christ by preaching in ways other than Jesus, your true husband. The serpent's words appear inviting to you initially because you can't discern them, but they are all lies. He builds you up with many promises, telling you you don't need a husband.
He makes you think you can be like Jesus (the husband) and possess heaven without having to be in submission to a husband. But these lies only bring you fear and shame without anyone to cover your weakness. His lies break up your marriage with Christ and bring you to loneliness. This evil serpent will not come through on his promises. He only cares about breaking up your marriage.
The serpent is often used in the Scriptures to represent the spirit that deceives the saints of God. You must be on guard if a serpent is present because he is coming to break up your marriage with the Lamb of God. (If the serpent deceives you, your salvation is your return to your husband in marriage.)
There is much more to say about the serpent, the ancient creature called the Devil and Satan, but that's for another time. Today, I want to emphasize this revelation by saying that God uses the serpent to represent the evil that works day and night to deceive the saints of God to leave His kingdom and marry another.
What to do
Obey your Father and stay close to your engagement with your husband. Do not let any other words into your heart that contradict the words you've been taught and received, mainly the teaching of Jesus Christ and your marriage to Him.
Scriptural References
2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Genesis 3; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5, 1 Timothy 2:13-15; Revelation 12:9, 15, 20:2