If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
–Luke 11:11-13 NKJV
Jesus frequently uses the animal kingdom to teach truths about the spiritual realm. Just as Jesus described unteachable fools and arrogant know-it-alls as dogs and pigs in Matthew 7:6, he describes various kinds of evil spirits as “serpents and scorpions” in this and other passages. He talks about all kinds of animals to teach us lessons about different kinds of people, mindsets, personalities, and spirits.
For example, in describing demons (“Satan”), he refers to them as “birds of the air,” “serpents and scorpions,” “Beelzebul” (which means “lord of the flies”), etc. Revelation 12:9-10 describes “the Devil and Satan” as “the accuser of our brethren, who accused them day and night,” “the great dragon,” and “that serpent of old…who deceives the whole world.”
Later, Jesus’ disciple, Peter, described “your adversary, the devil,” as “a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” Lions are what the Bible would classify as a “beast of the field,” a category that could include other animals such as dogs, wolves, foxes, jackals, oxen, wild donkeys, and even “the serpent” (see Genesis 3:1).
The animal kingdom is divided up under biblical categories that include “cattle,” “beasts of the field” (or “wild animals,”) “birds of the air,” “reptiles,” “creeping things,” “fish of the sea,” etc. See Genesis 1:26, 28; Leviticus 11:2-47; Acts 10:12; 11:6; Romans 1:23; James 3:7; etc.
What does Jesus mean by “scorpion”? What are the qualities or characteristics of a scorpion? What do other passages of the Bible tell us about the scorpion?
“who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock;”
–Deuteronomy 8:15 NKJV
Serpents and scorpions are first grouped together in this passage in Deuteronomy. When Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days being tempted by Satan, every scripture that He quoted to Satan also came from the book of Deuteronomy. From this verse, we learn that fiery serpents and scorpions dwell in a dry place, “that great and terrible wilderness,” a “thirsty land where there was no water.”
Jesus said that when an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes through dry places seeking rest. See Matthew 12:43-45; Luke 11:14-28. That demon is now in torment and the delivered person is finally at peace. Then the demon tries to check up on his old residence to see if he can somehow regain access to that person’s life.
The implication of the passage appears to be that if the person is not making the Word of God the standard for one’s life, if they are not abiding in Christ and being perfected in God’s love, then the evil spirit can come back with a vengeance, such that the person ends off much worse than before.
If the believer in Jesus continues to serve the law of sin and death rather than walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, then they give the devil a foothold. However, if one fellowships with God and walks by the Spirit, then s/he will not gratify the lusts of the flesh, and sin shall not have dominion over them. See Galatians 5:16ff; Romans 6:14.
The demon (which manifests itself in a person’s life through a toxic mindset, unhealthy addiction, and/or sin) cannot regain access to the person who is fighting the good fight of the faith and growing rooted and grounded in God’s love.
Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’…17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
–Luke 10:8-9, 17-20 NKJV
In this passage, Jesus clearly defines “serpents and scorpions” in terms of the evil spirits of Satan’s kingdom. He makes this statement after the seventy disciples whom he sent out returned to him with the testimony that even the demons submit to them in Jesus’ name. These disciples had cast out demons and healed the sick. What might that tell us about the specific characteristics of serpents and of scorpions?
The terms “serpents” and “snakes” can often be used interchangeably, for “snakes” can be included in the “serpents” category. After Satan took the form of a serpent and deceived Eve, mankind (Adam) chose to rebel against God’s leadership and rejected Him by disobeying His commandment. Consequently, God cursed the serpent and declared that he would crawl on his belly from then onward (implying that God removed the serpent’s legs).
The Bible describes poisonous snakes such as asps, adders, cobras, and vipers as symbolic of deceiving spirits. Just as poisonous snakes can kill a person with their mouths, when speaking of evil people, the psalmist says that “the poison of asps is under their lips.” Thus, serpents represent deceiving spirits, and poisonous snakes such as asps and vipers represent spirits of bitterness, gossip, slander, malice, envy, etc.
Life and death is in the power of the tongue, and the tongue that is set on fire by hell will tear people down and speak bitter words that can crush a person’s spirit, which can make them physically sick according to Proverbs 15:4; 17:22; Psalm 69:20; etc.
If serpents represent demons or spirits of envy, bitterness, accusation, slander, lies, pride, etc., then what about scorpions? What do scorpions represent biblically? What are scorpions like in the animal kingdom? Scorpions are “creeping things” with a stinger. When a scorpion stings a person, it brings terrible pain and torment to that person. Sometimes, their stings can even be lethal without the proper treatment or response.
When the Bible describes a kind of demonic locust in Revelation 9, that same kind of torment is emphasized. According to 1 John 4:18, fear has torment. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, for fear has torment, and whoever fears has not yet been made perfect in love” (my paraphrase).
These “locusts” of Revelation 9 had “tails like scorpions” and their shape was “like horses prepared for battle.” In the field of physiology, cortisol is called “the stress hormone.” Like a horse geared up for battle, this “fight-or-flight” hormone is released into the human body whenever a person dwells on thoughts of fear, stress, anxiety, guilt, shame, etc.
The good news is that God delivers us from all our fears, for perfect love casts out fear (worry, stress, anxiety, dread, terror, panic, unrest, dis-ease, etc.). As God drowned the horses, chariots, and riders of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea, He shall bring our bodies to health when we learn to trust in Him, so that cortisol levels can subside and our immune systems can function in our best interests for our recovery and healing.
When we do not know who we are in Christ, remain in His love, walk in His authority, reign in life through Jesus Christ, meditate on His Word day and night, keep in step with the Spirit, take every thought captive in obedience to Christ, repent and believe in the gospel, trust God and keep his commandments, and/or love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then what is the alternative?
When we do not know who we are in Christ, when we serve the law of sin and death, when we gratify the flesh, when we do not get rid of all bitterness, when we worry, when we are anxious about everything, when we give the devil a foothold, then what can we expect will happen?
God cannot be mocked; a person reaps what he or she sows. The one who sows to please the flesh or their carnal desires will reap corruption and disappointment. But the good news is that the one who sows to please the Holy Spirit will reap eternal life and access what God possesses according to His blessed nature. See Galatians 6:7-8; Romans 8:12-15.
Back to the mystery of the scorpion, how does Jesus give us authority to trample upon snakes and scorpions? How did Jesus Himself trample on serpents and scorpions? Apart from doing so in his earthly ministry by casting out demons and healing the sick, Jesus “trampled on serpents” when he fulfilled the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 by crushing the head of the serpent when he died on the cross.
How did Jesus trample on scorpions in the redemption story? The Roman whip used to scourge condemned criminals sometimes contained a hook at the end of a strap which was called “the scorpion” (https://bible-history.com/past/flagrum). The prophecy of Jesus’ scourging and death in Isaiah 53:5 says that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed.
The ancient Jewish king Rehoboam once told his people that although his father chastised them with whips, he would discipline them with scorpions. When Jesus was flogged with a whip called “the scorpion,” he took upon himself the sicknesses, griefs, sorrows, and pains of the world. “Scorpions” can represent “spirits of infirmity,” (that is, sickness or disease) which come upon a person when fear compromises one’s immune system.
The torment of fear and sickness can only be removed by God’s perfect love which casts out fear, which is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit when we finally learn to trust in God. Learning to trust in God can be a long journey, but when we finally see correctly who God is in His power, His love, His justice, and His goodness, then accusation, fear, doubt, bitterness, or anything else that hinders love shall not have dominion over us.
Lies keep us in spiritual bondage and this perpetuates our struggles, but the truth shall make us free. As we continue to come into agreement with what God says, be transformed by the renewing of our mind, and become more like Jesus, then we shall experience the good plans that He has in store for us.
For more information on what it looks like to engage with God in communication or a personal relationship, see “Four Spiritual Laws About Prayer.”