[Luke 10:17-19 KJV] “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.“
In the text above three things or thoughts are expressed there.
The first is the truth that Satan is an enemy and must be seen as such. He is both a subtle and powerful enemy; don’t under-estimate his power!
The second thought is the fact that Satan has powers; but we have been given power that is over and above every power of his. This is the time to arise and exercise that authority and power we have?
The third thought is that, in exercising that power given to us; we should be rest assured that nothing shall by any means hurt us. Everyone whose name is written in the lamb’s book and have decided to preach the gospel can fully exercise this power.
In the text above two of Satan’s power are enumerated but we can explore more. The devil is a masquerade and transforms himself into many things. The devil manifest varied powers at different times. He can mimic many situations, circumstances, and personalities. Knowing some of these manifestations will help us to discern him more quickly. It is difficult to win over an enemy you can’t identify.
The devil may manifest;
- The power of the birds of the air: To steal the word of God from the hearts of those who doubt (See Mark 4). The simple secret to overcome this nature is striving to understand and believe the word of of God. He can only steal the word you don’t understand nor believe.
- The power of a lion to roar and incite fear and timidity as is manifested in 1 Peter 5:9. The simple secret to over the spirit of fear is to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God; and resist the devil steadfast in the faith. We overcome him by walking in the spirit of love, of power, and of a sound mind. The Bible says we “have not received the spirit of fear to be timid”, fear is of the devil.
- The power of a serpent to deceive, manipulate, and maim. As he manifested in the garden of Eden. He is still the old serpent. To deal with the subtlity of the devil will require total faith and obedience to God, even when His instruction does not make sense. Obedience will empower you against deception and the wisdom of the world. Eve was deceived because the serpent succeeded in persuading her that God was not making sense.
- The power of scorpions to hurt and torment and afflict as manifested in Revelation 9. These are locusts with hair as women, faces as a man, teeth like lions, and the form of horses! These cause great afflictions and the secret to deal with them is prayer. The Bible admonishes anybody that is afflicted to pray. This is the time and the moment to pray.
- The power of a dragon with tail to draw and to influence others to disobey and rebel against God (See Revelation 12). The only antidote to this power of the enemy is loyalty and faithful. Michael and his host overcame because of loyalty. They fought and overcame because they did not love their lives even unto death.
We have been discussing the powers of the enemy; but we know that the Lord has given us power over every power of the enemy. This is the time to arise and exercise that power to silence the adversary. Let us arise in fasting and prayer and use the name of Jesus Christ to subdue these powers of darkness. Arise and fight along with me!
Stay blessed!
