Slaying Dragons Bible Study
Slaying Dragons Part 1: Walking in Victory
Walking in Victory
In the beginning of the first book of the Bible, we are introduced to the dragon. Satan, in the form of a sentient, talking serpent, beguiles Eve and brings about the fall of mankind. The story ends with a prophetic promise that points to Jesus. God says to the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen. 3:15).
Although Satan’s ultimate defeat came through the death and resurrection of Christ, Jesus beat the devil soundly at every turn throughout his earthly life. Jesus demonstrated for us what it is to walk in victory. He gave His disciples authority to walk in that same victory over sin, Satan, and evil. This is our inheritance as children of the light.
Psalm 91 is considered a Messianic psalm. That means it points to and is fulfilled most perfectly by Christ Himself. Satan quoted verses 11 and 12 of the psalm to Jesus in the wilderness. Luke tells us, “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone” (Luke 4:9–11). Ironically, the psalm’s next verse perfectly describes what happened to Satan that day in the wilderness when Jesus overcame every temptation: “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet” (Ps. 91:13, KJV). Jesus is the ultimate dragon slayer! At every point, He trampled the devil under-foot as prophesied.
John Gill, writing about Psalm 91, says, “Some think the Messiah is meant; and that the psalm contains promises of protection and safety to him, as man, from diseases, beasts of prey, evil spirits, and wicked men, under the care of angels; and this not because that Satan has applied one of these promises to him, Matthew 4:6, but because they seem better to agree with him than with any other: and one part of the title of the psalm, in the Syriac version, runs thus, ‘and spiritually it is called the victory of the Messiah, and of everyone that is perfected by him.’”
I love that last phrase: “the victory of the Messiah, and of everyone that is perfected by him.” As brethren of the great dragon slayer Himself, we are all called to trample serpents and scorpions, just as He did. His victory is ours! His authority is ours! His gifts and power are ours!
Matthew Henry, in his commentary on Psalm 91, says, “The devil is called a roaring lion, the old serpent, the red dragon; so that to this promise the apostle seems to refer in that (Rom. 16:20), The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet. Christ has broken the serpent’s head, spoiled our spiritual enemies (Col. 2:15), and through him we are more than conquerors; for Christ calls us, as Joshua called the captains of Israel, to come and set our feet on the necks of vanquished enemies. Some think this promise had its full accomplishment in Christ, and the miraculous power which he had over the whole creation, healing the sick, casting out devils, and particularly putting it into his disciples’ commission that they should take up serpents, Mark 16:18.
In Revelation, John describes Satan as “the great dragon . . . that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” (Rev. 12:9, KJV). Here we see that the great dragon—warring against almighty God, battling Michael the archangel and other mighty angels (v. 7), persecuting the church, and fighting against believers—is none other than “that old serpent.” He’s the same one who beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden and whose head was crushed by the Messiah. We battle against him still today. But we fight from a position of victory, not defeat.
In Luke chapter 10, Jesus sent seventy-two disciples out two by two to every place He was about to go. He gave them authority and told them to heal the sick and tell them that the kingdom of heaven is near. They returned to Jesus, rejoicing that the demons were subject to them in His name. Jesus responded, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (vv. 18–20).
What an amazing scripture! Jesus, the One who was prophesied of old to crush the head of the serpent, has given us authority to trample on the serpent as well! And yet there is a more glorious promise. No matter what happens to us in this life, our names are written in heaven! No matter what, we win! We fight from a place of victory. This is why Jesus promises, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
As disciples of Jesus, and as His sons and daughters, we have been given the authority to stand against the attacks of the enemy and bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth!
This Bible Study has been taken from Evangelist Daniel Kolenda’s book, “Slaying Dragons”. This book will show readers what the enemy is trying to accomplish and how they can slay every dragon they encounter—in their lives and in the world.
