Serpents and Scorpions

“I saw Satan fall… I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:18-19ESV).”

Jewish sages consider the scorpion to be the primordial serpent in the Garden of Eden. God cursed that creature to crawl on his belly and eat the dust of the earth. The scorpion of today, unlike the snake, is a creature whose nature is to sting. He does so without provocation while snakes bite upon being stirred.

The devil works in two fundamental ways as the tempter. He masterfully twists you making you passionate for the desires of the world. Satan stirs your appetites for wrong things and actions. But like the scorpion, he can make you cold for the things of God serving your interests rather than those of the Lord. You may go to church and do your good deed for the day, but there is no joy in your life to live for God.

In Christ alone, you can overcome the passions of your flesh. He can make you cold to anger, sexual immorality, and greed. He can also place a fire within you to stir the flames of desire for Him before all others. Jesus will give you a burning spirit to be holy, indifferent to the passing fancies of this world.

Through Christ, you can do all things and yet apart from Him you can do nothing. The Messiah, the anointed one, is your deliverer and He delivers on every promise He makes. Ask Him, seek Him, and knock and you will receive, find, and the opportunities for a great life will open.