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Spiritual warfare is an act of aggression by the enemy. It is an attempt to intimidate us and to stop or delay us from realizing God’s plan for our life and business. It is the daily struggle we face as Christians as we attempt to obey the instructions of Jesus. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said to His disciples, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves". This statement was not just intended for the early disciples - it is true for us today as well. Each day, as we conduct our daily lives and as we go into the marketplace, we are operating among wolves.
Why wolves? Wolves are aggressive predators who daily seek out their prey with the intention to harm them. On the other hand, sheep are weak and vulnerable, and without their shepherd, they cannot survive the wolf’s attack. Wolves love sheep, as they consider them easy prey. Like sheep, we must carefully obey the instructions of our Shepherd and stay close to Him if we are to survive spiritual attacks.
With this in mind, Jesus gives His disciples some instructions that they must follow to protect themselves. He tells them, "Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16)
He takes two animals whose characteristics are completely opposite and instructs His disciples to mirror them. The serpent is the very creature that the devil used to cause Adam and Eve to sin against God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-5). From the time of Noah, the dove has been a symbol of peace (Genesis 8:11). The dove was also one of the sacrificial burnt offerings, used for the atonement of sin and for worship by the Levites (Leviticus 1:14-17). The Bible presents the snake as the symbol of evil power, deception, and chaos, whereas a dove is a symbol of peace, purity, innocence, and worship.
Wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove is the ability to operate offensively, but from a position of gentleness and with a pure heart.
It's about understanding the strategies of the enemy by being wise enough to know how he operates, but then having the maturity in Christ to act with Christian virtue and in the strength of God to disarm those strategies.
This is how Abraham was able to lay the foundation for the Hebrews to become a nation, and how Jesus was able to realize the assignment that God the Father gave Him. It is how Paul was able to expand the Kingdom of God more than any of his contemporaries.
What about the dark and evil representation of the snake? The truth is, the snake unto itself is not an evil beast. God created the snake as He did all animals. The snake just possesses characteristics that make it easy for the Devil to use as a tool for evil. The snake itself is not evil or the Devil’s property. It all belongs to God.
My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to be wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove so that you may overcome spiritual warfare in the marketplace.
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