“I have given you authority to trample
on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will
harm you.”—Luke 10:19 (NIV)
You are more capable than you imagine. Let me
start with that word of empowerment. It’s not always easy to accept such
truths. We can feel defeated when we don’t meet our goals, or have to choose
less grand ones.
A person may
even feel like every plan they have gets crushed. They are still doing elementary-school
addition when they expected to be mastering calculus by now.
That’s when
we must dig below the surface to find the strength to battle enemies of every
kind. It has already been given to us; we just have to stake our claim. Here
are some examples of how we underrate our God-given ability:
Snakes
I read a
story about a minister who was invited by a zookeeper friend to view a reptile
house in a zoo. The friend stated that he wanted to show him something
interesting.
The worker let a bird fly into the snake’s habitat. The snake
seemed to ignore the newcomer. It remained calmly coiled in its spot. The bird,
of course, was hysterical. It squawked and flapped around. It knew what was coming.
In time, the
snake lifted its head and began staring at the bird. It seemed to hypnotize him
with its eyes. The bird stopped struggling. The snake uncoiled and grabbed it.
Lesson: The bird could fly, and the snake was stuck on the ground. Who
knows how long the bird could have stayed away from the snake if he hadn’t
given in to the reptile’s power?
Saddam Hussein
This former
dictator of Iraq was executed in 2006. He killed, tortured, and starved thousands
of people during his regime. His countrymen must have lived in a constant state
of fear and trepidation.
Admiral William
H. McRaven, U.S. Navy Retired, tells the story of Hussein’s last days in the
brilliant book he wrote, Make Your bed: Little
Things That can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World. This military genius oversaw the prison where
Hussein was held immediately prior to his execution. One day, the new leaders
of the Iraqi government were led into Hussein’s cell. The purpose was to show
Hussein that he was no longer in power.
Epic fail. The
visitors were obviously still terrified of the dictator. They screamed at him,
red-faced, from a safe distance. Hussein yelled back. It was some time before
the new rulers felt safe enough to sit down. Hussein continued to taunt them,
and smirk at them, from a seated position.
Lesson: Hussein was scheduled to die. He was shackled
and guarded by two elite military men. He couldn’t move much, and he couldn’t
contact anybody for help. The former head of state had no power whatsoever.
The Aftermath: Admiral McRaven
isolated Hussein even further. He was moved to a different room. His personal
guards were instructed not to speak a word to the prisoner, because that’s
where his power lay. He was known for
his charisma.
The admiral visited Hussein only once
a day. The prisoner would rise from his bed respectfully. The navy man would wordlessly
motion him to sit back down. That’s it. For one month.
My Conclusion
“You, dear children, are from God and
have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who
is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (NIV)
It’s the
enemy’s job to confuse, bully, and demean us. (See 1 Peter 5:8.) We don’t have
to take it.
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