Good morning and welcome to the 5MC and another very chilly morning. Enough with the cold weather, right? Can Spring go ahead and get here so we can rest easy in those balmy 78 degree days? Well, it looks like we’ll only have to wait a few days because Friday is supposed to be sunny and 76. Gotta love the weather in Texas.
Marge and I are excited for Spring to get here, it’s the first time we’ve had a yard in several years and we’re looking forward to doing a little Spring planting and landscaping. Our new back yard is very tiny since we’re in a duplex, but I see that as very good. It’s much easier to transform a small space than it is a gargantuan one. Some turf work here, some bedding plants here, a few color spot pots here and there and the back yard will be ready for the summer sun and good times. Speaking of the summer sun, I know one thing, I’ll miss the pool when it gets hot, but I sure don’t miss taking care of a pool everyday!
This morning we will be finishing up the book of 1 Peter with chapter 5. In the 5 minute challenge I move directly through God’s Words as it is laid out. I started with the book of Matthew way back in May of 2018 and we have steadily moved through the New Testament 5 minutes a day. The 5MC goes “through” the Bible just as God inspired men to lay it out. I think this is very important for a few reasons. First, God is perfect, man is not. The less man can alter God’s Word the better. Study it the way it is, in it’s entirety, the way God had it written. Second, we live in a world today that feeds on instant gratification and the “quick fix” even when it comes to God’s Word. We want to pick and choose through God’s Word and pull out the verses that make us feel good ‘in the moment.’ Motivational preachers and devotional writers will monopolize on this and what you get is a hodge podge of God’s Word that is completely out of context. (Phil 4:13) We have to be careful to only be studying the parts we like. We are told that God’s Word is the bread of life and that we should eat of it. We need all of God’s Word in our diet, not just tacos.
Think of it this way. I decide to leave you 100 million dollars but instead of giving it to you, I’m going to make you go on a treasure hunt for it. To guide you to the money I write you a 100 page letter that details the journey you will have to take in order to find the treasure. The journey will take much time and be fraught with peril. The directions I have given you are essential. They are beyond essential, they are tantamount to your successful retrieval of the money. Question. Will you read the letter? Some of it? All of it? Will you pick and choose sentences out of the letter that seem like they are more important that some of the ‘boring stuff?” I would sure hope that you would devour and consume that letter not only once, but countless times. You see a few missed details could cause you to miss much. It could cause you to have to double back and do difficult tasks over. It could cause you great turmoil as you search for clues you had missed, wondering where you should be heading, lost in your journey. Folks, this is the essence of God’s Word. When you hold a Bible in your hands you are holding a miracle. God performed a miracle in getting those 66 books written through over 40 different Holy Spirit inspired men into your hands. That right there tells you how important it is. God knows the power of His Word and how badly we need it to navigate this sinful world that wants nothing more than to rob our joy and steal our peace. In order to navigate this world we need all of God’s Word. Every sentence in it and every word in every sentence. That is why the 5MC goes through the Bible…book by book…in order.
This morning in 1 Peter chapter 5 we’ll be looking at a part of the Bible that is greatly misunderstood and understated. One that the world as well as us Christians just aren’t really comfortable talking about. Satan. The devil. Lucifer.
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
The devil is real. The name satan occurs 56 times in 49 verses in the KJV. He is a big part of God’s Word. You can read the history of Satan described in the Bible in Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-19. Out of jealousy of God, satan raised a rebellion against God in Heaven and in defeat he was cast out. Cast down. To the Earth. As we speak do you know who is ruling this planet? Well, you don’t have to look around at our crumbling societies and broken lives very long to take a shot at the answer but, yes, it’s the devil. Listen to these:
Jesus referred to him as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31)
Paul calls him “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) and “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
John makes a further distinction when he says: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).
After Jesus fasts in the desert for 40 days, He is personally tempted by the satan. (Luke 4:1-13) In the book of Job, satan confers directly with God the Father in Heaven about the upcoming trials of Job. (Job 1:6-12) If you get anything out of this study today, I would like you to know that the devil is real. He is real and he is in this world. And he is our enemy and is to be taken seriously.
And that’s something we don’t do today, that is, taking satan seriously. We picture the devil as a little red guy with a pitchfork and tiny horns on his head. A cartoon character, harmless and petty. That is not satan at all. In fact, did you know that satan was considered the most beautiful creature in Heaven? He was stunning to behold in his beauty. Did you know that he was the wisest creature God ever created? He was brilliant and beautiful. (Ez 28) That in effect, was the beginning of his downfall, arrogance and egocentricity.
The image we have of the devil today is one that was pulled from many different cultures throughout the years. The Greek god ‘pan’ was part man and part goat and from that the devil’s image got horns, hooves, pointy ears and a goatee. In medieval times he picked up wings. He was given Poseidon’s trident by the Greeks to resemble him being the god of sea monsters that killed countless sailors. The red skin was apparently to resemble the fires of hell, maybe burned skin. So you can see that the idea and image that our world has today of satan is one of pure myth. I think that one of the devil’s biggest tricks is to keep us thinking that he’s not real. To think of him as a harmless red cartoon character that creates mischief and simple trouble.
So what is the devils plan? Well, anything that God is for, satan is against. I’ve heard it said that satan’s goal is to either deter or completely halt the work of God in any way possible. I agree with that.
There is no doubt that he is our enemy. In fact, right here in 1 Peter 5:8 we’re told that. He is our adversary (enemy.) In fact, Peter’s imagery is vivid. He is like a roaring lion prowling around seeking someone to devour. Just think of that. Imagine you are just walking around the mall with a loose lion. You are just minding your own business, living your life and you don’t even know there’s a lion loose. But the lion knows you’re there. He is stalking you, silently, vigilantly. He is prowling. Prowling means to “move around restlessly and stealthily, especially in search of prey.” He is quiet, his ears back, soft padded feet moving silently and his sharp eyes tracking your every movement. He is purposeful in his search. His goal is prey. He needs to feed. My friends, this analogy from Peter should scare you to death. The devil is real, we are his prey and he will feed on somebody. But never fear, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our protector. “cast all of your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6b
If you have watched as many nature shows as I have, you know the lion will pick it’s prey very carefully. Will he go for the strong, alert prey? Never. He will go for the weak. The mal-nourished, the sick. It’s the easy prey the lion desires. So how are we to make ourselves strong against the prowling jaws of the lion?
Read the next verse:
“Resist Him, firm in your Faith” 1 Peter 5:9a
Firm in your faith. Firm in the faith that you have in Jesus Christ. Firm in the faith that Jesus has already conquered. Firm in the faith that Jesus saves. Firm in the faith that your savior can defeat the prowling lion and keep you safe. Firm in the faith that no matter what happens on this planet, your salvation in Jesus is eternal and if you have called upon Him to be saved, it can never be taken by anyone, including satan. Firm in your faith that the Word of God is true, holy and righteous before the devil. Stand firm in your faith and resist the devil. Use the Word of God against the devil and he will flee from you. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
I pray today that you are prepared to deal with the prowling lion that is actively looking for prey. That you are constantly becoming prepared for his assault. That first you are firm in your faith that you have been saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. That in building your defense you are daily studying the Holy Word of God. That you are active in a strong fellowship of a local body of believers that is based on the complete teaching of the Word of God. That you are constantly in prayer, casting your cares upon the Lord. And that you are using the gifts you have been given to serve others. Take firm hold of these and you will make yourself strong against the devil. You will be resisting him through the power of Jesus Christ. And in doing this he will move on to the smaller, weaker prey. As a result, pray for those whom are weak today, that are being viciously assaulted by the roaring prowling lion.
God bless you in your journey with Jesus.
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