And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.
— Ephesians 1:22
In the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt, there is an exquisite display of the treasures of King Tut (Tutankhamun) — the boy pharaoh who died at a very early age and whose tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in the year 1922. I’ve been to Tut’s Tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and on multiple occasions I’ve seen the display of treasures found in his tomb that are on view in the Egyptian Museum. This museum is one of the world’s greatest — filled with artifacts from the ancient world. However, of all the relics on display, there is something uniquely breathtaking about the treasures of King Tut. Each time I’ve been there, I’ve found myself especially fascinated by one group of items in the collection — the walking canes that were used by King Tut.
As one might expect, these canes are long and slender and are decorated with gold, silver, ivory, precious stones, and rare woods. They were not designed to fully carry the weight of an individual, but rather were intended to convey symbolism to anyone who saw Tut walking with these items in his hand. I first realized this fact when I took a closer look and saw the unique carvings on the bottoms of each of these canes.
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These walking canes are each shaped like a shepherd’s staff with a u-shaped hook on one end. However, instead of being placed at the top of the cane like a typical shepherd’s staff, these hooks were formed at the base. Engraved along the length of each hook are images of conquered peoples from foreign lands lying prostrate on their stomachs with their arms reaching upward in adoration of the Pharaoh. Every time the pharaoh walked with his cane in hand, these figures literally rolled on the bottom of cane, symbolically bowing before him. This imagery conveyed a strong message — namely, that all of Egypt’s enemies were defeated and directly under the feet of this mighty Pharaoh.
When I first recognized the meaning behind these carvings, I was reminded of the apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:22, where he wrote, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” Paul’s choice of words in this statement is very powerful, so let’s take a moment to examine the original Greek language.
The word “under” in this verse is the Greek word hupotasso. This word was originally a military term meaning to subjugate or to dominate. It described forcibly subduing a conquered people and putting them in their place, and it is the exact idea that the images on King Tut’s canes were designed to convey. However, Paul’s use of this word in Ephesians 1:21 was not figurative or symbolic at all. Jesus Christ — through His death on the Cross, subsequent resurrection, and ultimate ascension on High — literally put every foe that ever existed under His feet.
Paul elaborated on this in Philippians 2:9, saying, “Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (see Philippians 2:9-11). Nothing in the universe is more highly exalted than Jesus Christ. His throne rules above all — above all human authorities, military authorities, and spiritual authorities. There is simply no one who rules higher or more majestically than Jesus.
Today King Tutankhamun is wrapped in burial shrouds and encased in a coffin. He is dead, but Jesus sits exalted at the right hand of the Father, and all nations, principalities, and powers must forever bow before Him! That in itself is an awesome thought to consider.
But you also have this truth to digest and apply to your life today and every day as well: As you read on in Ephesians, you find out the Father raised you to sit with Jesus in the heavenlies, far above all principalities and powers (see Ephesians 2:6), and He gave you all the authority invested in His name! So you have something over King Tut as well, because the devil and all his demon forces are under your feet in Jesus’ name! Let that truth sink in today — and determine to see and respond to every situation you face from that position of authority that Jesus gave you in Him when you received Him as Savior.
The devil’s strategies are under your feet. As you respond more and more from that position of authority, you will see situations that looked messy or even impossible begin to turn around for the good of all involved — and all to God’s glory!
MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father of glory, I thank You that when You raised Jesus from the dead, You raised me up and made me to sit down together with Him at Your own right hand. Father I honor You for the blood of Jesus Christ that purchased my salvation. Holy Spirit, teach me day by day to exalt the name of Jesus in every situation of my life, as I crush every strategy the enemy wages against me through the power of Christ’s magnificent name!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I am seated together in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. My life is hidden with Christ in God. I am in Christ, and by His Spirit, Jesus Christ dwells in me. He is the Head of the Church, which is His Body on the earth. Since I am a member of His Body, as He is, so am I in this earth. In every situation, I honor the Head by exercising His authority to enforce His will upon the earth.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER
- People often treat political leaders like their legacy will be remembered forever, but I challenge you to name the last ten presidents of the United States. Who among them held political office the longest?
- Which king in the Old Testament was referred to as the king of kings? Nations literally bowed before him, and he changed the course of history. Can you name him?
- Of all the kings who have ever ruled, Jesus is the longest ruling and most exalted. It is simply a fact that there will be no end to His Kingdom. What thoughts arise in your heart when you consider the power, glory, and stability that belong to our Lord Jesus Christ?
