SNAKEBITE WHEN VENOM MEETS PREY BY: ELISABETH C. TUNSTALL
Snake Facts • There are 3,500 species of
snakes. 600 species of snakes are venomous with 200 of those species being able to kill. Most snakes are land bound, such as rainforest, grasslands, desert, swamp and urban areas but some live in water. These creatures are strictly carnivorous, eating prey that consists of mice, birds, frogs, fish, bats, worms, lizards and other snakes.
Venemous Snakes Venomous snakes have fangs attached to venom glands. Fangs range in size depending on the snake. Some have short and hollow fangs. Other snakes have long, hollow fangs that can inject large quantities of venom with a single bite. Venom is produced in a snake’s salivary glands, located in the back of their head. When a snake bites, muscles in its head squeeze the venom glands. Venom then pushes through the fangs, which act as needles when piercing the flesh.
Snake Venom • Snake venom varies in composition
and toxins depending on the snake. There are different types of toxins. Neurotoxins affect the nervous system, preventing neurons from transmitting signals, causing paralysis of the victim. Haemotoxins affect the circulatory system. This toxin can cause red blood cells to burst, cause blood to clot, or lower blood pressure to a dangerous level. Myotoxins affect the muscular system, causing the necrosis or tissue death of muscles and prevent muscle contraction.
Snake Venom
Snake bite poisonings are also known as envenomings. 5.4 million people worldwide are bitten by snakes per year. There are 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of envenomings each year. Approximately 137,000 people are killed by snakebites, primarily in areas of Africa, Latin America and Asia per year. Three times as many amputations and other permanent disabilities are caused by snakebites.
Satan the Serpent • The snake represents Satan. The bible
describes the snake or serpent as a subtil creature (Genesis 3:1). To be subtil is to be sly, cunning and clever. These are characteristics of the devil. There has been enmity between man and the snake. This began when Satan entered the serpent and deceived Adam and Eve into taking the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God cursed the snake. We are not exactly sure what it looked like before but God turned it into the legless creature it is now as a punishment (Genesis 3: 14-15).
The venom represents sin. Recall that there are different types of venom, some affect the nervous system, which involves the brain and the circulatory system, which involves the heart. Like venom, sin directly affects our hearts and minds. The heart and mind serve as gateways for Satan to enter in. The heart is the center of a person and is the place to measure one’s desire to obey or not to obey (Matthew 12:35, Luke 12: 34). The mind is where we make choices and is the battleground between good and evil (Ephesians 6: 12).
Sin Corrupts • When sin enters our hearts and minds it corrupts us and changes our very demeanor and behavior. There are different types of venom, some more lethal than others. All sin is transgression of the law but they vary in degree of severity. Some sins are so severe it can cause a permanent change to your life or worst, kill you, just like venom.
Example • Example: a child gets a spanking for
disobeying their mother’s command to clean their room vs a person incarcerated for stealing a vehicle. Both examples show someone that transgressed the law but the type of sin and corresponding punishments differ. The first person can repent and easily move on with their lives in a positive way. This can be compared to a snakebite with very minor injuries. The second person’s life will never be the same. They can repent but they have just made their life extremely difficult with a sin that will follow them for the rest of their life. This is liken to snakebite that caused an amputation of a limb.
Ambush Predator • Satan can behave as an ambush
predator like the snake. This means he will conceal himself, lurking and waiting to attack us by surprise. We all have been faced with a situation that catches us off guard. Ex: being laid off suddenly or dealing with someone with road rage. How you handle these situations determine whether you suffer a snakebite. Will the devil bruise your heel or will you bruise the serpent’s head?
Our Feet • To effectively bruise the serpent’s head our
feet cannot be exposed but instead must be shod with the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6: 13-15). This is the word of God. Consider the benefits of shoes. They protect your skin from the ground and any debris that may be present. Shoes help prevent slips and falls by giving you extra stability and support when you walk. Shoes also facilitate upright posture and prevent muscle strain. Now consider the word of God. The word of God protects us and gives us the support we need to continue to stand upright and to walk continually on the straight and narrow road. It is God’s truth that protects us from the serpent’s venomous bite.
Snakebites • We all have suffered snakebites. We all have been corrupted with venom because we we are all guilty of sin. The antidote or antivenin that can save us is the word of God. Antivenin is an antibody therapy used to disable the toxins of venom. This therapy is created by injecting venom into donor animals, such as horses and sheep. These animals have robust immune systems, capable of developing powerful antibodies that can help eliminate poisonous snake toxins when injected in humans.
Like antivenin, the word is powerful enough to remove the poison of sin because the word comes from and is Christ (John 1: 1). His word is delivered to us by the Spirit (John 14: 26). For every sin there is good to oppose it (Galatians 5: 16-23). The word has to be within our hearts and minds in order for us to carry it out in action. This is made possible by studying the word, praying and praising God daily. The Spirit is thereby able to commune with us. Our hearts and minds open up to him and he can make his abode within us, bringing us to Christ. When we are consumed with the word, we are that much closer to being free from sin.
Conclusion • Even after a person receives antivenin they
still may be left with a scar or handicap from the snakebite. When we sin, it goes on our record books, even after repentance. Satan will also remind us of our sins to make us feel guilty. Sin carries a heavy price. It can ruin our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Sin can kill you, both physically and spiritually. The word of God can remove sin from our hearts and minds in this present day but will not permanently take away the sins of our past. Only Christ’s blood can do that. That is why it is important for us to always be on guard, to always wear our armor, specifically our shoes. We want to bruise the serpent’s head so we can be free of injury and free of death. Amen.