Dave Daubenmire
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” —Mathew 10
That Scripture has always bothered me. For some reason I could never understand why Jesus would encourage us to take advice from the Devil. It flew in the face of everything I had always been taught about the battle between good and evil.
Jesus good…Satan bad. Most of us have been taught that throughout our lives. Why would Jesus tell us to emulate the “wisdom” of the serpent?
We understand the serpent is synonymous with Satan who is the one who instigated the fall of mankind from a relationship with The Almighty. Satan is the embodiment of evil and the sworn enemy of Jesus Christ.
Why would Jesus encourage us to emulate Beelzebub? If we are instructed to be “harmless as a dove” how is that even possible if we employ the techniques of Satan?
We are immersed in a spiritual war. The battle has never been as clear as it is today. The election of 2020 will be anworld-altering event no matter how the election turns out. Is it possible that we are in the mess we are in because we have ignored Christ’s admonition to be “wise as a serpent?”
When I think of wisdom I do not think of a snake. I have heard of being wise as an owl, or sly as a fox, but wisdom is not a virtue that I would apply to serpents.
“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” Luke 16:8
What is it that the children of light do not understand about the ways of the world? Why is it that Satan seems so much more effective at occupying than do the people of the Book? What is it that we could learn from studying our enemy?
Most Christians have their heads stuck in Heaven. We are taught that our struggle is not with flesh and blood (worldly) but with principalities and powers (spiritual), and as a result we have become so Heavenly conscious that we are of no earthly good. Satan was wise enough to overthrow the inhabitants of the Garden so he must have some idea what he is doing.
But the problem is not Satan, the culprit is the powerless church. The American church does not even believe in the supernatural anymore and they certainly do not understand the truism that everything that happens in the earthly realm was planned first in the spiritual realm. The invisible world around us is more real than the average American understands. “As above so below” is a popular occult mantra. The dark side understands the power of the spiritual realm in fighting for control of the earth. Christians have yet to figure it out.
Hence, the admonition to study the wisdom of the serpent. Because our focus has been primarily on “things above”, we have ignored our responsibility to be “salt and light” to the natural world. Salt is a preservative. Light exposes evil. We have ignored our obligation to be salt and light to the EARTH and we have enabled Satan to rule where he is not in control. Satan was defeated at the cross. ALL POWER belongs to Jesus. But we must exercise that authority. The dark side will not give up without a fight.
How has the serpent done it? How has he gained such a foothold on the earth? Why has he continued to be so effective even after his defeat?
Infiltration, deception, and occupation.
Every major institution in America is under the control of Satan. A nation clearly founded on Biblical principles has totally rejected them. In fact, we are witnessing the trial of Amy Barrett before the US Senate where she is being charged with adhering to Biblical beliefs. This is no longer permissible in this nation. Satan has convinced many Americans that Jesus and His Bible are illegal and must be kicked to the curb. Jesus, we are told, no longer rules in the government of men.
Let me ask you Christian, what do you think Jesus would have us to do? Are we to take our hands off the levers of power in America and hand the controls over to Our Savior’s mortal enemy? Does Jesus really want Satan to be directing the American government? If Jesus died on the cross to “destroy the works of the enemy” why does it seem as if our enemy is still in control? Could it be that the problem has nothing to do with God but with us? What would America look like if Christians had obeyed Christ’s admonition to “occupy till I come?” Would things look the way they do if Christians were truly occupying the earth?
Are we wise as Serpents? Have we exerted the power that Christ won for us on the Cross?
Although the struggle we face today is occurring in the physical realm, the enemies battle plan has been hatched in “high” places. The term “high” represents both the location and the authority of the Demonic realm. Satan rules in these dark places, but his authority should not hold sway “here on earth.” He has tricked us…deceived us into believing that he oversaw the earthly realm.
How could it be that Jesus is King over all the earth but not in control of what happens on the earth? What if we have been deceived?
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matt 28
Give the serpent his due. What if God’s people were supposed to have been in control all this time. Have we followed the Lord’s commission? Have we occupied the earth? Have we taught the world to “observe all things” or have we followed the wisdom of the serpent?
The modern American church has focused our sights more on being “as harmless as a dove.” Look around and you will see the evidence of how that has worked. Jesus is King of Kings NOW!! Why don’t His people act like it? Isn’t that what He commissioned us to do?
© 2020 Dave Daubenmire – All Rights Reserved
E-Mail Dave Daubenmire: ptsalt@gmail.com
