In verses 8-9, Peter also called on all the
believers to be sober in spirit, meaning to have self-control. Not only that
but also to stay alert. Why? It is because Satan is on the loose and he prowls
around like a predator seeking to devour his prey.
Here, Peter used the lion to illustrate the
ferociousness of the devil, the believers’ main enemy. The devil’s intention
had been to totally destroy all believers. His tactic had been to make
Christians doubt, deny, disregard, and disobey the instructions of God. So in
verse 9, Peter told them how to deal with this “roaring lion”.
He called on believers to resist him. The term
"resist", means to defend oneself against the advancement of the
devil. The devil would use suffering to petrify the believers and make them
doubt and disobey God. Peter’s call was for the believers to resist the devil’s
ploy.
There are three positive actions believers need to
take to arm themselves against the devil. Firstly, believers must exercise
self-control. Secondly, they must stay alert; and thirdly, believers must
resist the devil’s advance.
To help believers to be confident, Peter then reminded
believers of the One Who would stand by them to enable them to deal with their
enemy, the devil. Even if believers had to suffer a little while, the victory
had been assured. The God, Who stands by the believers’ side, is the God of all
grace. The believers here were assured that God Himself will establish,
perfect, confirm and strengthen them. Peter wanted them to know, the outcome of
enduring the trials would be infinitely worth all the sufferings. In verse 11,
he let out an exaltation proclaiming, “To Him be dominion forever and ever.”
Yes we need to learn to put on the armor of God
and stand firm in Him while resisting the devil and his advance. With God on
our side, we are more than able to resist the enemy and stand victorious!
No comments:
Post a Comment