Joel Osteen - It's Under Your Feet (03/24/2018)
In this sermon, Joel Osteen encourages believers to change their perspective on difficulties by seeing every sickness, obstacle, and temptation as already defeated and under their feet, based on 1 Corinthians 15 and other scriptures. He stresses that maintaining faith, speaking victory, and staying in peace will turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones, leading to triumph and fulfillment of God’s destiny.
Seeing Challenges Through Eyes of Faith
I want to talk to you about «It’s under your feet.» How we see our difficulties very often will determine whether or not we get out of them. When we face challenges, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and start thinking, «This is never going to work out. I’ll just have to learn to live with it.» Many people settle for mediocrity, but 1 Corinthians 15 says God has put all things under our feet.
If you’re going to live in victory, you have to see every sickness, every obstacle, every temptation as being under your feet. It’s no match for you. It’s not going to keep you from your destiny. It’s already defeated. It’s just a matter of time before you walk it out. But if you see it as too big—"I’ll never break this addiction,» «My child will never straighten up,» «This sickness is going to be the end of me"—that’s going to cause you to feel weak, discouraged, intimidated. It’s going to attract fear, worry, and doubt.
That kind of thinking not only pushes you down, but it stops God from working. You’ve got to change that. That addiction is not going to dog you your whole life. It’s under your feet. That depression that’s been in your family for years is not going to get passed to the next generation. It’s under your feet. You’re going to put a stop to it.
Breaking Free from Negative Lies
That struggle, lack, barely getting by—it’s not permanent. God wants to bless you. It’s under your feet. It’s just a matter of time before you break through to a new level. Now, you’ve got to shake off the lies that are telling you, «It’s too big,» «It’s been this way too long,» «It’s never going to change.» No, this is a new day. God is saying, «Every enemy, every sickness, every obstacle—it’s not going to defeat you. It’s going to promote you.»
It was meant to be a stumbling block to keep you down. God is going to use it as a stepping stone to take you higher. Keep the right perspective. This is what David did. He faced all kinds of enemies, and he said in Psalm 59, «I will look down in triumph on all of my enemies.» Notice, not «some» of my enemies—"all» of my enemies. What am I going to do? Look down. Why? Because they’re under my feet.
Now, you may be facing situations that don’t feel like they’re under your feet. The sickness looks big. The financial difficulty seems impossible. Perhaps you’ve struggled with an addiction for years. But you can’t go by what you see. You’ve got to go by what you know. We walk by faith and not by sight. In the natural, it may look huge, but when you talk to those obstacles like David, by faith, you need to look down.
Looking Down at the Enemy
See, when you talk to God, we should look up. You look up to give God praise. You look up to ask God for help. But when you talk to sickness, look down. It’s under your feet. Look down to talk to fear. I’ve heard it said, «If you want to say something to the enemy, write it on the bottom of your shoe because he’s under your feet.»
Sometimes when there’s a big boxing match, the day before, the two fighters will come out at a press conference, and they’ll stand toe to toe with their faces just inches apart, and they’ll look each other in the eye and just stare, trying to intimidate each other. They’re saying, «I’m bigger, stronger, tougher, meaner. You’re not going to defeat me.»
Well, when you face an enemy—something that’s trying to keep you from your destiny, a sickness, a bad habit, an unfair situation—unlike those two fighters, you don’t stand toe to toe to look that enemy in the eye. That enemy is not at your level. It may have a big bark; it may seem tough and big, like you can’t defeat it. No, the truth is, it’s no match for you. For you to look that enemy in the eye, you need to look down under your feet.
You Are Armed with Strength
You are more than a conqueror. Greater is He that is in you than he that comes against you. God has all power, and if God be for you, who dare be against you? Quit telling yourself, «I’ll always struggle in this area,» «I’ll never lose this weight,» «I’ll never get out of debt.» No, change your perspective. You are not weak; you are full of can-do power. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you.
Now, some of you need to start putting some things under your feet. God said, «I have given you power to tread on all the power of the enemy.» Think of that word «tread.» One translation says «to trample.» If you will see these obstacles as being under your feet, as being already defeated, then a new boldness will rise up. Your faith will activate God’s power in a new way.
I know this lady who was diagnosed with cancer. She was in her early 30s and had always been as healthy as can be. When she got this news, it was such a shock to her. Normally she’s very outgoing and happy, but her whole personality had changed. All she thought about was how bad it was and how she might not make it. Instead of looking down at the cancer, she was looking up to it. She had made it huge in her mind.
The Battle Is Won in Your Mind
The first place we lose the victory is in our own thinking. If you see the obstacle as being too big, it will keep you defeated. That’s why, even though Goliath was practically twice his size—much bigger, stronger, had more experience, more equipment—the first thing David said was, «Hey, Goliath, I will defeat you and feed your head to the birds of the air.» That’s one of those enemies David looked down on.
By faith, if David had just looked at it in the natural and thought about how much bigger and more experienced Goliath was, he would never have had the courage to face him. David understood this principle: he knew how to see his enemies as being under his feet.
I told this young lady, «You’ve got to change your perspective. You’ve got to start looking down at that cancer. In the natural, it may be huge, but switch over to your eyes of faith. You and God are a majority. It was never meant to be a stumbling block. It was meant to be a stepping stone. You’ve got to shake off the self-pity and, like David, put on a new attitude: 'Cancer, you will not defeat me. You are under my feet. I will fulfill my destiny. I will live out my days in good health. I am a victor, not a victim.'»
She changed her outlook. She got her fire back, her passion back, and she started fighting the good fight of faith. Today she is four years cancer-free. She’s so happy. A couple of years ago, she got married. It wasn’t a stumbling block. It ended up being a stepping stone. But had she not seen the obstacle as being under her feet, I don’t believe it would have turned out that way.
Joy as Your Strength
Because if we let life overwhelm us—we go around worried, stressed out, in self-pity—that not only affects us mentally, it affects us physically. It won’t fight off sickness and disease the way God created it to. The scripture says, «The joy of the Lord is your strength.» Joy is an emotion, and yet it creates something physical. It creates strength.
When you’re in tough times, you’ve got to shake off the worry, shake off the self-pity, shake off the disappointment. Get your joy back. Have the right perspective. That enemy, that sickness, that obstacle—it is under your feet. It’s not going to defeat you. It’s going to promote you. 2 Samuel 22:40 says, «You have armed me with strength for the battle. You have put my enemies under my feet.»
Friends, God knows every battle that you will ever face, every temptation, every obstacle. He has not only put it under your feet, but He has armed you with strength for that battle. He’s already equipped you. Quit telling yourself, «This is too much. I can’t handle it.» No, the greatest force in the universe is breathing in your direction. Tap into that power. Start declaring, «I am well able. I can do all things through Christ. I am strong in the Lord.»
When you do that, something is happening on the inside. You’re getting stronger. Your immune system will work better. You’ll have more energy. You’ll make better decisions.
Power Up for Victory
We’ve all been to the post office and seen the sign on the wall of the ten most wanted. Under their pictures, it says, «Armed and dangerous.» Let me tell you, if the enemy had a post office, your picture would be up there. You are not a weakling. You are bad to the bone. You are a child of the Most High God. He has infused can-do power into you.
You’ve got to start seeing yourself as being armed and dangerous. When we get out of bed, the first thing we should do is power up, get our minds going in the right direction. Remind yourself, «I’m ready for this day. I’m equipped, I’m empowered. I’ve got my armor on, got my shoes of peace. Not going to get upset, not going to let people steal my joy, not going to fight battles that aren’t between me and my destiny.»
«Got my helmet of salvation. I know I’m forgiven. I’m redeemed. I’m approved by Almighty God. I’ve been handpicked by the Creator of the universe. Got my shield of faith. I’m expecting great things. Got my sword of the Spirit, speaking God’s Word. I know every enemy is under my feet. I’ve been armed with strength for this battle.»
What are we doing? Powering up, getting prepared for a blessed, victorious, faith-filled day.
Resting While God Fights
Now, I know some of you are up against things that could easily steal your joy—maybe a challenge in a relationship, a child not doing right, an unfair situation at work. You could live stressed, uptight, not sleep at night. No, all through the day, especially when you’re tempted to worry, you need to remind yourself, «This is under my feet. God is in control. It is not going to keep me from my destiny.» Come back to that place of peace.
Psalm 110 says God will make your enemies your footstool. What do you do with a footstool? It indicates a position of rest. When we face difficulties, too often we take matters into our own hands. We get all worked up. We think, «They did me wrong. I’m going to pay them back. I’m going to straighten them out.» Or, «The medical report’s not good,» and we can’t sleep at night. We’re so uptight, so stressed out.
No, if you want God to make your enemy your footstool, you have to be still and know that He is God. When you’re living upset and trying to force things to happen, you’re doing it on your own. It takes faith to say, «God, I know You’re fighting my battles. I know You’ll make my wrongs right. You promised it would work out for my good, so I’m going to keep my joy and stay in peace.»
When you put your feet up, so to speak, and rest, God will take those things that seem like they’re over you, those things that are holding you back, and He’ll bring them under your feet. He’ll turn them around and make that enemy serve you. It makes life easier. That’s the way God is. When you stay in peace, God will take what’s meant for harm and He’ll use it to your advantage.
Stories of Divine Vindication
Let’s make it practical. Maybe at work this week, somebody is playing politics, not giving you the credit you deserve. Don’t get upset. Just keep being your best each day. Stay on that high road. Your job is not to straighten people out. Your job is to stay in peace. When you’re in peace, God is fighting your battles. When you’re at rest, God will make your enemies your footstool.
This is what happened with Joseph. He was betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, went to prison for something he didn’t do. Joseph didn’t get upset. He didn’t try to pay people back. He stayed in peace, stayed on the high road, and God turned it all around. The people that did Joseph wrong ended up working for him. His brothers bowed low before him. Because he stayed in peace, God made his enemies his footstool.
Here’s what I’ve learned: God can vindicate you better than you can vindicate yourself. If you will let God do it His way, it’ll be bigger, sweeter, more rewarding, more honoring. God can take the very people that are trying to push you down, the people that are trying to make you look bad—He can use them to promote you.
In the scripture, Haman tried to push down Mordecai, tried to make Mordecai look bad, disrespected him. The king told Haman to get a royal robe and put it on Mordecai and march him through the streets, announcing his honor. Of all the people the king could have chosen, it was Haman—the very one trying to harm Mordecai.
That boss at the office that’s not giving you credit—don’t worry about it. You’re not working unto people. You’re working unto God. God is keeping the records. One day, instead of you working for that boss, that boss may be working for you. Stay in peace. God can make your enemies your footstool.
I have a friend who worked for this company for many years. He always gave it his best, but the owner didn’t like him—wouldn’t take his opinion, wouldn’t give him the time of day. But this young man, like Joseph, didn’t get bitter. He just stayed on the high road, kept being his best.
Eventually, the boss fired him. The young man started his own real estate company and became extremely successful. Several years later, his former boss was downsizing and needed a new building. The building he wanted was owned by this young man. When the boss walked in and realized he had to negotiate with the man he fired, he nearly passed out. Today, that former boss pays rent to the young man he once fired. That’s God bringing justice.
No Weapon Shall Prosper
Stay in peace. God’s got your back. David said in Psalm 23, God will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. God will bless you in front of the people that tried to pull you down. Stay in peace. God’s got you covered. All these things that come against us—people talking, gossip, not giving respect—are distractions. Don’t give them the time of day. Stay on the high road, and God will bring it under your feet.
When you’re tempted to worry or get upset, just imagine yourself leaning back in a big, comfortable chair, putting your feet up, and resting them on top of that problem. You’re saying, «God, it’s under my feet. I know You’re in control.» When you’re in peace, it’s a position of power. When you’re at rest, God is fighting your battles.
I know a man trying to get a visa for his wife. At the government office, the worker was very rude and unhelpful, saying it would take years. The man stayed calm, reminded himself it was under his feet. Several weeks later, the same worker called, saying the visa was ready—because he couldn’t stop thinking about the man and wanted him gone. God knows how to apply pressure.
Isaiah says, «No weapon formed against you will prosper.» Challenges will come, but stay in peace knowing they won’t succeed against you. God has a hedge of protection, mercy, and favor around you. No person, sickness, trouble, or disability can stop God’s plan for your life.
Researchers studying Alzheimer’s found some people had brain lesions qualifying as the disease but never showed symptoms—because they stayed positive, hopeful, and productive. Just because a problem forms doesn’t mean it has to prosper. God has the final say.
That’s what happened with our friend Ramiro, born with no ears. Doctors said he’d never hear or speak. But his parents believed it didn’t have to prosper. They prayed and declared favor. Doctors found a tiny eardrum start, performed surgeries, and today Ramiro hears, speaks, sings, and leads worship.
Declare Your Victory Today
Friends, whatever you’re facing, it is under your feet. It is not permanent. It’s temporary. The power that is for you is greater than any power that comes against you. Keep the right perspective. You and God are a majority. You are armed and dangerous. The problem may have formed, but it is not going to prosper.
Some of you today need to start putting things under your feet. God will fight your battles if you give them to Him. Come back to peace. Let God be your vindicator. Remember, when you talk to that sickness, obstacle, or depression, as an act of faith, look down like David. It’s no match for you.
If you will see these obstacles as under your feet, God promises He’ll make your enemies your footstool. Instead of a stumbling block, it’ll be a stepping stone. I believe and declare: nothing will keep you from your destiny. You will overcome every obstacle, defeat every enemy, and become everything God created you to be.