The Prowling Lion

November 17, 2021

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. 1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT

Yesterday we realized that the Christian soldier’s life is not a parade. Neither is following Jesus a walk in the park. Many people believe that when we commit to follow Jesus, immediately our lives get better, less complicated, and definitely easier. The opposite is actually true nearly 100% of the time. When we follow Jesus closely, whoever hates Him hates us too. So the enemies of Jesus become our enemies. We have a higher standard that can make life more challenging in many ways.

Contrary to what most people believe, when we commit to follow Jesus, we’re not embarking on a casual journey. When we follow Jesus, our priorities and values can make life tough at times. The good news is that our tough times can be the very times God uses to make us more like Jesus and develop the traits that make us strong for battle and joyful in life, despite the battle.

In 1 Peter 5:8-9, Peter tells us a strategy for fighting the Enemy. First, we need to recognize that our Enemy is tricky and deceitful. Those who study lions tell us that a roaring lion is a decoy, not the one who will kill. In fact, every African nation has an old proverb along those lines: “A roaring lion kills no game” (Ugandan). A roaring lion prowls about, looking to frighten and set up his prey for later destruction. Second, we must be self-controlled and alert because he is constantly on the prowl to devour us. He wants to completely destroy us when we’re not looking, when we are unprepared. Satan is threatened by the power of Jesus within you, and he wants to intimidate you so you will not utilize it.

But Peter goes on to say that if we resist Satan by standing firm against him and remaining strong in our faith, we will win. He reminds us that we are not alone. Christians all over the world are in the same battle, enduring tough times. One of the best things we can do to win the battle is to surround ourselves with other soldiers, people fighting the battle as well. We really can’t afford to do life alone.

  • We get to choose—stand firm or be devoured. With whom can you connect to keep standing firm?