TREAD AND TRAMPLE
- DAY 73
- Fear File: YOU
- Scripture: Psalm 91:13
“You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot”
Recently a snake came into our home and it was frightening but also interesting to see my husband display courage by using his feet to try to stomp the snake. I also have this little cousin that uses his hands to pick up snakes and smash them on the floor till they die. And whenever I see him do this, it always amazes me. So while reading our verse for today, it was easy to picture how it would have happened in real life. Not for me though, because if I see an animal, especially a creeping thing coming towards me, I’m going the other way, at the speed of light.
It’s Possible
Imagine a large, scary, roaring, possibly hungry, lion; then imagine your very tiny, edible, beautifully crafted legs stomping on it. I cannot picture a situation where that is going to be my reality. However, we have read in the Bible that lions were “treaded.” For example, we have people like Samson and David that tore lions apart with their bare hands. So, tearing a lion apart, a lion that is heavier, faster, and bigger than the average human being is very possible.
Although this is possible, and God can give you the power to defeat these things literally, God is not only talking about physical lions and serpents, because most of us don’t live in regions where we have to fight live lions every day. But we face the scary lion and the deceitful serpent every single day of our Christian lives.
Who is the Serpent?
As you know, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. So, I believe the animals in this scripture are also symbolic of our one true enemy. We know from the Bible that the devil is a serpent; he came to Eve in this form. The devil is also a roaring lion, he comes to us roaring, trying to threaten and terrify us.
But guess what? The Bible says that we will trample upon him. How? Because we are the dwellers of the secret place. But not only that, Jesus has already defeated him. So when he comes to you as a serpent with his deceptive tactics and he presents something that is clearly a lie. You have the power and the capacity to trample upon him. The Bible says in the book of Genesis that the Lord placed a curse on the serpent and said, The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent. And guess who that seed is? Jesus. In Jesus, we have the victory to overcome the serpent.
The Roar of a Lion
What a roaring lion does is strike fear in your heart. The roar of a lion is enough to terrify you, it is so loud that when you hear it, you get terrified and afraid. Make no mistake, a lion is a powerful predator, but this lion in our text is all roar and no devour. Jesus already disarmed him and made him powerless. So all he can do is roar, he cannot devour you. But this disarmament only works for ‘they’ that dwell in the secret place. The devil might be able to devour somebody that is not in Christ, but for you, Jesus has already given you victory over Him.
Beloved, you have the capacity to overcome the deception and threats of the enemy. The foot is symbolic of dominance and anything you can trample is essentially powerless or lacks the ability to harm you. So tell your threats that they are powerless to overcome you and tell your fears that they are not sleeky enough to entrap you.
Shalom.
