Years ago, a movie called “The Incredible Shrinking Man” drew much attention. A man began to shrink and kept on shrinking until he had to cope with creatures he had trodden on without even knowing they were there — or even that they existed.
Jesus told his disciples: “You will tread on snakes and scorpions.” He was speaking figuratively of demons, but his statement included the real versions if and when necessary. Paul the apostle shook off into a fire a poisonous snake that had bitten him. The superstitious locals expected him to fall down dead but he continued as though nothing had happened — and to Paul nothing had.
I like to think of myself as an Incredible Growing Man. Not physically but in stature, spiritually. That those demons which had dismissed me as no threat to them see me approach and scream: “Aaargh!” or “Oh NO!” Well, that’s what the demons in Legion said the morning Jesus stepped ashore after he had spent a night crossing the Sea of Galilee.
I’m “growing” in the ongoing sense because I’ve yet to reach “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” But God has used me to set many bound people free around the globe (Ephesians 4:13). Once formidable demons are now merely momentary obstructions.
Shrinking was a problem with clothing back in the post-war years until a non-shrink element was developed and added to clothing; and that was that. Likewise, I quit seeing demons and problem people as ‘giants’ long ago, and instead began seeing them as “grasshoppers” (Numbers 13:33).
Fasten your eyes on Jesus until every problem that faces you sees and identifies Jesus in you and instantly shrinks to proper proportion.