I believe that eating the snake, just as Joshua said that the enemy would be bread for them, gives us the connection in which the incorruptible life of God is given into the mortal flesh, as Isaiah Promises:

Isaiah 34:15
the arrow snake shall make her nest and lay eggs
And hatch, and gather them under her shadow;
There also shall the hawks be gathered,
Every one with her mate

I have read that there is a difference between something that is poisonous and something that is venomous, as what is poisonous causes harm in coming into contact with it, and as what is venomous won't cause harm if there is no internal contact. So we could eat a rattlesnake, and not have the venom contact our blood directly through an opening or wound, and we could be poisoned if the venom comes into direct contact with our blood.

The barricade that we have which we have to overcome, is the connection between what is incorruptible in us, and what is corruptible in us. This is just like Isaiah 40 saying that the flower fades and is blown away, and Paul saying that our outward person corrupts but our inward person is renewed. In truth, whenever our outward person fades and blows away, in regards to sin and life, then we come unto also receiving God's gift for us, as we are renewed. This relationship is what guides His life being given into our mortal flesh, as the life we receive from Him is incorruptible, or else we are not yet perfected in love. And so just as with what is venomous and what is poisonous we have the precedent of what is incorruptible and what is corruptible, and the how of having His incorruptible life in our corruptible flesh, and having our incorruption not be damaged when what is corrupted manifests. This relationship can also be likened unto sperm, as only one sperm enters the egg, but there are other innumerable other sperms with the given seed. In representation the sperm that enters the egg is the chosen seed, while the other seeds are called, but not chosen. The balance and promise in this comes as every sperm contains all of the life that is found in every other sperm, but the chosen sperm is what manifests at the time, or is one aspect of the whole picture that is focused on. When the chosen sperm is preserved and not 'lost' so are the other sperms preserved in it. The whole entire body of the female can then also benefit, physically and spiritually, and in oneness, in every tense, from the sperms that do not enter the egg.

In fighting Satan and the sons of God and being tested as Smyrna it is helpful to try and find things to work on, in the time that there is, as in not running away. This is waiting on the LORD, and doing it as a 'server.' This is the balance between Mary and Martha as one was at His feet and the other was preparing things. Are we never to be concerned with preparing things? But waiting on the LORD, as our spoil in victory grows, there can be a set back. Darkness could keep manifesting in a way in which we are only continually being faced with what has not been fulfilled yet, and this can lead to discouragement, and a type of separation anxiety can occur.