A Roaring Lion

“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

         Other versions of the Bible begin this text with the words “stay alert, watch out, be on watch, be sober” or even “be vigilant “.  Each of these translations convey the idea that life in this world, if it is to result in the victory of eternal life found in Jesus Christ, must be lived with an attentive watchfulness. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul compares the state of the believer to a soldier on the battle field who must remain vigilant if he is to survive (2Ti.2:3-4).  The reason for this vigilance is further revealed in Peter’s words where he describes the existence of an “enemy” or “adversary”. 

We are not born into a world of neutral forces that allow us to make eternal choices in any sort of unpartisan way.  There are forces of darkness in this world that unashamedly labor to lead you and I into the same eternal darkness that they are destined for. Peter describes Satan as a “roaring lion” who threatens and deceives his way into human hearts with the purpose of causing their eternal damnation.  In stark contrast, God the Father, working through His Son Jesus Christ and through Him the Holy Spirit, likewise is at work in this world loving and compelling souls into the glories of eternal life in His presence. Both these forces are constantly at work in this world to win souls into the promises of their kingdoms.  

Moses conveyed the Lord plea of “I have set before you this day good and evil, life and death, choose life that you may live...” (Deut. 30:19). The defining word of that text in Deuteronomy is the word “choose”.  We must continually choose each day, each hour of the day, to serve the Lord. If we do not “choose” Him in our decisions and activities, the “enemy who goes about as a roaring lion” will make those decisions for us. He has come to “steal, kill, & destroy” (Jn.10:10). Where the Holy Spirit has come to “lead us into all truth and righteousness” the enemy is working to lead us into attitudes and actions that will corrupt and destroy our souls.  Like a lion, he is proactive in his pursuit of your soul, and will take advantage of unconsecrated attitudes or actions in our life to accomplish his destructive purpose.  He is out to take advantage of any attitude or action that is not consecrated to God.      

James writes “submit yourself to God and resist the Devil” (Jms.4:7-8).  Because the Devil is actively out looking for an opportunity to infiltrate our thinking and detour our faith, we must be “vigilant” with our activities and attitudes, recognizing and resisting the Devil’s lies while allowing the Word of God to be the rule and guide in all we do. Attitudes and activities not submitted to the Lord and His Word are all susceptible to the enemy’s attacks.   It is those who recognize the “Devil’s schemes” to destroy their lives and detour their faith that will live a life of vigilance and consecration to the Lord. They will continually submit the daily activities of their lives and the attitudes of their hearts and minds to the Lord. They will “choose life” by recognizing those things left unconsecrated can easily be manipulated by the enemy to serve his hellish purposes of eternal death. There is no neutral ground, we are either for God or against God (Mt.12:30).  There is no neutral ground in this life, we have either given those activities and attitudes that define our lives over to the Lord, seeking His will and His purpose, or they will be appropriated by the enemy to corrupt and detour our souls to his hell. “Choose life, so that you may live”.  And make that choice every hour of every day!