Day 39 I’m the Wilderness: The enemy is under our feet.

“So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” And they drew near and put their feet on their necks.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭10:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I was watching a very funny video showing a tiny miniature dachshund throwing his “weight” around at a much larger dog that seems to be very afraid of him. Now, this video takes my mind back to something similar I observed earlier in my life.

When I was a little girl we had a dog named Cricket. She was a mixed-breed dog, colored up like a German Shepherd, but furry with a pointy face like a Spitz. Well, when Cricket was getting older we took in a male puppy who seemed to be a yellow German Shepherd. Cricket—although generally very ornery—graciously accommodated to Fella, the yellow German Shepherd.

Interestingly, even after he got big and scary-looking, this now ferocious guard dog, still humbled himself to Cricket, walking softly before her.

It would seem that because Fella was first acquainted with her when he was a gangly, lost puppy, he came to see Cricket as the “alpha” in their little pack. And, he never saw her any differently than he did when he was a puppy. Cricket definitely ruled in that relationship.

Any adult who has gone back to visit their grammar school, will have an interesting assessment: somehow the building is so much smaller than you remember. Why? Well, when you were a child, it was “larger” compared to you; but now, revisiting these big halls and cavernous rooms, you may find the halls narrower than you thought, and the rooms, not that cavernous after all.

The story of Cricket and Fella, and the concept of revisiting the school of your youth, share a common moral: sometimes, perspective is everything.

“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭16:20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We may read scriptures like the one above and wonder how that could possibly be true. Fact is, a lot of people, even a lot of Christians, spend much of their time being beat up by the devil. Now, I believe that a great part of the reason we stay so beat up by one who is said to have been conquered by our Lord, is that we don’t see the authority that has been invested in us, we don’t see ourselves as stronger than our enemy.

“You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2:8-9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In the above scripture the writer of Hebrews is explaining that all things were put under the feet of man. Now, we know that original Sin shifted the power balance in the direction of the enemy of our soul. However, through Jesus Christ, we now again have dominion over the forces of evil. But, as the scripture goes on to say, we don’t currently see ourselves as having all things under our feet; but the writer explains that we do see Jesus. You see, Jesus has conquered the works of the enemy of our soul. And, with that being the case, we have only to look to Him and believe that His work has changed our position from pauper—begging for the enemy to leave us alone—to prince, speaking the word of authority that breaks the strong holds with which the devil tries to bind us.

“Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:17-19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus truly shares His victory with us; we—through Him—can take authority over the works of the enemy of our soul.

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:18-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Think of it: our Lord, as a flesh man, won the authority He now shares with those who believe in Him. But, it’s sad, if not tragic, when we fail to believe that we do have the authority to rule over our enemy. And that brings us to today.

Today we find Joshua bringing out the five kings responsible for the attack against the children of Israel. He then has the leaders of the men of war put their feet on the kings’ necks. Joshua explains to them why he is having them do this:

“Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.””

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭10:25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Joshua wanted them to understand the power and authority that comes with being the children of God, walking in what He says we can do.

“He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭47:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Let us not go one more day viewing the forces that come against us as having power over us, or seeing ourselves as being somehow weaker, helpless to defend ourselves against a power our Lord has already defeated!

For today write this in your “wilderness journal”:

The enemy is under our feet.

#40daysinthewilderness