READING: 1 Peter 1-5
If you talk about or read about spiritual warfare much at all, you’ll come to this verse in 1 Peter: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). In fact, I’ve quoted this verse at different times throughout these devotions. Only Peter uses the “lion” imagery to describe the devil, but the passage is a good one for us to memorize. Our enemy is always lurking, always watching, always wanting to devour us. Peter, who himself had been sifted by the enemy (Luke 22), surely knew how important it was to stay ever alert in this battle.
What we sometimes miss, though, is the image and sound of the roar of the lion. Our enemy Satan (whose name means “adversary”) roars loudly, seeking to strike us with debilitating fear. For the readers of 1 Peter, persecution and suffering were his means to devour their faith. If they knew that following Jesus could cost them their lives, maybe they would decide not to follow Him. Perhaps they would turn and run when others came running after them. Today, believers around the world face the same arrows of the enemy.
Our fears may be different, but they’re still the roars of the enemy. Sometimes they’re louder at times, but the origin is still the lion. “Follow God, and look at what it’ll cost you.” “There’s no way you’re going to be able to follow Jesus faithfully.” “Tell others about Him, and you’ll lose those friendships.” “People will ridicule you.” If we succumb to these simple fears, how much more might we have been in trouble in Peter’s day?
Our answer is still the same, though. We must be ever alert and watching, always aware that the enemy is around. At the same time, we’re to “resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). We are to stand on the foundation of Christ and trust the promises of God. Our resistance is not passively deflecting the arrows of the enemy, but instead actively resisting by walking in obedience and faith; it’s marching into the darkness even if doing so costs us our lives. And, as Peter told his hearers, we take this step knowing we’re not the only believers facing the same call: “resist him . . . because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of suffering” (1 Peter 5:9). We’re always less afraid when we know we’re not alone.
Fear. It’s not of God. It can’t be, for He is always with us – and He rules over every authority and power (1 Peter 3:22).
ACTION STEPS:
- List the three most powerful fears in your life. In prayer, give them to God.
- If fear strikes you today, call a Christian friend. Don’t fight the battles alone.
PRAYER: “God, thank You that You’ve already defeated the lion. Help me to hear Your voice over the lion’s roar.”
TOMORROW’S READING: 2 Peter 1-3