(part 3) Here is part of that message (I’m emphasizing, highlighting our confirmations!): (for entire devo see link below)
(As always, though I don’t believe it needs to be stated for true Christians, the clarification must be made for those who do not understand Christianity or who are looking for reasons to falsely accuse – “fighting”, “warfare”, “battle,” and “soldier” terminology does not refer to fighting people, but to our battle against the spiritual forces of evil in the unseen realm spoken of in Ephesians 6 and elsewhere in Scripture.)
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Keep the Devil Where He Belongs — Under Your Feet
And the God of peace shall bruise {CRUSH} Satan under your feet shortly…. — Romans 16:20
Are you tired of the devil blocking your way and causing all kinds of disruptions and problems in your life, such as problems in your relationships, financial woes, or health problems? How would you like to LIFT your foot high and then slam it down as hard as you can on top of the devil — pounding, hammering, trouncing, CRUSHING, and smattering him to bits under your feet? Does that sound like something you wish you could do?
Believe it or not, the apostle Paul encourages you to do exactly that! In Romans 16:20 he writes, “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly….” The word “bruise” is taken from the Greek word suntribo, a word that significantly presents this notion OF TRAMPLING THE DEVIL UNDER YOUR FEET. The word was historically used to denote the act of smashing grapes into wine. However, it was also used to refer to the act of snapping, breaking, and CRUSHING bones. In fact, it pictures bones that have been utterly crushed beyond recognition.
… However, notice that Paul says we are to bruise him under our feet “shortly.” This word “shortly” is extremely important because it takes the whole picture to the next level. It tells us what attitude we must demonstrate the next time the devil tries to get in our way or block our path. The word “shortly” comes from a military term that described the way ROMAN SOLDIERS MARCHED IN FORMATION. …
So when Paul uses the word “shortly,” he is referring to the pounding, stomping, CRUSHING STEPS OF A ROMAN SOLDIER. And remember, Roman soldiers wore shoes that were spiked with nails on the bottom (see March 15). When a challenger stood in front of them — or if a person fell in their path — THESE SOLDIERS WOULD SIMPLY IGNORE THE OBSTACLE AND KEEP MARCHING, stomping, and pounding along their way, leaving the challenger or unfortunate person completely obliterated and trampled beyond recognition — an ugly, bloody sight.
What does all this mean for you and me today? It means the next time the devil tries to get in your way or block your path, you shouldn’t stop to politely ask him to move. If the enemy is stupid enough to challenge you and tries to hinder your plans, God tells you what to do in this verse: “Just keep walking! If the devil tries to stop you, just raise your feet high, pound down as hard as you can, and stomp all over him as you MARCH FORWARD. CRUSH and bruise him beyond recognition!”
However, it is important to point out that this smashing and crushing of Satan must be done in cooperation with God. Alone you are no match for this archenemy. That’s the reason Paul says, “…The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet….” In other words, this is a joint partnership between you and God. By yourself, you could never keep Satan subdued. But with God as your Partner, the devil has no chance of ever slipping out from under your heel!
Romans 16:20 suggests this idea:
“The God of peace will smash and completely obliterate Satan under your feet! If Satan tries to get in your way or to block your path, then IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO ACT LIKE A SOLDIER — LIFT your feet high, stomp and pound down hard, CRUSHING the enemy under your feet and leaving him in a heap, trampled beyond recognition, as you MARCH ON….”
The glorious truth is that Jesus already completely destroyed Satan’s power over you through His death and resurrection. The devil was utterly smashed, CRUSHED, and bruised when Jesus was victoriously raised from the dead (see January 31, February 11, February 28). Your God-given mission now is to reinforce the victory already won and to demonstrate just how miserably defeated Satan already is! The enemy may try to lord himself over you; he may attempt to exert his foul influence over your life. However, he is merely using empty threats and ILLUSIONS to feed fear into your mind. Never forget — the only place that rightfully belongs to the devil is the small space of ground right under your feet! Jesus accomplished a total, complete, and perfect work through the Cross of Calvary and His resurrection from the dead. That means your healing, your miracle, or your financial blessing already belongs to you! The victory is already yours!
(copyright Rick Renner, Sparkling Gems from the Greek)
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These confirmations were OVERWHELMING! You may not have noticed that Rick even refers the reader to his March 15 devo – which is the one the Lord gave us on March 8 and 15 (mentioned in part 1 ) as bookends surrounding the whole series of words from that week about being SOLDIERS who need to KEEP MARCHING and not give up (shared in “Onward Christian Soldiers“)! So, if you haven’t already read the March 15 word – “Are You Wearing Your Killer Shoes?” – don’t forget to go read that too!
I hope you noticed the precise confirmation of “ILLUSIONS” in the devo above! This is the 2nd time God has confirmed that specific word to us in such a precise and dramatic way. I know it’s hard for us to fully wrap our minds around the fact that the invisible/unseen/eternal/spiritual realm is a SUPERIOR REALITY, MORE REAL and MORE TRUE than the visible/seen/temporary/natural reality that we experience daily with our natural senses, but I pray we will all “get” the fullness of this revelation. I pray we will develop our spiritual senses to an even higher degree than our natural senses so that we can walk in the fullness of the implications of this truth and begin to operate in the “impossible”
~ living naturally supernatural lives every single day
~ doing the things that Jesus did and even GREATER things
~ bearing MUCH fruit and showing ourselves to be His disciples.
(I almost recommended in the message on the 21st that everyone watch the first “MATRIX” movie over the weekend to receive [or re-receive] the mind-blowing spiritual applications from it which perfectly illustrate this theme. But due to some language and a lot of violence, it’s hard to make that recommendation… Discretion advised.)
I did not fail to notice that this entire series of words about being SOLDIERS who MUST KEEP MARCHING in spite of attack and opposition has been poured out upon us in the month of MARCH! God is SPEAKING to His army even through the calendar! “MARCH! MARCH! MARCH! and KEEP MARCHING until the enemy is COMPLETELY CRUSHED under your feet!”
We sincerely request your prayers for us that we will rise up to do exactly what God is calling us to do in this regard in the face of the intensified attacks that have assailed us to try and stop us. Please pray for us that by the power of God’s Spirit IN US we WILL KEEP MARCHING FORWARD AND COMPLETELY CRUSH THE ENEMY UNDER OUR FEET and will RECEIVE THE BREAKTHROUGH AND VICTORY GOD HAS ALREADY PROMISED AND PROVIDED! Praying the same for you!!!
Blessings and Prayers!
Laura
