I do not like snakes! I’ve heard the good things experts say about snakes—they’re ecologically necessary and beneficial. Many have beautiful designs and colors in their scales. And there are even people who insist they make good pets.
Snakes—reptiles in general—simply give me the creeps. A friend of mind speculates that most people hate snakes because of the Garden of Eden. I think I dislike them because they look slimy (I know they aren’t really) and some are poisonous. However, the creature in Eden is called a serpent; never a snake, and apparently had little in common with the snakes we are familiar with.
Animal Planet’s show from the ‘90’s, Swamp Wars, followed wildlife experts battling to keep the Everglades from being overtaken by pythons and boa constrictors that have been released into the wild over the years and are rapidly multiplying. Because the boas have been introduced into an environment with no natural predators, it has become necessary for people to fight to keep their numbers and influence in check.
In the beginning, humankind’s only natural enemy, Lucifer, appeared in the form of a beautiful, cunning serpent and entered the sinless Garden. The first couple had been given authority over the entire earth and every living creature God had created (Genesis 1:28-29). That authority included angels, also created by God. Adam and Eve had the authority to send the serpent and the fallen angel, Lucifer, out of Eden.
The first couple had complete freedom to eat from every tree in Eden, except one. But because not having that one thing made them feel cheated, and the thought of more produced a sense of excitement, the first couple failed to stop the entrance of sin, rebellion, disobedience and selfishness. Sin has multiplied rapidly over the centuries: invading cultures that make no effort to halt its spread.
A boa kills by wrapping itself around its prey, tightening and squeezing until breath is gone. Some pet owners have been killed by snakes they had fed and handled from very small. They incorrectly believed that “their snake” was different, placing trust in a creature whose inherent wild nature had never changed.
Worry, hatred, disappointment, bitterness, jealousy, envy and rage are destructive emotional boa constrictors that roam freely and begin to wrap around us soon after birth. As they grow bigger, fed by our ignorance of how to diminish their strength, the emotional constrictions that feel so familiar gradually squeeze life and hope out of relationships. Joined to Christ, believers are the only natural enemy of the satan and his destructive forces. In Christ, the satan has been defeated and we stand victorious.
Not everyone goes physically into the Everglades to hunt snakes, but everyone affected by the Everglades ecology and economy is involved in some way: everyone’s tax dollars support the fight many call the experts to report where a snake has been sighted some go through the training necessary for a supporting role in the war against the snakes such as training and record keeping.
We don’t all fight the emotional boas the same way—but fight we must! And we must be sure we’re fighting the right thing. When we fight against people, the battle is misplaced because we can’t change other people. The real battle is between our own ears: choosing consistently to believe what God says is true, when it doesn’t feel true, and rejecting the satan’s lie when it does feel true.
Infinite Grace Ministries exists to teach the Good News of God’s love for humankind. Our desire is to plant hope and encouragement in people: those who already know God personally, and those who are still skeptical about His existence or goodness. Together we’ll experience life transformation through the limitless love and mercy of God. Visit infinitegrace.com or call 580-774-2884.
