Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. The dominion belongs to Him forever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:8-11 — Holman Christian Standard Bible)
God is calling us to take control, and stay in control, of our thoughts and behavior. The devil is compared to a roaring lion, prowling around, looking for someone to devour. When a lion prowls he doesn't do it openly; He carefully creeps through tall grass and bushes, staying hidden, until he is close to his prey, and then he pounces. Peter used this analogy because the devil does exactly the same thing; before we know it he is right by our side giving us deadly thoughts of doubt and fear. To resist him, we have to be alert, self-controlled, and spiritually strong.
We should all be aware of Satan’s favorite ways of attacking and tempting us. We all have areas of weakness and vulnerability, and it’s crucial that be aware of how and where the devil is going to try to destroy us. It may be a sin or weakness from our old lives before we knew God, or a person that the devil uses; it may be friends or habits, or may be linked to experiences of the past. If you know the weak areas of your life, come up with a way to build yourself up; turn the weak aspects of your life and character into strengths.
It’s a pain to live in this world and to be continually attacked by the devil and his demons — temptations, urges, fears, depression, sadness, anger, pride, greed, sexual immorality, addictions, worry, laziness, materialism… and so forth. Life on earth involves suffering. It involves living in a world that is dark and evil, and fighting to stay clean and unpolluted. The roars of the devil are meant to send shivers of fear to the very core of our beings, but that’s when faith has to switch on and remind us that the devil is a defeated being and our Lord is a victorious King. All dominion belongs to God no matter what things may look like at this very moment. If we continue to stand firm in our faith and vision for the future, we will overcome.
The devil is similar to a lion in his love of the dark. A lion is a good hunter in daylight, but no animal can match him in the dark. His night vision is eight times better than that of a human’s, and much better than most other animals. In the same way, Satan works in the dark — whether day or night. If we are to overcome him and destroy his work, we have to live in the light: faith, trust, obedience, God’s Word. When we are in the light, he will have trouble even approaching us.
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