You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. (Psalm 91:13 NKJV)

Are you aware of your position in Christ and where that places the devil in relation to you?

“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 NKJV)

In Christ, you are above the devil and all his dark forces. Because of Jesus in you, no force of darkness can stand against you. Psalm 91 has many defensive elements: dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, abiding under the shadow of the Almighty, making the Lord our refuge and fortress, we are covered under His wings and protected by His angels. Verse 13 calls us to action:

                “You shall tread upon the lion …”

We are to take authority over the devil that we have in Christ. It does not matter how you look or what you do, but because of Christ Jesus, you are stronger than you know. God uses the weak things of this world to confound the wise and mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27).

Look further to the authority Jesus gave His disciples, which is the same authority we have today:

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)

Romans 16:20 also tells us that our God of peace crushed Satan under our feet. The devil has no authority over us and we should not put him on an undeserved pedestal or give him power over us. The devil’s position in relation to us is under our feet.

In Christ Jesus, you are far above all principality and power and might and dominion (Ephesians 1:21). As believers, we have a spiritual armor we put on (Ephesians 6). Our defensive elements are the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and they serve to protect us.

The offensive piece of armor is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Our authority and strength lies in God’s Word. When the devil attacked Jesus, Jesus fought back with the Word, “It is written…”

As we pray Psalm 91 we are using the sword of the Spirit and we are fighting with God’s Word. Meditate on your righteous position in Christ where the devil is under your feet and as your heart and mind fill with this truth, may fear find no stronghold or place in your life.

Maretha Retief

Illustration credit: Jeanne de Villiers