Be Watchful (1 Peter 5:8–9)

One reason we have cares is because we have an enemy. As the serpent, Satan deceives; and as the lion, Satan devours. The word “Satan” means “adversary,” and the word “devil” means “the accuser, the slanderer.” The recipients of this letter had already experienced the attacks of the slanderer, and now they would meet “the lion” in their fiery trial. Peter gave them several practical instructions to help them get victory over their adversary.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

I. Respect him—he is dangerous.

A. Satan is a dangerous enemy.

He is a serpent who can bite us when we least expect it. He is a destroyer and an accuser. He has great power and intelligence, and a host of demons who assist him in his attacks against God’s people.

He is a formidable enemy; we must never joke about him, ignore him, or underestimate his ability. His residence is on this earth, and he moves from place to place. Because this earth is the devil’s territory, believers are constantly under attack. Additionally, the Bible speaks of the devil as a personal spiritual being in active rebellion against God. He leads many demons like himself.

B. We must “be sober”.

We are to have our minds under control when it comes to our conflict with Satan. A part of this soberness includes not blaming everything on the devil. Some people see a demon behind every bush and blame Satan for their headaches, flat tires, and high rent.

A carefree life is not a careless one, and the Christian must be watchful as we are involved in a constant spiritual warfare. The facts of this are: there is an enemy, the devil; he seeks opportunities to destroy Christians; the way to overcome him is by resistance; such resistance is based on confidence in God; it is also backed by the knowledge that we are not alone in the struggle; the outcome lies with God, who, because of his ultimate destiny for us, will meet every need on the way; this God has the power for ever.

II. Recognize him—he is a great pretender.

A. We must “be vigilant”

His strategy is to counterfeit whatever God does. According to the Parable of the Tares, wherever God plants a true Christian, Satan seeks to plant a counterfeit. He would deceive us were it not for the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

The better we know God’s Word, the keener our spiritual senses will be to detect Satan at work. We must be able to “try the spirits” and know the true from the false.

B. The devil is like a roaring lion.

The devil roars like a lion to induce fear in the people of God. In other words, persecution is the roar by which he tries to intimidate believers in the hope that they will yield at the prospect of suffering. If believers deny their faith, then the devil has devoured them, and given him a foothold in their life.

The contrast between God and the devil is quite striking. God tenderly cares for his children, inviting them to bring their worries to him so that he can sustain them. God promises to protect his flock in all their distress. On the other, the devil’s aim is not to comfort but to terrify believers. He does not want to deliver them from fear but to devour their faith. Peter warned believers to be vigilant. The roaring of the devil is the crazed anger of a defeated enemy, and if they do not fear his ferocious bark, they will never be consumed by his bite.

III. Resist him.

A. Take a stand on the Word of God and refuse to be moved.

Unless we stand, we cannot withstand. Our weapons are the Word of God and prayer and our protection is the complete armor God has provided. (Eph. 6:17,18) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints We resist him “in the faith,” that is, our faith in God. Just as David took his stand against Goliath, and trusted in the name of Jehovah, so we take our stand against Satan in the victorious name of Jesus Christ.

Never try to fight Satan in your own way. Resist him the way Jesus did, with the Word of God. Never get the idea that you are the only one going through these battles, because “your brethren that are in the world” are facing the same trials. We must pray for one another and encourage each other in the Lord. And we must remember that our personal victories will help others, just as their victories will help us.

B. The Christian response to satanic opposition is not panic or fear but firm resistance.

Resist means “to withstand,” or “to stand up against.” It is a term of defense and victory. Theologically, Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection won the decisive victory in the war against the powers of darkness. This, however, does not mean that the battle is over. Because of the cross, believers have the assurance that these evil powers have been disarmed. Believers share in Christ’s authority over them. This does not mean that Christians have an automatic immunity to the influence of Satan and his demonic powers.

Both Peter and James give us the same formula for success: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Before we can stand before Satan, we must bow before God.