Remember now—we are maturing in our understanding of how we actively participate as ordinary mystics in God as our refuge and stronghold; these passages are critical to God’s provision for us. “Trampling and crushing” are active and definitive movements—there is nothing passive here at all.

But of course.

You’re standing in the kitchen of your home one evening, doing dishes. Your toddler is playing on the floor nearby, when out of the corner of your eye you spot a scuttling movement on the tiles. You quickly turn to see a scorpion crawling toward your child, claws out in crablike fashion, poisonous tail raised to strike. How would you handle the moment?

You would stomp on it.

You would crush it without a moment’s hesitation.

This is the promise, the assurance and the directive of our Lord Jesus on how we are to deal with foul spirits. It sounds a whole lot like Patrick’s Breastplate!

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

We probably ought to admit that this is very different from the usual attitude taken by most followers of Jesus toward demonic assault (and “every cruel merciless power”). Most folks want to ignore spiritual warfare. The simple proof: How often do you pray directly against foul spirits? If it’s rarely, you’re ignoring it.

But we are looking for the refuge of God, and he makes it clear that crushing the serpent is essential to finding shelter and staying in it. If a scorpion was scuttling across the floor to your toddler, you would not think twice; there would be no hesitation. You would stomp on it, making your home a safe place again.

This is probably a good point in our journey to talk about authority and commanding “in the name of Jesus.” Christ has made it very clear that he has given his authority to us, and it is we who will “trample on snakes and scorpions and ... overcome all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19).

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