Look, I have given you authority to trample over snakes and scorpions and over all the enemy;  nothing will ever harm you.  Luke 10:19

In law enforcement, the legislature gives certain positions power of arrest. Now, this may seem like some great power, but in truth the real power is in the hands of the courts. As a probation/parole officer, I carried a firearm, extra ammunition, handcuffs, and pepper spray on my belt. However, I often told offenders that my most powerful weapon was my ink pen.  You see in my position I had power of arrest, but what happened after that arrest was left to the parole board or the judge in a probation case. So my power was very limited. I had the power to determine whether or not they went to jail, but I didn’t have the power to keep them there, that kind of power was well above my pay grade. My power was limited.

What we must understand is that the devil is powerful, but his power is also limited. He doesn’t have that kind of power. The devil doesn’t have the kind of power that can give him victory over God. God wins every time.  Now, if you believe this, then you have no reason to fear right? We are told in 2 Timothy 1:7 that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control. Ephesians 6:10 tells us to finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. We are told in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His power is made perfect in our weakness. In 1 Corinthians 2:5, we are told that our faith should not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. We serve a God who is omnipotent, all powerful. There is nothing he can’t do.

So, if this is the case, why do we fear? Well, there is a war for our souls going on. The devil uses distraction techniques like fear and confusion to get our focus off of God. We saw in the book of Job how the devil wanted to distract Job and God agreed, but only allowed him to go so far. God also restored Job and gave him double for all that the devil had taken from him. In the new testament, Paul became agitated as a demon possessed girl followed him through town for several days, finally Paul turned to her and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” and we are told that it came out right away. In Matthew 16:22-23 when Jesus was predicting his death and resurrection to His disciples, Peter became upset and said that this could not happen. Jesus looked at Peter and said “Get behind me Satan.” He rebuked Peter, because Peter was focusing on what he wanted and not God’s will. You see this is another tactic of the devil, he likes to get us to focus on our own fleshly desires so that our will does not line up with God’s will.

God gives us authority over the devil and his schemes. All we have to do is call on Jesus. We too can command the devil, in Jesus’ name, to flee from us. When we don’t know what to pray, we can call out to Jesus.

Several years ago, I was distraught over something that had happened. The devil had my mind playing the “what if” game and imagining the worst possible outcome. I didn’t know what to pray, but my friend said just say Jesus. As I lay awake trembling in fear, I just said Jesus. It brought to mind the hymn that says, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know.”  I began to say Jesus’ name over and over and before I knew it, I was able to rest. Another friend reminded me of this just yesterday.

Our power is very limited, but God’s power is limitless. He loves us and wants what is best for us. When we face trials and tribulations in our life, we must remember the awesome power in Jesus’ name. When we focus on God, He takes care of us (Matthew 6:33). He gives us power to trample serpents and scorpions and to defeat the enemy (Luke 10:19). He gives us power to tread on the lion and the cobra, to trample the great lion and the serpent (Psalm 91:13). He gives us that kind of power.

Whatever fear or anxiety you are facing today, know that there is that kind of power in Jesus’ name. Know that any fear you face can’t stand up to that kind of power. Know that the devil’s schemes cannot stand up to that kind of power. Trust in Him today.

Have a great day!