While talking with my daughter, the topic of snakes came up. Her dislike and fear of snakes was evident, partly because she doesn’t know if one is poisonous.
I told her if you look at their eyes, you can tell. If they have slits for eyes, they are bad. I was going to tell her that if they have round eyes they are not poisonous, but she interrupted.
She exploded with, “Mom, that is the CRAZIEST thing you have ever said to me!”
When I caught my breath from laughing, she added, “I am NOT going to get close enough to a snake to look at its eyes!”
I still chuckle about her reaction, but I admit that if somebody throws a snake on me, I’m terrified too. I have great respect for snakes–even when they’re under control.
Snakes are sometimes poisonous, as well as long, fast, and slithering. They are also used as a symbol for evil in the Bible. Fear and dislike of snakes is likely to remain common, because they feel like a threat even when they are not poisonous.
But, are we making a mistake to not get close enough to look at them?
If we run, or stand at a distance and throw stones, instead of looking closer, won’t the evil just multiply?
Except, I’m not talking about snakes now. I’m talking about the evil around us.
Fear abounds today. It seems the enemy slithers near and raises its ugly head every time we turn around. Even on the national and international scale, the enemy is evident.
For instance, terrorists are intent on murder and destruction throughout the world. Millions of helpless babies are murdered every year by those who swear to fight for life and health. Attempts are being made to force alternate lifestyles that put women and children in danger.
Furthermore, those who seek to lead us sometimes seem a threat to our well-being and security. Even freedom of speech is threatened in the land of the free.
The world as we’ve known it is changing. The threat to our wellbeing is real.
However, much as when a snake appears, we tend to stand at a distance and throw stones or scream and run the other way when we see evil approaching. Meanwhile, the threats increase in frequency and intensity.
On Sunday we pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” but it seems in vain. How should the Church of Jesus Christ respond in such a time of evil?
Could that be that our Sunday prayer is not having great effect, because we are also told to take dominion—rather than scream and run?
How can an ordinary citizen take dominion in world matters? Where do we start?
The first thing we need to do is identify the enemy. We need to get up close and look at the eyes of the snake.
Except, we don’t need to get up close.
The apostle Paul identifies the snake for us. He said, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).
The serpent wreaking havoc in the world is trying to defeat Jesus Christ and all His followers. He is behind the evil that threatens us.
But Satan can’t win. Jesus won that battle when He rose from the dead.
The only way Satan can prevail is if the children of God embrace his cause or yield to him and run. Unfortunately, some in the church have given ground by joining the world instead of standing and fighting. Others watch in horror. Some run screaming.
Running, screaming, or wringing our hands and saying, “Oh dear!” accomplishes nothing. Neither does it help to stand behind bushes and throw pebbles on FaceBook and Twitter, or as we huddle with friends.
The trumpet is sounding. It’s time for the army of God to dress for war and go to battle.
We won’t win this war with our strong arms, our brilliant thinking, or the right 
politicians. We need God to move on our behalf. He is our shield and defender.
We need to realize that we fight principalities and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places with spiritual weapons, not with words, laws, and regulations.
We also need to remember where our strength comes from. “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us (Rom. 8:34).
It seems we are in a bind, like Israel trapped between the approaching army and the Red Sea as they escaped from Egypt. If we put God back in charge, we can heed Moses’ word to the Israelites.
Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. . . .”The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Ex. 14:13-14).
With God fighting for us, we can maintain our peace while looking a snake in the eye.