“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary [enemy] the devil, as a roaring lion... [is] seeking whom he may devour.”
Snakes are usually thought of as creatures living on land. But there are many that are more at home in lakes, ponds and even some parts of the ocean. All water snakes are excellent swimmers and can stay under water a long time, going as deep as 50 feet for fish and other sea food.
Several varieties are in various areas of Canada and the United States. One commonly found in Ohio and Illinois is called the queen. Another, the Graham’s water snake, is common in Pennsylvania and north into Canada. Some others include the striped, Clark’s, flat-tailed, and red-bellied species. The brown is the largest, growing up to five feet long. These fresh-water snakes are not poisonous and are usually harmless to people. However, if some of the larger ones are stepped on they can give a painful bite.
In the ocean waters of the Philippines, Australia, etc., there are about 50 species, and all are as poisonous as a rattlesnake or other pit viper. These are usually about three feet long and are rather pretty creatures with a variety of colors. They often stay in deep water a long time, searching for fish and other food. They come to the surface for a breath of air after about 30 minutes.
They may swim in groups of just a dozen or so, but often there will be hundreds of them hunting together. Fortunately they are not inclined to bother anyone swimming among them. Quite a few men make a living by capturing them and selling their skins to tanneries and shoemakers, to be made into belts, shoes, bags and other items.
Strangely, these men don’t wear gloves or special clothing in their work with these dangerous serpents. They just swim up behind a snake and grab it tightly behind its head with their right hand. Then they quickly transfer the snake to the other hand, in which three or four may be held together before they swim up to an overhead boat, killing them there and stowing them away for skinning later.
In the Bible, Satan is referred to as “that old serpent, which is the Devil” (Revelation 20:22And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (Revelation 20:2)), and as “a roaring lion,” as quoted at the top of this page. These descriptions tell us that Satan is like a serpent and wants to sneak into our lives with evil thoughts, and as a fierce lion he will harm us in any way he can. He wants to keep us away from the Lord Jesus who really loves and cares for us.
ML-01/12/1992