Your Adversary, the Devil

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”(I Peter 5:8-9)

You have probably seen a special on television about wildlife and how they survive. The old lion lurks in the tall grass. At night he makes a menacing roar and puts fear in the other animals. In the daytime he locates his prey, sneaks quietly through the grass. But now he is not roaring. He is being very quiet and sinister. When he considers himself to be close enough to overtake his targeted animal he pounces on him with every ounce of fiber in his body. He overpowers the helpless animal and kills him. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter likens the devil to that old lion.

We are told to resist him, steadfastly in the faith. Our problem is that we do not take him seriously. We jokingly tell ourselves the devil doesn’t exist. Hal Lindsey wrote a book entitled, “Satan is alive and well on Planet Earth.” In it he admonishes all of us not to take Satan lightly. We would not deny that there is a very strong current above Niagara Falls. Trying to fight the devil in our own power is like trying to swim against the current of the Niagara River a few feet above the falls. Or, facing Satan alone is like going into a cage with a lion and attempting to fight him with our bare hands. We must have the Lord living in us for the power we need to resist the devil. Receive Christ and allow Him to fight the devil as he prepares to attack you.