Stay Woke & Fight!!

As I watch the protests around the world, I am extremely proud to see so many young and diverse groups of people take a stand against racial, social, and all injustice in America and beyond. I thank GOD because as Proverbs 31 says, it is necessary to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves and are oppressed. As I turn from news channel to news channel, and even joined the protest last week, I can see and feel the emotion that people are expressing about this deep seated sickness of racism in America, and how police brutality has been tragically disproportionate on blacks in America. But as I’ve viewed the news and even witnessed the crowds, it is strikingly obvious that there are some who are not there for the same reasons. While the extreme emotion has driven some who are deeply impacted by this issue to go from being peaceful to violent. There are some with only intent to be destructive, but not hold the same concern about black lives. This has illustrated to me a grave lesson about our times of adversity. That is, while we’ve learned and know much about what GOD’s purpose is in allowing our suffering. We also need to know that satan has entirely different purposes with the same suffering we experience. Thus this message is intended to warn us to “Stay Woke and Fight!”, specifically we need to beware of satan and his purposes and actively fight against him when we experience our struggles.

Peter gives three important commands in these two verses, all three instruct our behavior toward satan during adversity. Verse 8 is essentially a warning about satan’s nature and operation. But before delving into that, Peter gives the first two commands which are urgent under such circumstances. The first is to be sober, which means to curb or check the controlling influence of bad emotions or desires, which can numb me to what’s real and true according to GOD. This is now the third and final time Peter instructs this within this letter, meaning it is a very important action to be done. 1 Peter 1:13 is so we can focus on hope, 1 Peter 4:7 is to focus on prayer. This time it’s necessary so that focus on satan’s modus operandi isn’t lost or blurry. But not only is it important and required to be completely sober, it is also imperative to stay awake and watchful. These two commands are often paired together because logically, if one is too intoxicated, he/she will go to sleep. In fact, alcohol’s main effect is to put the brain to sleep little by little. Likewise Peter wants us to understand the same spiritually. Being awake also includes being watchful, giving it purpose. Consider Matt 16:22-23.

Application: When we talk about influence, it is the capacity of something to effect our character or behavior. Just as too much alcohol will completely alter our thinking, judgment, and behavior, we must be careful about our minds because some info we digest has the same capacity. Sober from ourselves and others, because the human mind is deceptive above all things. Here are some intoxicated thoughts/behaviors when we’re in our storm: “GOD isn’t with me”, “I’m no longer saved”, “I’m gone get them back”, the problem is greater, I will never get better, I will never, these drugs will take my pain away, it’s night and I can get away with this … Those are intoxicants of bad spirits that will ultimately alter our behavior negatively. We’ve gotta cleanse from that and mediate on pure, true, praiseworthy, and loving things pertaining to GOD!! Why? So we can stay woke!!

Well what is so important that Peter is giving such urgent and strong commands that say “stay woke!!” Peter now mentions the main subject, and that’s satan. Well what about satan? His nature during our trying circumstances. Peter wants disciples to understand that satan is the enemy, and he’s a hostile enemy. Notice he says “your” adversary, which means satan is a hostile enemy of all believers, but he also treats it personal. Not only that, but the type of enemy or adversary he is, is devil or devilish. Which means slanderous. The early use of this word meant “separator”. Thus satan or the devil constantly aims to separate man from GOD through his slanderous accusations against our lives.

Application: We need to understand that while GOD aims to draw us closer to him in our trials, and refine our lives, satan’s very descriptive nature is to tear us apart from him. Every weakness that is exposed, mistake made trying to cope, struggles we’re trying to overcome… his nature is to call it to GOD’s attention with defamation. He wants GOD to see us as unworthy. He wants us to feel everlasting guilt. He wants us to feel like we’ll never get better and tell GOD I told you so. Because he knows that suffering will tempt us in so many ways to sin and forget GOD. Zec 3:1 gives this picture. But I thank GOD, that the Lord said the Lord rebuke you satan. For Joshua is still my chosen one, removed from the fire. Thank you Father for removing my iniquity!!

That’s satan’s nature. Peter also wants us full aware of satan’s everyday behavior. Again, if we’re evilly intoxicated and spiritually falling asleep, assurance in the truth of GOD is difficult to ascertain for our hearts. So our alertness is paramount. Also of his behavior. How does he behave? How does he prowl around? Just like a ferocious roaring lion. Sometimes when a lion hunts his prey at night, he roars. Interestingly a lions roar can be heard up to 5 miles away. Another point of interest is the frequency level of the range of his roar dips below what can be heard, and rather the vibration can be felt. So as he begins to roar, it can be felt before it is heard.

Application: We need to know that how he behaves or prowls around, is like a roaring lion, to instill fear in us. Satan wants you and I to be fearful in our trials, even though GOD has made us so many promises of provision and care.

Not only how he behaves, but why he prowls around like he does. Peter gives the reason, it is because he’s trying to find somebody, just somebody that he can swallow up and destroy.

Application: Not only does satan want us to be fearful in our trials, but also he wants us completely destroyed and to be exterminated. Whereas GOD cares for us, satan does not. He wants our souls to be so down pressed that we curse GOD and die. Just as he was roaming in the days of Job, and sought to destroy Job through the things he begged of GOD to lay on his life.

Now that I am woke on that. Now that I know satan’s nature and operation against me, what is my response? Peter says stand up and fight him! But not with our own strength, but in the strength of almighty GOD, because he says the manner in which we fight him is firm in our faith.

Application: What’s interesting is that the term resist is in the active voice. See we often deal with satan only in an defensive posture. Meaning we only have our shield up trying to defend his attacks. But at some point we’ve gotta switch to an offensive posture, where we attack him. That means we need to use the weapons we have. What weapons? I’ll give you three weapons we have in Christ. 1. Prayer is how we ask for strength and for GOD to demonstrate his power in the spiritual realm. Hear Jesus in Luke 22:31-32, he tells Peter “I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail”. 2. The word of GOD, Matt 4 and Luke 4 Jesus demonstrates an offensive stance against satan by hitting with one scripture after another. That means when satan’s lies are filling our head, we must respond with scripture. GOD doesn’t care, no GOD does care 1 Peter 5:7. Nothing can separate me from the love of GOD Ro 8:39. Guilt, who can condemn us, it is GOD who justifies Ro 8:34. 3. Joy and rejoicing is a weapon. Ps 8:2 indicates that GOD has ordained praise even in children’s mouth on account of enemies, so that he will silence the enemy and the avenger. When we praise GOD from our lips, GOD silences the roars that satan gives for fear. For our strength is in the Lord!!!

Lastly, Peter shows that we fight this way realizing that we’re not alone, because we have a brotherhood who stands with us in this fight and their endurance of the same kinds of struggles we face.

Application: See, I told you that satan makes things personal. And if he can convince us that we are all alone in our struggles, we could cave in and lose faith in the promises of GOD. But when I know I have brothers, spiritually standing beside me in this fight, it encourages me to stand strong. I begin to realize that we’re in this fight together. As I fight, I’m not only fighting for myself, but I’m fighting with and for this brother- and sisterhood of GOD’s family. In Ex 17:8-16, Israel fought with the enemy Amalek. Joshua and his troops were in the battle on the ground, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur were on the hill. As long as Moses hands were lifted up, Joshua prevailed, and when they were down, Amalek prevailed. So Aaron and Hur gave Moses some support and helped keep his arms in the air, resulting in the defeat of Amalek. See we are not in this thing alone!!! You help my arms, I help yours, all in all we are fight with and for one another against satan!!!

In these times of intense trial, struggle, suffering, problems, you name it, it is absolutely imperative that we stay woke, understanding the nature, operation, and intent of satan with our trials. He wants to tear us away from GOD, instill fear, and destroy our souls. If we don’t stay awake, we can’t fight. But when we’re awake and alert to his purposes, we must react by organizing our offensive fight against him, with an unshakable faith, and as one family of GOD. When we do that, we will all help each other endure the struggles we all commonly face. Are you woke? Are you fighting? Whose arms do you need to help? I encourage you to do so as we endure these challenging times together as one family of GOD!!!

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