Luke 10:19 Commentary and Bible Study

The majority of commentators from time believe that the Lord's words here to be figurative. They certainly had power to heal the sick and to cast out demons, but this language is very excessive and because it's intended to be understood in a figurative way. Yes, you have enjoyed this capacity to heal and the reception of your message, but ‘behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.’ In other words there are serpents out there, snakes. They are cunning and they are poisonous, and yet your preaching of the gospel and your witnessing will have victories even among them and in spite of them. This imagery is taken up elsewhere in Scripture. ‘And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel’ (Genesis 3:15). That first promise speaks of Chrisy and his victory over Satan, but he gives the same victory to his people. Addressing the members of the church at Rome, Paul says, ‘And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly’ (Romans 16:20).Then also included is this: ‘nothing shall by any means hurt.’ That doesn't mean to say that people can't break our bones or throw us into prison or wound us or take our lives. In various parts of the world that is happening to the servants of God. The promise doesn't cover physical things – at least, not in the short term. The promise is plainly meant to teach that they can never take away your salvation. They can never take away your joy and peace in believing, and your ultimate fruitfulness. They cannot hurt the mission, hurt the work of the Lord. The more they put you down and persecute you, the more perhaps other people will say, ‘These people really mean what they believe’, and other people will be affected and souls will be won and wonderful things will take place. We shall have victory given to us.