Leviathan and the Overcomer

This mystery of Leviathan has confused most of us for years and still now there are more questions than answers. However, since God has devoted so much scripture to “him” we should at least explore all that we can at the present time. There are just 5 scriptures that mention his name but there are many that speak about his character and his actions and the hopelessness of man to defeat or destroy him. We will begin with these 5 scriptures.

JOB 41:1 "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? [2] "Can you put a rope in his nose? Or pierce his jaw with a hook? [3] "Will he make many supplications to you? Or will he speak to you soft words? [4] "Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever? [5] "Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your maidens? [6] "Will the traders bargain over him?

JOB 41:13] Thou didst divide the sea by Thy strength; Thou didst break the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. [14] Thou didst crush the heads of Leviathan; Thou didst give him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.

PSA 104:24 O LORD, how many are Thy works! In wisdom Thou hast made them all; The earth is full of Thy possessions. [25] There is the sea, great and broad, Animals both small and great. In which are swarms without number, [26] There the ships move along, And Leviathan, which Thou hast formed to sport in it.

ISA 27:1 In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.

The most complete description of Leviathan is found in Job 41, the complete chapter. However, from these other scriptures we learn that he goes back to the creation and who will one day be destroyed [ rendered ineffective ] by God. We learn that God has crushed his heads.

All this sounds like it is speaking of Satan. God will punish “the fleeing serpent” who is Leviathan, the twisted serpent. God will KILL the dragon that lives in the sea. We know that Satan will be cast into the lake of fire but not killed. He will exist on in hell for eternity. We also know that Satan’s home and territory is in the mid heavens and he is not limited to the sea. There is no reference to Satan living in the sea. But because several other things about Leviathan correspond with that which is said about Satan it is assumed that Leviathan = Satan. However, even though some things are similar there are others that won’t fit.

Our conclusion then should be that Satan has a great influence over Leviathan and Leviathan has acquired some of Satan’s character and disposition, the two are not the same thing. While Satan is locked up in eternity, Leviathan will be destroyed.

In examining the characteristics of Leviathan we recognize his character and his invincibility and from that may gain insight in interpreting who he is. First we learn that he is the king of pride.

These series of questions in Job 41 reveal Leviathan’s invincibility to the attacks and devices of man. No man can catch him or put any restraints upon him or control him in any way. After reading these 14 questions it is clear that man is totally helpless in dealing with Leviathan. Can man put a rope around his tongue to stop his voice? The implication is that man can never put a ring it his nose or a bridle upon his head. God asks will you be able to make a covenant with him to seek agreement or hire him as a servant? Even if you throw a banquet for him will you find favor with him?

Within each one of us is the Leviathan of pride that is uncontrollable and unconquerable. Who is able to stir him up and escape? This Leviathan lives in the “sea” and can submerge until he cannot be detected but he is still there. He has some part in so many areas of our life and the manifestation is pride. However, this sneaky pride can disguise itself as false humility. The church is a haven for pride disguised as religious humility. Even this “poor me syndrome” we hear in testimonies is pride in my humility. I’m no good and the worst of creatures and totally unworthy of anything is false humility.

In Job 29:7-18 is Job’s opinion of himself and a record of all that he accomplished. As we read that see if we detect Leviathan hiding in the depths. Now can we see the same Leviathan hiding or submerged in us? His manifestations take on different dimensions in various situations. He manifests in a certain way at home and a different way at work and quite another at church. There is a religious pride that tries to look holy. Even “righteous indignation” can be just religious pride.

JOB 41:12 "I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame. [13] "Who can strip off his outer armor? Who can come within his double mail? [14] "Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror. [15] "His strong scales are his pride, Shut up as with a tight seal. [16] "One is so near to another, That no air can come between them. [17] "They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. [18] "His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. [19] "Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth. [20] "Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes. [21] "His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes forth from his mouth.

When pride speaks it is like torches of fire from his mouth. Even his breath will burn with fire. Leviathan’s pride is in his invincibility. His pride is in his scales which are like armor plate that no one can penetrate. They are so tight that we can push nothing between them to gain even a little access. Even his face is completely protected and his teeth can rip you apart.

If we all understood that this creature exists within each of us we would have to seek help and escape from some other source. Of course that source is ONLY GOD. He is the only one that can deliver us from the mouth of Leviathan.

The point I am making is this; In all these studies on overcoming and conquering and coming off victorious we have missed the root of the problem. What if we conquered all the external things but never dealt with this problem of pride within? The greatest conflict in the battle of “overcoming” is the one that we are totally helpless to defeat and conquer. No man can overcome pride by his own strength or cleverness. If he could THAT would be a source of pride. No! The only solution is to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt us in the proper time. To exalt ourselves plays right into the hand of pride. True humility puts us into the hand of God so that He may deliver us.

PE 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, [7] casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. [8] Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. [10] And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. [11] To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

JOB 41:22] "In his neck lodges strength, And dismay leaps before him. [23] "The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm on him and immovable. [24] "His heart is as hard as a stone; Even as hard as a lower millstone. [25] "When he raises himself up, the mighty [ the strong and victorious] fear; Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

Don’t expect a tender and understanding response from pride. He has a heart of stone so hard that is can crush grain. He manifests tremendous fear and under his power confusion comes crashing down upon us. We do something stupid and are then dismayed at the strength of it. The root of it is pride and Satan or demons can ride it to tremendous depths and carry it beyond any place we wanted or expected. Pride really does go before the fall. PROV 11:2] When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.

PROV 16:18] Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. [19] It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

MARK 7:22 Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him; [19] because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) [20] And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. [21] "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, [22] deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. [23] "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

Pride is not just something we DO it is at the heart of our being and hides in the inner most recesses of our heart. Only the manifestations of pride are what we see while the root and cause is in the heart! Since God is the only One who can remove pride from these hidden recesses, it obviously is His will to accomplish this work as soon as possible. Our part is to humble ourselves and ask Him to do it. DON’T BE SURPRISED AT HOW HE DOES IT! We must tell Him we want delivered regardless of how He does it! Even if He must humiliate us in the process. This monster cannot inherit the things of God because he would boast about how he achieved it.

Since our refusal to forgive unconditionally is rooted in personal pride God can only withhold forgiveness towards us until we get it right. This is a great incentive to see pride destroyed within us. We must begin by hating it as the most vile enemy. Only God can search out the depths of this sea and take hold of Leviathan. However, even God’s sovereignty cannot search out the vastness of this sea until we sincerely ask.

To sum up, the most profound act of overcoming is something that we are powerless to accomplish and ONLY God can deliver us from Leviathan. This is exactly how it should be because if we could overcome pride then our pride in overcoming pride would defeat us once again. It is only by His grace so there is no more opportunity for pride.


	LEVIATHAN AND THE OVERCOMER STUDY # 11 This mystery of Leviathan has confused most of us for years and still now there are more questions than answers. However, since God has devoted so much scripture to “him” we should at least explore all that we can at the present time. There are just 5 scriptures that mention his name but there are many that speak about his character and his actions and the hopelessness of man to defeat or destroy him. We will begin with these 5 scriptures. JOB 3:8] "Let those curse it who curse the day, Who are prepared to rouse Leviathan. [9] "Let the stars of its twilight be darkened; JOB 41:1 "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? [2] "Can you put a rope in his nose? Or pierce his jaw with a hook? [3] "Will he make many supplications to you? Or will he speak to you soft words? [4] "Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever? [5] "Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your maidens? [6] "Will the traders bargain over him? JOB 41:13] Thou didst divide the sea by Thy strength; Thou didst break the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. [14] Thou didst crush the heads of Leviathan; Thou didst give him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. The untamed ones will thrive and are strengthened by him as their food. PSA 104:24 O LORD, how many are Thy works! In wisdom Thou hast made them all; The earth is full of Thy possessions. [25] There is the sea, great and broad, Animals both small and great. In which are swarms without number, [26] There the ships move along, And Leviathan, which Thou hast formed to sport in it. ISA 27:1 In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea. In the eternity of God there is no place for Leviathan and he must be totally destroyed. The most complete description of Leviathan is found in Job 41, the complete chapter. However, from these other scriptures we learn that he goes back to the creation and who will one day be destroyed [ rendered ineffective ] by God. We learn that God has crushed his heads. All this sounds like it is speaking of Satan. God will punish “the fleeing serpent” who is Leviathan, the twisted serpent. God will KILL the dragon that lives in the sea. We know that Satan will be cast into the lake of fire but not killed. He will exist on in hell for eternity. We also know that Satan’s home and territory is in the mid heavens and he is not limited to the sea. There is no reference to Satan living in the sea. But because several other things about Leviathan correspond with that which is said about Satan it is assumed that Leviathan = Satan. However, even though some things are similar there are others that won’t fit. Our conclusion then should be that Satan has a great influence over Leviathan and Leviathan has acquired some of Satan’s character and disposition, the two are not the same thing. While Satan is locked up in eternity, Leviathan will be destroyed. In examining the characteristics of Leviathan we recognize his character and his invincibility and from that may gain insight in interpreting who he is. First we learn that he is the king of pride. JOB 41:33] "Nothing on earth is like him, One made without fear. [34] "He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride." He has no fear and is totally unique in all the earth. He rules as king over all those who manifest pride. These series of questions in Job 41 reveal Leviathan’s invincibility to the attacks and devices of man. No man can catch him or put any restraints upon him or control him in any way. After reading these 14 questions it is clear that man is totally helpless in dealing with Leviathan. Can man put a rope around his tongue to stop his voice? The implication is that man can never put a ring it his nose or a bridle upon his head. God asks will you be able to make a covenant with him to seek agreement or hire him as a servant? Even if you throw a banquet for him will you find favor with him? Within each one of us is the Leviathan of pride that is uncontrollable and unconquerable. Who is able to stir him up and escape? This Leviathan lives in the “sea” and can submerge until he cannot be detected but he is still there. He has some part in so many areas of our life and the manifestation is pride. However, this sneaky pride can disguise itself as false humility. The church is a haven for pride disguised as religious humility. Even this “poor me syndrome” we hear in testimonies is pride in my humility. I’m no good and the worst of creatures and totally unworthy of anything is false humility. In Job 29:7-18 is Job’s opinion of himself and a record of all that he accomplished. As we read that see if we detect Leviathan hiding in the depths. Now can we see the same Leviathan hiding or submerged in us? His manifestations take on different dimensions in various situations. He manifests in a certain way at home and a different way at work and quite another at church. There is a religious pride that tries to look holy. Even “righteous indignation” can be just religious pride. JOB 41:12 "I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame. [13] "Who can strip off his outer armor? Who can come within his double mail? [14] "Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror. [15] "His strong scales are his pride, Shut up as with a tight seal. [16] "One is so near to another, That no air can come between them. [17] "They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. [18] "His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. [19] "Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth. [20] "Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes. [21] "His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes forth from his mouth. When pride speaks it is like torches of fire from his mouth. Even his breath will burn with fire. Leviathan’s pride is in his invincibility. His pride is in his scales which are like armor plate that no one can penetrate. They are so tight that we can push nothing between them to gain even a little access. Even his face is completely protected and his teeth can rip you apart. If we all understood that this creature exists within each of us we would have to seek help and escape from some other source. Of course that source is ONLY GOD. He is the only one that can deliver us from the mouth of Leviathan. The point I am making is this; In all these studies on overcoming and conquering and coming off victorious we have missed the root of the problem. What if we conquered all the external things but never dealt with this problem of pride within? The greatest conflict in the battle of “overcoming” is the one that we are totally helpless to defeat and conquer. No man can overcome pride by his own strength or cleverness. If he could THAT would be a source of pride. No! The only solution is to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt us in the proper time. To exalt ourselves plays right into the hand of pride. True humility puts us into the hand of God so that He may deliver us. PE 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, [7] casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. [8] Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. [10] And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. [11] To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. JOB 41:22] "In his neck lodges strength, And dismay leaps before him. [23] "The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm on him and immovable. [24] "His heart is as hard as a stone; Even as hard as a lower millstone. [25] "When he raises himself up, the mighty [ the strong and victorious] fear; Because of the crashing they are bewildered. Don’t expect a tender and understanding response from pride. He has a heart of stone so hard that is can crush grain. He manifests tremendous fear and under his power confusion comes crashing down upon us. We do something stupid and are then dismayed at the strength of it. The root of it is pride and Satan or demons can ride it to tremendous depths and carry it beyond any place we wanted or expected. Pride really does go before the fall. PROV 11:2] When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. PROV 16:18] Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. [19] It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. PROV 21:24] "Proud," "Haughty," "Scoffer," are his names, Who acts with insolent pride. When we identify these manifestations we know that pride is at the root of them. MARK 7:22 Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him; [19] because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) [20] And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. [21] "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, [22] deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. [23] "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." Pride is not just something we DO it is at the heart of our being and hides in the inner most recesses of our heart. Only the manifestations of pride are what we see while the root and cause is in the heart! Since God is the only One who can remove pride from these hidden recesses, it obviously is His will to accomplish this work as soon as possible. Our part is to humble ourselves and ask Him to do it. DON’T BE SURPRISED AT HOW HE DOES IT! We must tell Him we want delivered regardless of how He does it! Even if He must humiliate us in the process. This monster cannot inherit the things of God because he would boast about how he achieved it. Since our refusal to forgive unconditionally is rooted in personal pride God can only withhold forgiveness towards us until we get it right. This is a great incentive to see pride destroyed within us. We must begin by hating it as the most vile enemy. Only God can search out the depths of this sea and take hold of Leviathan. However, even God’s sovereignty cannot search out the vastness of this sea until we sincerely ask. To sum up, the most profound act of overcoming is something that we are powerless to accomplish and ONLY God can deliver us from Leviathan. This is exactly how it should be because if we could overcome pride then our pride in overcoming pride would defeat us once again. It is only by His grace so there is no more opportunity for pride. Even if we overcome in all these other outward areas, if we fail to overcome this devil our other “overcoming” may be irrelevant.