1 Peter 5:8 - Stay Alert!
1 Peter 5:8 (NLT) Stay alert! Watch out for
your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around
like a roaring lion, looking for someone to
devour.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) Be alert and of sober
mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
COMMENTARY
About ten o'clock one night, my kids came
to tell me that our dog was freaking out
outside. "Daddy! We think Sadie has caught something
in the back yard!" Hmm, maybe a cat? I thought
and smiled to myself.
Now you may not know this about me, but
cats don't like me (probably because I rarely
have anything nice to say about them). And
besides, Scripture says that the devil roams around
like a lion - linking him directly to the cat
family. So the thought of our dog treeing a cat
brought a little spark of joy to my otherwise quiet
evening.
"I'll go check on her," I said,
reassuring them.
Arming myself with my nunchucks and my
iPhone flashlight, I headed out for
search-and-destroy maneuvers. Once I had assessed the
situation, sure enough, Sadie had treed not our
neighbor's housecat - but a bobcat!
Fortunately, my ninja training kicked in,
and before I even realized what was happening, I
was back inside my house, with the doors locked
and the blinds closed and all the lights on.
Then I remembered that Sadie was still out there.
Thankfully she survived and lived to hunt wild cats
another day.
It's funny now, and maybe I'm
exaggerating (just a little). But what's real is the fear
I felt in that moment with that beast snarling
at me. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE AN
ENEMY EVERY BIT AS REAL AND LETHAL AS ANY WILD
ANIMAL. IF WE'RE NOT ARMED WITH PRAYER AND GOD'S
WORD, THEN WE LEAVE OURSELVES OPEN TO A MAJOR
ATTACK.
Never let down your guard spiritually. Be
alert.
Lord, help me to take the Enemy seriously
and to remain alert for his snares. Protect me
so that I may continue to serve you and grow in
my faith. [Daily Power by Craig Groeschel]
A woman said to me once: "I think you are
giving too much credit to the Devil. He is such an
insignificant person compared to God that we ought not
even mention his name." In one way I can
sympathize with this view, for when you listen to some
Christians talk, you get the impression that they have
a small God and a big devil.
It would be unrealistic to think,
however, that we can go through life without coming
into direct contact with Satan and his forces.
What is even more unrealistic is to think that
many (though certainly not all) of the problems
which confront us day by day have no devilish
strategy behind them.
Satan is responsible for more of our
individual woes and international wars, our crime and
violence, our human sorrow, sickness, and death than
we may believe. The late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
said: "I am certain that one of the main causes of
the ill state of the church today is the fact
that the Devil is being forgotten We are
ignorant of this great objective fact - the being,
the existence of the devil, the adversary, the
accuser, and his fiery darts."
Does the thought of doing battle with the
Devil frighten you? Then heed the words of Corrie
ten Boom, who said: "THE FEAR OF THE DEVIL IS
MOST LIKELY FROM THE DEVIL HIMSELF." GOD HAS
GIVEN US ALL THE PROTECTION WE NEED TO DEFEND
OURSELVES AGAINST THE ATTACKS OF SATAN, AND WHEN WE
KNOW HOW TO AVAIL OURSELVES OF THIS PROTECTION,
WE WILL NO LONGER BE AFRAID OF THE DEVIL.
RATHER, HE WILL BE AFRAID OF US. [Every Day With
Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotional]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
https://archives.adventistworld.org/2013/april/facing-the-roaring-lion.html
EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON 28 REVELATIONS OF
JESUS
1st of 28: Divine Dining:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7j1QIKqmY
2nd of 28: Pictures of the Divine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lNI-OQ7-eQ
3rd of 28: A Dirty Bible:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkPvBuuFd4
4th of 28: Cared For:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztXyJVdcCds
5th of 28: Saved:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX45kGRe1HI
6th of 28: You Can Change:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd0gkvK18fo
7th of 28: Reprogramming Our Brains:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov36f_RapXc
8th of 28 Our Holy Father:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XabXLEXsxbY
9th of 28 Gifts of Service:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtuGZviodkA
Live ongoing series in progress.
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs FGGibbs@abible.com
