1 Peter 5 - 6.6.24
S - 1 Peter 5:8-10
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
O – Peter wrote this as an encouragement to suffering Christians who were scattered about and suffering. He wanted them to be thankful for the privilege of suffering for Christ as they lived to become more like him. Peter had known persecution firsthand but would allow nothing to shake his faith in Christ. He wanted to urge others to not let their suffering distract them from living holy lives, for being loyal to, and putting their trust and hope in Jesus. He wanted to warn us to watch out for Satan when we are suffering or being persecuted. He wanted to remind us that even when we are suffering and it feels like the pain will never end, in comparison to eternity which we are promised with Him, this is just a “blip” on the radar.
A - It is imperative as Christians that we trust God and resist Satan (temptation). This is not a passive thing and requires action on our part. Being sober and being vigilant are closely connected. The word vigilant means keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties. A vigilant person actively pays attention to what is vying for his attention and what affects his heart and mind.
Mark 13:33 3 Be on guard! Be alert[a]! You do not know when that time will come.
We must keep a clear mind as we vigilantly keep watch over our lives and the world around us. Now more than ever!! The enemy is just waiting for us to drop our guard, to be divisive, to be isolated, to be hyper focused on our problems so that we are like a weak little lamb to be devoured. When we are struggling/suffering through a situation, illness, addiction, etc., that is not the time to skip church, stop praying, stop reading or stay indoors and hide under the covers! THAT is when we call on our brothers and sisters in Christ to rally around us in prayer. I can’t tell you how many times over the years I have had Christian friends tell me about a situation they had gone through….ummmm, how come I, or someone in the church was not aware? How come we weren’t praying them through that situation? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t isolate yourself when feeling alone and weak. That is the enemy’s playground! You have a church family at DSC who loves you and prayer teams just waiting to pray for you.
Ephesians 6:1818 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
The term sober literally means “free from intoxicating influences.” To be sober means to not allow ourselves to be influenced by anything that leads us away from God’s truth and sound judgment. Sobriety is a state of being (gotquestions.org). Therefore, it’s important that we take the time, every day if necessary, to ask Him what are we allowing into our lives that may be leading us away from His truth.
P – Lord Jesus I thank you that you have given us your written Words through people such as Paul, as instruction on how to live Holy lives. Thank you for Your Words on how to pray, how to protect ourselves. Words to remind us that this little time here on earth will be challenging but that the benefit we will receive once we get to spend eternity with you makes it all worth it. Help us to be on guard here and now. Help us to keep our eyes on You and resist the Devil. To be alert and actively pursuing you through prayer each day. In Jesus’ name I pray! Amen.
- Crystal Flory
