Peter's Pen 1 Peter 5:8-9

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?  

Walk w/ P & me 04

Walk with P & me 04

Richard Sibbes in his work, The Soul’s Conflict With Itself, does a wonderful job of not only pointing out the need for real and true conviction but he powerfully addresses the issue of false or overdone conviction.

For us (especially me) it’s a matter of fighting the “would have, could have, should have,” attackes.  Hindsight may be 20/20 but it can also be overwhelmingly toxic.  The flesh, the world and the devil can wreak havoc with our minds and hearts using these as its entree.

“Had I,” and “Had we just . . . .” are brutal and cruel messages that have just enough truth in them to lay a heavy and blinding burden on our hearts.  Whether sinful, silly or just stupid, all the things we might have done differently rise up and accuse – legitimately or not and they gain power from the uncertain parts of the future.

Imagined destitution, desolation and desertion loom large and all the shame and humiliation that come with them press down.

Sibbes also does a good job of helping us understand that our imaginations, which, when not operating within the truth and trust of God, are cruel companions.  When the time is right the imagination (through the flesh with help from the world and the devil) create “potential realities” that ,apart from his faithfulness ,seem certain. 

Even when we consider that the “worst” that could happen might well be with in His will for us, the flesh (w/ help) makes it seem punitive instead of providential.  Bad not good. 

We know He works all things together for the good of His own.  But the flesh (w/help) paints pictures of Job early on, David in the flight, Israel oppressed.

We look to Him for help.  From Him we desire relief.  But what if the hardship is the help we need?  What if He needs a new Job (kind of)?  What if the worst that could happen is in His will for us? 

We are confident in His grace and we are grateful for His providence.  We know we are His but (and it’s an evil but) the flesh (w/ help) clings to, “I love reading about Job but I don’t want to be one!!!”

However, and please don’t think we’re being snooty or presumptuous, Paul was willing to suffer the loss of all things for the sake of the gospel and he enjoins us to follow his example.  We want to – but if feels a lot like falling.  Add to that the fact that the flesh, the world and the devil make it look a lot like failing and it’s a double whammy.

But feelings aren’t facts and faith isn’t a feeling.

We had a good night together last night and we are doing, at least for right now, what we can do.  We are resisting where needed and drawing near as often as possible.  I still want to pack the car and run away.  Patti still wants me to quit wanting that ;-}. One cool personal thing.  I've never been one who liked to snuggle - however I've come to discover its therapeutic benefits ;-}  and Oh boy-is Patti happy!  ;-}}}}}}}  That's one blessing that's has come in the midst of all this!

Our prayer needs are simple:  A new job for Patti, more work for me, support for the ministry Us in Him and last but most important the grace to trust Him however His plans are laid.

Thank you !

Patti and Michael Sanders

2205 New Garden Rd.

# 2807

Greensboro, NC 27410

ms@tc2v1.com