BEWARE OF THE LION

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." - 1 Peter 5:8-9

The devil is a real, fierce enemy.  Too many people act as if he doesn't exist. Others tend to think of him as a little red man with a pitchfork.  The Bible gives a more graphic illustration of this foe.

Writing to an audience suffering from persecution, the Apostle Peter warned his readers that they had a spiritual enemy, the devil.  Peter wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."  Note the things Peter shared in these two verses.

1.  OUR FOCUS

First of all, the Apostle Peter warns us, "Be sober, be vigilant..."  In other words, we are told to keep our guard up.  Take the devil seriously and guard against him like he is your worst enemy ... because he is. 

When I cut weeds at home, I try to be vigilant.  Snakes love to hide beneath weeds as they wait for their prey.  Once I was cutting weeds and nearly stepped on a copperhead.  I hate snakes.  I learned my lesson at that moment and ever since, I have been watching carefully for snakes when I cut weeds. 

There is a foe that is even worse that a poisonous pit viper.  The devil is lurking around, seeking to attack us.  We need to be watchful of him and treat him as the evil, dangerous foe that he is.

2.  OUR FOE

The Bible reveals to us the nature of our enemy.  The Bible refers to the devil as, "... a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."  Pit vipers aren't usually aggressive to humans.  You can't say that about a lion.  A lion is an aggressive animal.  He stalks his prey.  At the right moment, he may pounce upon his prey, giving the victim little, if any, opportunity to flee.  The Bible refers to the devil as a roaring lion.  He is very vocal about his triumphs.  Furthermore, he terrorizes others who hear him from a distance. 

Most people treat the devil like a tiny domestic cat rather than the dangerous lion that he is.  Just as a lion shreds his victim with his sharp teeth, the devil seeks to shred any person who permits the devil access to his life.  He is seeking whom he may devour.  He seeks to steal, kill and destroy.  I've seen too many people, marriages, homes and churches shredded by this enemy.  It is time we take him seriously.

3.  OUR FAITH

Finally, Peter teaches us how to respond to the devil.  The Bible says, "... Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."  How should we respond to the devil?  Resist him.  James wrote, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  Our resistance needs to be based upon our faith.  "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."  We cannot boldly stand against the devil solely based on our education, knowledge or good works.  We can only stand against him in the name of the Lord.

Also, we are to be diligent in our stand.  The Bible teaches us to resist the devil, "... stedfast in the faith."  The roaring lion knows the best time to attack.  He may not attack you in church on Sunday morning, but he knows when the best time will be.  Be diligent in your stand against him.

Notice that Peter revealed that many believers were suffering great afflictions in his time.  Persecution was a continual reality in the lives of the first century saints.  The devil is the source of Christian persecution.  At times believers die as martyrs.  The devil's main enemy is God.  The devil would love to shred the eternal soul of a child of God.  However, he does not have the power to do that.  The devil's power is limited in scope and duration.

Right now, the lion is roaring loudly.  The devil is aggressively seeking to destroy as many as he can in the time he has left.  His time is running out, though.  His days are numbered.  Soon the lion will be caged.  Ultimately, he will face the punishment he deserves.  Believers are troubled to hear him roar these days.  One day, the lion will roar no more.  Evil will end.  Sin will cease.  Jesus Christ shall reign.

Though the lion may roar loudly in our land, he is not welcome at my home.  While many seem to open their lives for his entrance, they will ultimately regret it. 

Beware of the lion.