“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), Galatians 3:13 (Deuteronomy 21:23 is referenced here about the person who hangs on a tree being cursed.)

The definition of a “curse,” used in several different contexts is… malediction, the evil eye, imprecation, execration, voodoo, hoodoo; anathema, excommunication; North American English, hex; informal, jinx; archaic malison, ban. Also, evil, blight, scourge, plague, cancer, canker, poison. Also, affliction, burden, cross to bear, bane, bitter pill, misfortune, misery, ordeal, trial, tribulation, torment, trouble, problem. 

The word “curse” conjures up all sorts of images of witches and warlocks chanting and casting spells on people. These are those who do the devil’s work. I think we can agree on one thing: by any definition, a curse is not a good thing and most of us do not want it in our lives.

So in this Galatians verse, we see that Jesus redeemed (or purchased, bought up, or paid a ransom for) us from every curse, by becoming cursed Himself on our behalf. Just like He became sin in our place, at the same time, He bore the curse in our place because the Law said everyone who hangs on a tree is cursed. We have been rescued from the curse which is where the devil works. We can be protected from him. Psalm 91 lays out how a person can live in the shelter of the Most High and experience this protection from evil.

While all of this is true, if a believer persists in living in sin, especially after coming to knowledge of the truth, there will be consequences because that person is living in the devil’s territory. The consequences are spelled out in Deuteronomy 28. But God still loves him and will continue to work with him.

Deuteronomy Chapter 28 in the Old Testament clearly lays out the blessings and curses that would come to the people of God: blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The curse just means a person is operating in the devil’s territory. There are consequences for disobedience. We teach our children that. But there is still God’s grace in this dispensation.

There were many consequences I rightly should have experienced in my pre born-again days, but I did not. I believe I was protected from some consequences, most likely because King Jesus knew I was gonna see it His way eventually! It is actually quite amazing that I escaped with few penalties. And even after salvation, I was not living perfectly, so there is grace and cleansing available for us, and we still belong to Him. He knows we are but dust, as the Psalm says, but it is not an excuse to continue in known sin.

Psalm 139:5 in the TPT may give a clue:

“You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. With your hand of love upon my life, you impart a blessing to me.”

It is not revealed in the Old Testament why things work this way, and people always accuse God of taking away their “fun,” but in the New Testament, we learn there is an evil one working among us. He lives here in the earth, and is always working to harm men and women. There is nothing good in him. So obedience to God in the Old Testament was the only way to keep people safe from the works of this fallen angel who took dominion after tempting the first man and woman to disobey God. We also see this devil making an appearance in the story of Job in the first two chapters. He is a real entity who makes war against us and is seeking to destroy us.

But in Jesus Christ, we have been given authority over him. We have been purchased from the devil’s domain of darkness and sin, lifted out, and seated spiritually in heavenly places in Christ. See Ephesians 2:6. In His death, a great exchange took place: He became sin in our place and gave us His righteousness. By being crucified on a tree, He also became the curse in our place, so we wouldn’t have to suffer it.