The Lion

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
1 Peter 5:8-9

We have quoted v. 8 of this passage so many times, but have we noticed the following verse? It is telling us to resist this lion that wants to devour us. If the Word of God is telling us to resist the devil, it must mean that we CAN resist the devil. How do we do that? Through the power of the Holy Spirit. Not in our own strength, that is for sure. If we try to do it alone, the lion will tear our flesh apart. It says in Zechariah 4:6, "...'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit' says the Lord of hosts." But through the power of the Spirit of God, we can resist the devil, being steadfast in our faith. The word for "steadfast" there, means "solid, stable, strong, sure." All of those words give the idea of something that does not move. So as we read, meditate on, and put into practice God's Word, and as we exercise our faith in our daily walk, our faith becomes stronger. We can never go wrong by placing our faith and trust God the Father, in Jesus Christ the Son of God, and in the power of His Holy Spirit.

Most of us think, that when the devil attacks us, we are to just absorb the attack, and try to continue on as best we can, maimed and injured by the attack. While I am not a subscriber, per se, to the theology that calls for us to rush out and attack the enemy, I do believe that Scripture teaches us to resist the devil. It is there for us in v. 9. Yes, the devil is seeking to devour us, but we can resist him, by being steadfast, immovable, unswerving in our faith. And in Ephesians 6, the armor of God is listed, things we put on and pick up, to help us in our resistance of the devil.

And we can be encouraged by the fact, that we are not alone in the battle. Sometimes, thinking that you are the only one, and that you are all alone is, well, lonely. But when we see that we go through this life with others all around the world who fight the same battles, struggle with the same kinds of attacks, then fighting the battles doesn't seem so much like we are isolated and alone in the fight. The sound of other shields quenching the fiery darts, and the voice of the Word of God fending off attacks, can strengthen our arms that are hanging down, and bring life back into our weary knees. As we look around our fellowship on Sunday mornings, you can know that even though the battle is tough, here we are, together worshiping our Creator God, and praising the name of His Son Jesus.

Yes, the lion is out there. But as we put on the armor of God, be encouraged to know, that we can resist the devil, being steadfast in faith, knowing that we are not alone in the fight.