The next time the enemy whispers fear into your mind, tries to replay an old failure, or tells you nothing will ever change, picture this: you do not have to argue with him at eye level.
You can put your foot down.
There’s an old saying I love because it carries a holy punch: “When you want to say something to the devil, write it on the bottom of your shoes, because he is under your feet.” It sounds almost humorous, but it’s rooted in something God wants you to remember when the pressure hits. You are not powerless. You are not abandoned. You are not fighting a battle that might go either way.
You are standing in a victory that Jesus already secured.
Romans 16:20 says, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (NIV) That is not a metaphor meant to make you feel better, it is a promise meant to make you stand taller. The enemy would love to convince you that you are still trapped, still marked by your past, still at the mercy of your emotions, still one temptation away from collapse. But the cross and the empty tomb settled the authority question forever. If you belong to Jesus, the devil does not sit on your shoulders, he does not rule your day, and he does not get the final word. He is under your feet.
Understanding your authority without getting weird
Some believers either ignore spiritual authority altogether or try to operate in it with a kind of panic. Neither honors what Jesus gave us.
Colossians 2:15 says, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him.” (ESV) In other words, Jesus did not merely survive the cross, He defeated what was against you. The enemy still lies, still accuses, still tempts, still intimidates, but he does it without the right to own you. His main strategy is deception, not dominion.
That’s why your mind is such a battleground. He doesn’t need chains if he can convince you to live like you’re chained.
Jesus made it plain when He told His disciples, Luke 10:19: “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy, nothing will harm you.” (NIV) That verse is not permission to be reckless, it is permission to be steady. It means you can resist fear without negotiating with it. You can confront temptation without believing it defines you. You can face hardship without concluding God has left you.
Authority doesn’t always feel dramatic. Sometimes it looks like you getting out of bed when depression says stay down. Sometimes it looks like you speaking one sentence of truth when anxiety wants to flood you with “what ifs.” Sometimes it looks like you worshiping in the middle of disappointment. That is not denial, that is dominion.
The enemy wants access, and agreement gives it to him
The devil cannot control a believer, but he can harass, accuse, and attempt to influence. One of his favorite tactics is to get you to agree with his lies.
He tells you, “You will never change,” and if you agree, you start living like transformation is impossible.
He tells you, “God is tired of you,” and if you agree, you start praying like a beggar instead of a son or daughter.
He tells you, “You are alone,” and if you agree, you start interpreting silence as abandonment.
This is why renewing your mind is not optional, it’s survival. Romans 12:2 says, “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (NLT) Notice the order. God’s work in you is real, but it often arrives through a changed mind, a new agreement, a fresh lens.
You don’t win by having perfect emotions. You win by choosing the right agreement.
PUSH: Pray until something happens
Prayer is not your last resort, it’s your first response. It’s not a religious routine, it’s a weapon, a refuge, and a lifeline.
Jesus told a parable specifically to train our endurance in prayer. Luke 18:1 says, “They should always pray and never give up.” (NLT) The enemy loves quick discouragement. He wants you to pray once, see nothing, and decide it didn’t matter. He wants you to interpret delay as denial. He wants you to quit in the “middle,” because the middle is where faith gets refined.
That’s why I love the simple reminder: PUSH, Pray Until Something Happens.
Sometimes what “happens” is the circumstance shifting.
Sometimes what “happens” is your courage returning.
Sometimes what “happens” is peace replacing panic.
Sometimes what “happens” is God giving you wisdom, timing, and the next step.
Do not despise persistent prayer. You are not trying to convince God to care. You are aligning your heart with the God who already does.
Victory requires a trained focus
If the enemy can’t steal your salvation, he’ll try to steal your focus. He’ll crowd your mental space with worst case scenarios, old memories, imagined conversations, and shame-based predictions.
Philippians 4:8 gives us a filter: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.” (NLT)
That doesn’t mean you pretend problems aren’t real. It means you refuse to let problems become your only reality.
A victorious mindset does a few practical things:
It declares God’s promises over the moment.
Not because you are “manifesting,” but because you are remembering who God is.
It treats obstacles as training ground.
You may not like the fight, but you can grow in it.
It stays steady when results aren’t immediate.
Faith is not fragile. Faith endures.
It trusts God’s invisible work.
Even when you cannot see movement, heaven is not inactive.
Put it under your feet, a practical exercise
Here’s something simple you can do today that turns that “shoe” phrase into an actual spiritual practice.
- Name the lie.
Write down the thought that keeps haunting you. “I’m not enough.” “Nothing will change.” “I’m always going to be this way.” “God won’t come through.” Put it in plain words. - Answer it with truth.
Right next to it, write a Scripture promise or a truth statement grounded in God’s character. “God is with me.” “He who began a good work in me will carry it on.” “I am forgiven.” “God provides wisdom.” “I have authority to resist.” - Put it under your feet.
Maybe you literally write that lie on a piece of paper and step on it during prayer, not as superstition, but as a physical reminder: this does not rule me. This is beneath me in Christ. - Pray it through.
Pray until peace comes, until clarity comes, until your heart stops shaking, until you can breathe again. - Walk it out.
Then take one obedient step. Send the message. Make the appointment. Apologize. Start the habit again. Open your Bible. Go to church. Join the group. Ask for help. Obedience is often the loudest “no” you can speak to the enemy.
You are not fighting for victory, you are fighting from victory. The cross was not a tie. It was a triumph.
Encouragement for the day you feel tired
If you’re reading this and thinking, “I hear it, but I feel worn down,” let me speak to you plainly as your pastor and your friend: being tired does not mean you are losing. It means you have been carrying something heavy, and God is inviting you to trade burdens, not to carry them alone.
Even if your faith feels small today, put your foot down anyway. Even if your prayers feel weak today, PUSH anyway. Even if your mind has been noisy, choose one truth and hold to it anyway.
The enemy is loud, but he is not lord.
Jesus is Lord.
And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet.
Prayer:
Father, thank You that Jesus has already won the victory. Thank You that the enemy’s accusations, intimidation, and lies do not have authority over my life. Help me recognize the places where I have agreed with fear, shame, or discouragement, and teach me to replace those agreements with Your truth. Strengthen my mind, steady my heart, and renew my courage today. I choose to PUSH, to pray until something happens, and to trust You in the middle of the process. Give me wisdom for my next step, peace that guards my thoughts, and boldness to stand firm. I declare that the enemy is under my feet, and Jesus is Lord over every part of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement 
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