1 Peter 5:8-9
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. ESV
"Be sober-minded; be watchful" = be watchingly watchful with watchfulness.
Or -- PAY ATTENTION !!!!!!!! Think it through - don't react – respond, even if the response is to do nothing!!
We have an adversary - note please that Peter makes it clear that the devil is "our" adversary - OURS.
"Adversary" here refers to an opponent in a law suit. A persecutor or at least an accuser.
What does he accuse us of? Being sinfully unworthy of any of God's attention of providence.
Well, ya know, he is absolutely right. Except for one minor point.
That would be Jesus and His redemption of us.
We are worms - worthless slimy worms - until God calls us and makes us His own. Then, our worminess is changed in God' sight to wonderfulness.
Satan tells us we fail God. We need to respond, “Duhhhhh, what's your point? Talk to Jesus about that!"
Oh, but we don’t do that - do we? Nooooooo. We try to prove the devil wrong. We read more Bible and pray more prayers and do more nice stuff - which isn't bad but it proves nothing. The only proof we have is the blood shed for our redemption. Just point out the cross to the devil - it really makes him mad.
The death AND resurrection of our redeemer and savior is all the value we have. The devil wants us to think and/or feel that this is not sufficient. And he's very, very good at it.
But Peter knows his lions. Here's what I understand. Lions are basically lazy. They rarely hunt. They leave that to the lionesses (go girls!). But the lion is king of the beasts (note the comparison - the devil is like a beast). So, I am told, the lion will go to the north side of a herd of whatever and roar like crazy. The herd, not wanting to be dinner, will flee south. Guess who is to the south. There ya go, the lionesses. So fearing the lion’s roaring the herd runs right into the real danger. Of course, once the prey is taken, the lion shows up and takes the most and best pieces parts.
So, we need to watch watchfully and thoughtfully and prayerfully. We cannot let the devil spook us into a trap.
Now, who are the lionesses? I'd put my cookies on the world and the flesh. We flee either to the world or to the flesh to escape and then we're in a real mess - pretty much of our own making. If I've done it once, I've done it a hundred times. Fight or flight - without thoughtful watchful watchfulness, we'll default to one or the other in a heartbeat. Not good - not healthy - gotta give that up -!!!
Peter tells us to resist the devil. No knee jerking!
James 4:7-10
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. ESV
Oh, looky here, confirmation and advice!! Submit to God - resist the devil - and the devil will flee. Get that?????
What is resisting the devil? That would be verses 8-10 - duhhhhhhhhh!
Let me put it this way. Follow Jesus! Plant your nose right between His shoulder blades and stay in step with Him! Get His view of reality, His view of truth - interpret everything according to that. Get in the Word. Fellowship and worship with other believers. Become a fanatic for the preached Word. Pray like mad.
Never knew how critical humility (acknowledging our moral littleness) was, did we? It is only as we humble ourselves before Him that He can lift us up. Get it?
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