In a match between a ground squirrel and a deadly rattlesnake, whom would you bet on?

Remember, this is a ground squirrel: it can’t run up a tree to escape.

And if the squirrel needs to defend its burrow with its babies inside, it doesn’t have much choice: it has to stand its ground.

What chance does it have against a venomous rattlesnake?

More than you’d expect.

California ground squirrels have an ace up their sleeve.

When confronted by a rattlesnake, this squirrel is able to engorge its tail with extra blood. It then waves its tail back and forth vigorously, super-heating the blood.

The snake, while lethal, has relatively poor vision, so it can’t clearly see what it’s facing. It instead uses its built-in infrared sensor to detect heat.

The squirrel’s hot, blood-filled tail swishing to and fro mimics the heat signature of a much larger animal. The snake thinks twice about taking on such a formidable creature, and more often than not it slinks away, defeated.

The squirrel has been saved from its enemy by the blood.

And so are we.

On our own, we are no match for that serpent of old, Satan.

He knows all of our vulnerabilities and weaknesses. He loves to accuse and attack us. He knows every trick in the book to defeat us.

We have no weapons of our own to combat such an enemy. What chance do we have against him?

Next to none.

Unless we employ the blood of Jesus.

The power of Jesus’ blood can defeat every foe. Especially a snake like Satan.

Scripture tells us in 1 John 1:7 that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. It wipes the slate clean so that we can be brought back into right relationship with God.

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)

“For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.” (Romans 3:25a)

“So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood.” (Hebrews 13:12)

The blood of Jesus purifies us from our sinful deeds so that we can be welcomed into the presence of the living God. Believing in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the Cross seals the covenant between us and our Heavenly Father.

“And he [Jesus] said to them, ‘This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many.’ ” (Mark 14:24)

Thanks to the shed blood of Jesus, Satan can’t successfully accuse us anymore. He takes flight when faced with the truth that Jesus’ blood has covered our sins.

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Satan is no match for the powerful blood of Jesus.

When confronted with its saving power, he slinks away, defeated!

© 2022 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.