Spiritual Warfare: Remember Who The Real Enemy Is

1 Peter 5:8-9 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.

A lot of times we think about Spiritual Warfare as something that does not concern us. It is for the prayer warriors and seasoned believers but the truth is we are all involved in the battle. Peter shares some good advice that we need to take heart.

5:8a Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil.

So many times bad things happen to us and we place our blame with God. The thing is satan is referred to as a great liar, who twists the truth and has come to steal, kill, and destroy. In the Hunger Games Movies, everyone kept reminding Katniss who the real enemy was. In the same way, bad things happen and we focus on our present situation and forget the enemy after our souls.

5:8b He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Have you ever watched Animal Planet or a wildlife show? Having a house full of boys, means we do. The thing is a lion or predator never charges at the pack. They wait for the opportune moment, jump out scaring their prey and the roar. The pack scared runs and normally the weakest becomes separated and it becomes the lion’s next meal. Satan is the same, he is a lot of roar but no bite if we stay in the company of believers. But sadly in a lot of cases, we get separated because of his lies

5:9a Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.

Satan as a deceiver likes to take truth and twist it into a lie. He did it to Eve and tried it again with Jesus. The difference was that Jesus knew God’s Word better than satan and refused to believe the lie, instead telling satan what god really said in His Word. In the same way we need to stand firm and that means we need to know the Word of God better than satan.

5:9b Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Listen you are not alone, no matter what you are facing. Someone else has already faced it or is facing it. That means there are people out there that can help you through whatever it is you are dealing with. It also means that you are not the only one facing problems.

Today is the day to rise up. Don’t let the past define who you will be in the future. God has a plan for your life and today is the day to start trusting and believing in it. It is time to stop listening to satan’s lies that have been keeping you from God’s promises!