Psalm 91:13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
This sounds very familiar, doesn’t it? Jesus told his disciples in Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Not only has God sent forth angels to keep us in all our ways, he has given us authority over the enemy. Satan has not lost all of his power yet, but he has lost his authority over us. We are to “tread or trample” on the enemy. To tread or to trample is defined as: to oppress, to stomp on, to trample underfoot. Are you oppressing the devil? Do you see him completely under your foot today?
I really like the last 2 lines here. “Are you oppressing the devil? Do you see him completely under your foot today?” I like that it gives me a picture to see myself as the one doing the oppressing.
The enemy often uses guilt and condemnation to keep people from using the authority God has given us. I know that has happened to me in the past. We stand in Jesus’ righteousness, not our own. Even if we do sin, it still does not give the enemy the legal right to attack us. I really like this example, if I leave my front door wide open as I leave for work it may make it easier for a thief to steal from me, but it does not give him the legal right to do so. Even if we mess up we can know that Jesus paid for our sins and gave us His righteousness, then take authority over the enemy, putting a stop to his work.
Amen!