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The Devil Is Under Our Feet

08 wof pic7TIMELESS TEACHINGS OF KENNETH E. HAGIN

Everything has been placed under Jesus' feet (Eph. 1:22). That includes the devil. Since we are a part of the Body of Christ, all things are under our feet as well. It doesn't matter what type of problem comes against us—physical, emotional, financial, family, and so forth. We can walk on top of every one of these situations.

Psalm 91:13 says, "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder." This verse uses lions and adders to represent forces that are strong and fierce. It is literally talking about Satan and his demonic host. If we're treading on something, it means we're walking on it. In this case, we are supposed to walk on devils and demons.

The word adder in Psalm 91:13 is also translated "asp," "serpent," and "cobra." Looking further at this word, we see that it carries with it the thought of a nest of snakes. Spiritually speaking, this is referring to different types of demons. But no matter how many demons we encounter, we have the authority to tread on all of them.

Deuteronomy 32:33 talks about the cruel venom of asps, and Romans 3:13 says, "The poison of asps is under their lips." These verses refer to backbiting, tale-bearing, and slandering. We have probably all experienced the vicious sting of untrue and unkind words spoken about us. When we become victims of poisonous words, we must remember that we have the power to tread on what was said. The unkind, cutting words of others don't have to hurt us. We can walk over the lies and keep going!

In a different vein of thought, failures and missteps in life can also sting. They can crush us and keep us from moving forward. We have authority to tread on the mistakes we've made. We can step over failures and rise up in victory through Christ.

God wants us to rule and reign in our lives. In other words, He wants us to experience victory all the time, not just occasionally. Although He has given us the victory, we must take possession of it. It's ours potentially. Unfortunately, that is as far as many believers get. They know God's blessings belong to them, but they never possess them. We have to put our foot down and demand that what God says about us is true. We are victorious, healthy, prosperous, and so forth.

God told Joshua, "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you" (Joshua 1:3). God gave the Promised Land to Joshua, but Joshua didn't possess the land until he took steps to take what was his. Many people say that they are waiting for God to give them the victory. He can't give them the victory because they already have it. He's waiting for them to "take" it. What Jesus did for us on the cross will never become a reality in our lives until we do something about it.

Many people are hoping that God will heal them. But He already provided healing for us through Jesus. God is waiting for us to "take" what Jesus bought for us. Too many people think the blessings of God will just fall on them. But we have to put forth some effort. "Thou shalt tread" means that we have to do something. We have to stand on the Word of God in faith until we see it become a reality in our lives.

How much victory we experience really depends on us. If we don't tread on sickness, disease, and poverty, we will remain sick and poor. It's up to us to put the devil on the run by using our authority, standing firm in our faith, and thanking God for what He has wrought for us. Scripture tells us that when we resist the devil, he will flee (James 4:7). When we enforce Christ's victory, we will receive everything that belongs to us!
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(Editor's Note: This article has been adapted from Kenneth E. Hagin's book The Believer's Authority Study Guide.)

 

 

FAITH NUGGET

Satan's Defeat

Some Christians become fearful whenever the devil or demons are mentioned. They'll even lower their voices to a whisper when talking about them. Others take an opposite stance and feel that it's their responsibility to "wrestle" against principalities and powers. The truth is, neither group really understands the authority Jesus gave them over Satan and his demonic forces. They don't know they don't have to be afraid of the devil or "war" against the forces of darkness.

Jesus defeated Satan through His death at Calvary. During His three days in hell, Jesus conquered the devil and all of his demonic forces. He also took the keys of hell and death from Satan (Rev. 1:18). Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He transferred His authority over the devil and demonic powers to every believer, not to just a few select Christians or to those called to the five-fold ministry. (See Matt. 28:18–20 and Mark 16:15–18.)

This authority belongs to us whether we realize it or not. Satan doesn't want us to learn about the authority we have over him and will do everything he can to hide this truth from us. He will fight believers more on this subject than on any other truth. If he is able to blind our eyes to our authority, he can easily defeat us in every area of our lives.

Once we know that we have authority over our enemy, it's up to us to exercise, or enforce, that authority. It doesn't work automatically. Simply knowing that we have authority over Satan is not enough. If we don't use it, we are allowing the devil to dominate us. Only knowledge that is acted upon will bring results.

Because Jesus triumphed over Satan, we don't have to "war" against our enemy. Our combat with the devil should be from the viewpoint that Jesus Christ has already defeated him. Our battle, so to speak, is simply enforcing what Christ has already won for us. Satan can't dominate us unless we allow him to. When we realize this and walk in our authority, we will enjoy the reality of what is rightfully ours and face the devil without any fear or hesitancy.

 

LEARN MORE:
Is the devil under your feet? Take your understanding of spiritual authority to the next level with Kenneth E. Hagin's The Believer's Authority Curriculum. Details on page 23.