ALERT AND AWARE
1 PETER 5:8-9
1 PETER 5:8-9 NKJV
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
OBSERVATION:
The New Testament writers do not magnify Satan, but neither do they ignore him.
In these two short verses, the Holy Spirit, through Peter, gives us some great insight. Who our enemy is and how to successfully deal with him.
Satan is called our adversary, the devil. While many scoff at the existence of a devil, Jesus and His followers acknowledged his presence.
Denying the existence of an evil adversary is one of Satan's most effective strategies. If we do not believe we have an enemy, then we live unprepared. Being unprepared is dangerous in a physical conflict and just as dangerous in spiritual conflict.
Therefore, Peter warns believers to be sober and vigilant. A better word for sober is self-controlled. And a clearer definition of vigilant is watchful.
Self-controlled and watchful is sound advice for any soldier in enemy territory. And it is sound advice for those of us here on earth. Our adversary is not visible, but we can see his operations in the evil that takes place in our world. And we must embrace the reality that he is our adversary on a personal level.
We are instructed as to how to deal with our adversary, the devil. Resist him standing firm in our faith.
When Paul wrote the church at Ephesus, he addressed the work of the enemy and how to stand against him. One of the key weapons in our spiritual arsenal is the shield of faith. The shield of faith is able to quench all the fiery arrows Satan sends our way.
Peter shares one other truth that is very important to grasp. Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Notice he is not a lion devouring believers at will.
So, he may not devour us. We will live disciplined and alert, and we will live in faith. Faith that Jesus is our Lord, not Satan. Faith that Jesus defeated Satan and we can successfully resist his evil schemes. Faith to deal with the thoughts and feelings that assault us. Faith to believe we are more than conquerors through Jesus who loved us.
We must believe the right things to put up a shield of faith. And by believing the right things, we will resist our adversary so that when the dust settles, we are still standing.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus defeated Satan for me. Thank You that I can resist the adversary. Thank you that I am not a victim.