The devil likes to throw snake skins
Fear is a snake that tries to slither it's way into all of our lives. It is as old and crafty as Eden and still uses the same tactics. There are several kinds of fear, just as there are several kinds of snakes. There is the innate fear that keeps us from randomly jumping off buildings or crashing our cars into guard rails at will. That is the garter snake that is harmless and can eat the other mice and bugs that would actually be a problem in our lives. That kind of fear is a natural fear and can be helpful for species preservation. There is the imitative fear that keeps us from trying things because we are tricked into thinking it is dangerous when it reality it is not. This type of fear is the snake that looks like a coral snake, but the color of its stripes are wrong, thus it is an imitation of the real thing that causes confusion and makes us think we should be afraid of it, even though it is in fact harmless. This type of fear is the fear associated with public speaking or trying a new food. I have yet to hear of any one who has clinically died from public speaking, and yet it can paralyze people. Then there is the legitimate, heart-pounding, sweat-inducing fear. The fear of death. The fear of drowning. The fear of losing a loved one. The fear of the dark. Even the fear of missing out. This type of fear is the boa constrictor, the python, the rattle snake of all fear. It bites. It poisons. It incapacitates and murders.
Here's the good news: in Luke 10:19 Jesus says, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.". I believe Jesus is referencing fear and the demonic. He has given us authority over fear and the demonic that act like snakes in our lives. That kill, steal, and destroy from the fullness of our lives. We can take that kind of stand in our lives and through the power of Jesus' blood trample fear out of our lives!! We don't have to be afraid of anything any more! Not even death!! Mark 16:17-18 literally says, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
When we ask Jesus to kill fear in our lives, He does! When we stand in our authority over what makes us afraid in our lives, we also kill fear in our lives. It is dead. It holds no power. But Satan is deceptive. Satan doesn't like it
when we are not held captive to fear. He likes to keep us bound to it,
trapped, cornered by snakes and scorpions, paralyzed when one crosses
our path. He will do anything he can to throw snake skins and snake-look-a-likes in our paths. He likes to try to make us think that fear is not dead, even though the thing he is using against us is, in fact, dead. Have you ever been startled by a rubber snake in a toy store? Rodney has one hidden in by the base of the big tree in the back patio by where we eat dinner with teams. It is a thin, green, rubber snake. It would startle some one on just about every team that would come down. Can that rubber snake harm some one? Only by an associative heart-attack! The enemy loves to use this tactic next because it drives doubt into our hearts about our authority and the promises God has for us. When we linger too long in doubt, it allows either true fear open access to come back into our lives, or leaves us discouraged and feeling like God has some how lied to us. It's a sneaky, low-blow to our confidence in Christ.
Are there major areas of fear in your life? Are you afraid of death? Trying new things? The dark? Losing some one close to you? Have you asked Jesus to trample the fear out of your life? Did you know you have the authority over that in your own life through Jesus Christ? Did you think you had taken care of fear in your life already? But does it occasionally sneak up on you? Is it actually a snake skin pretending to have power and authority over you when it is really a fake?
Here's the good news: in Luke 10:19 Jesus says, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.". I believe Jesus is referencing fear and the demonic. He has given us authority over fear and the demonic that act like snakes in our lives. That kill, steal, and destroy from the fullness of our lives. We can take that kind of stand in our lives and through the power of Jesus' blood trample fear out of our lives!! We don't have to be afraid of anything any more! Not even death!! Mark 16:17-18 literally says, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 
When we ask Jesus to kill fear in our lives, He does! When we stand in our authority over what makes us afraid in our lives, we also kill fear in our lives. It is dead. It holds no power. But Satan is deceptive. Satan doesn't like it
when we are not held captive to fear. He likes to keep us bound to it,
trapped, cornered by snakes and scorpions, paralyzed when one crosses
our path. He will do anything he can to throw snake skins and snake-look-a-likes in our paths. He likes to try to make us think that fear is not dead, even though the thing he is using against us is, in fact, dead. Have you ever been startled by a rubber snake in a toy store? Rodney has one hidden in by the base of the big tree in the back patio by where we eat dinner with teams. It is a thin, green, rubber snake. It would startle some one on just about every team that would come down. Can that rubber snake harm some one? Only by an associative heart-attack! The enemy loves to use this tactic next because it drives doubt into our hearts about our authority and the promises God has for us. When we linger too long in doubt, it allows either true fear open access to come back into our lives, or leaves us discouraged and feeling like God has some how lied to us. It's a sneaky, low-blow to our confidence in Christ.
Are there major areas of fear in your life? Are you afraid of death? Trying new things? The dark? Losing some one close to you? Have you asked Jesus to trample the fear out of your life? Did you know you have the authority over that in your own life through Jesus Christ? Did you think you had taken care of fear in your life already? But does it occasionally sneak up on you? Is it actually a snake skin pretending to have power and authority over you when it is really a fake?
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