Taking Up Serpents: Walking in the Authority of Christ


May 14,2026

“And these signs shall follow them that believe… they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them…” — Mark 16:17–18

Christ is life, and every word that proceeds from Him carries life. To doubt the written words of Christ is to remain attached to the mentality of death. If we truly desire the life of God to be manifested in us, then we must trust completely in what Jesus has spoken and what He continues to reveal through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would remind us of all things He had said:
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost… shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” — John 14:26

As believers, our minds and spirits must be aligned with the truth of Christ. Faith begins when we settle every argument against His Word and choose to believe Him absolutely.
One of the most misunderstood statements of Jesus is found in Mark 16, where He said believers would “take up serpents.” Sadly, some have interpreted this carnally, turning it into dangerous demonstrations involving physical snakes or poisonous substances. But Scripture must always be interpreted with Scripture.

The first appearance of the serpent in the Bible was in Genesis, where Satan manifested himself through the serpent in the garden:

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field…” — Genesis 3:1
From that moment, the serpent became symbolic of Satan, deception, opposition, and evil influence. Therefore, when Jesus spoke about believers taking up serpents, He was speaking about authority over the power of darkness, not encouraging reckless physical acts.

Jesus Himself gave clarity when He declared:

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy…” — Luke 10:19

This is spiritual authority. The believer is not called to fear the devil, run from him, or surrender to intimidation. Rather, the believer is commanded to stand firm in God and resist the enemy.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” — James 4:7

You cannot resist what never confronts you. The enemy will surely attempt to challenge your faith, your conviction, and your stand in Christ. His expectation is fear, compromise, and retreat. But Jesus has commanded us to “take up serpents” — to confront darkness with divine authority, to handle opposition through faith, and to establish truth boldly.

Even the attitude of Jesus toward Judas teaches us endurance and courage. Christ did not run from betrayal or opposition; He remained steadfast in fulfilling truth and purpose.

Believers must therefore stop magnifying the devil and start walking in the victory Christ has already provided. The authority of Christ in us is greater than every work of darkness.
“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” — 1 John 4:4

So I say to you: take up serpents. Stand in the authority of Christ. Believe every word He has spoken, and you shall walk in life and victory.

“The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” — John 6:63

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