1 Peter 5:8-9
Have you ever watched one of those special programs on the Animal Planet about the big predators of the African savannah? I remember watching one about lions once. The way that they would hunt was remarkable. The lions would crouch low in the grass and go undetected. A herd of wildebeests would be nearby. The lioness would wait until one of those wildebeest would become detached from the rest of the herd. She would then slowly make her move until like a flash of lighting she all of the sudden pounced upon it, coming out of nowhere.
That is the idea that Peter is getting at here in verse 8. The devil often waits for our moments of pride and weakness to make his move against our soul. He ‘prowls’ around while stalking our every step, waiting for some strategic and opportune moment to catch us off guard. It is a present tense verb, which means he is constantly on the move. We often relax, and we have to sleep. But the devil never relaxes. He doesn’t relent. He never takes a vacation. He comes in by stealth and is constantly working secretly against us. He is constantly on the prowl like a lion.
Peter doesn’t tell his readers to tuck tail and run. Instead, he says that they are to ‘resist’ the devil, something that cannot be done in our own strength. The way to resist him involves being ‘firm’ in our faith. We must be grounded in the faith. This simply means that we stand our ground upon the Word of God and refuse to be shaken. Our confidence must be in Christ and in the power of His Spirit. While the adversary wants to devour and destroy your faith, God’s promise to you in Christ is that He is working to build you up and make you stronger.
His sufficient grace will lead you through the struggle!
For more, read Ephesians 6:10-18
