Revelation 20:2 says, “And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.”

 

The devil may pretend to be a lion, but he is actually a serpent. One thing interesting about a snake is that most of them are have little to no hearing or vision. They derive all of their senses from the tongue that discerns vibrations and movements, and they strike at that. The enemy is not fooled because someone looks or sounds holy. That is the easy part. It is simple to dress like a Christian and preach with all of this boldness and courage to defend the truth, but it is complicated to actually live the part out. The enemy is not intimidated by your voice or sound, but he is striking at the one who has movement.

 

There are two methods that the Great Serpent uses to prey on people with. The first method is through penetrating its venom. Acts 28:1-7 teaches how that when Paul, after he had shipwrecked onto the island of Melita, gathered some sticks to build a fire, a viper came out and latched onto his hand, trying to penetrate its venom and kill this beloved apostle’s destiny. However, Paul simply shook off the snake into the fire, without any swelling or feeling any harm. The people of that land had heard of Paul’s reputation, and so they thought karma was working against his favor. In spite of the beliefs and accusations of others, God’s grace defended and protected Paul. Spiritually, in the same way, the devil is going to attack us because we are doing a work of God by building a fire, and he is seeking to poison us through his venomous attacks and accusations. The blood of the lamb, though, serves as an anecdote and an antivenom against Satan, to where you feel absolutely no harm. It may kill others, but because you are covered by the blood of the Lamb, you are under divine protection! Don’t just shake the snake off, but in shake him in the consuming fire of the Holy Ghost, a place where the devil will not last! He cannot overcome in God’s presence. Shut Him with a passion and heart that burns for God!

 

The second method the devil uses is squeezing the very breath and life out of his prey, like a python. In Acts 16:16-34, the Bible teaches us that Paul and Silas came across a woman that was bound by a spirit of divination. She was a fortuneteller. In the original Greek, this “spirit of divination” could also mean “spirit of python.” That spirit of python recognized what kind of man of God Paul was, and day by day, that spirit tried to tempt him. It was trying to fool the multitudes because the devil had a plan to make it appear as though he was working hand-in-hand with the apostles of Christ. Paul finally became weary of it, and he cast that serpent out. He was determined not to allow that thing to squeeze the life out of him. Those who were making money of this woman lost their business because this spirit had now departed from her. So, they had Paul and Silas put in prison, after they suffered severe beatings. But in the midnight hour, they sounded a praise to God that shook those jail cells foundation, and every prisoner in that place was set free. Spiritually, the enemy will try to speak death and defeat to your future, or, in other words, “prophelie” over your destiny. He will try to bring discouragement through failures and persecution, but your defense is when you sound a voice of praise to God, and it is your praises that can free multitudes of others who are in enslaved by sin, sickness or persecution. Your praise will still the avenger (Psalm 8:2), causing him to lose his grip on your life. When the devil speaks, shut him up with your praise! If Satan can take your very breath of praise from you, he has got you right where he wants you. Never complain or murmur, but magnify God’s holy and precious name!

 

The enemy may try to penetrate his venom through discouraging your work in God and gossip, but just know the blood of the Lamb is something he cannot do anything with. He may try to squeeze the very life out of you through persecution or speaking negativity towards your future, but your praise is weapon against him. There is a method to the Serpent’s madness, but Jesus bruised his head at Calvary (Genesis 3:15). If you are a Christian, you have the power to tread upon the serpent and scorpion (Luke 10:19). Use it in Jesus’ mighty name!