Who is Your Adversary?

Background to passage: Peter is still trying to encourage these young persecuted churches and believers. Just coming off of a passage on humility, he wants them to be vigilant about their spiritual life. “The imminence of the End, prominent everywhere in the letter, is the backcloth of the scene. Christian apocalyptic, like Jewish, envisaged this as a period when the powers of evil would be particularly active and the elect would consequently be exposed to extraordinary trials (e.g. Mt. 24:4–28; 2 Thess. 2:3–12; 2 Tim. 3:1–9)”

1 Peter 5:8–9 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

1 Peter 5:10–11 ESV

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Open illustration:“Satan and his forces have a plan to terrorize your soul, render you impotent as a believer, make you worthless to the cause of Christ, and make your life one of misery and spiritual defeat.”

A pastor told a story of their trip to India days after the tsunami hit in 2004: We arrived in India six days after the tsunami hit. We had traveled over thirty hours straight, and I had hardly slept in the last three days. I would be teaching a citywide crusade in a city where 160 people were swept off the beach and a fishing village was destroyed.

The cab driver who took us into that city from the airport began to give us the lay of the lad. “The people here are very mad at God,” he told us. “They do not know why he is punishing them.” He then described the spiritual climate as it related to Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. He painted a picture of doubt, desperation, and confusion. The church was in grave need, and yet it had an unprecedented opportunity to reach out to many who felt abandoned and betrayed by the gods they worshipped.

I fell asleep quickly that night but awakened within a couple of hours. My room was dark, my body was worn out, I was apprehensive about what I would teach the following day, and I was very vulnerable to spiritual attack. The following six hours would be among the worst of my life. It was as though I was under an all-out assault from hell itself. Thoughts of condemnation and death bombarded my mind for hours. The enemy whispered lie after lie into the recesses of my mind as I quoted Scripture and attempted to pray. Doubts that had not entered my mind since I was a new Christian came at me full force throughout the night. I felt lonely, weak, and completely inadequate for the task.

In desperation, I turned on my CD player, put on my headphones, and began to worship the Lord. I couldn’t pray. I couldn’t think, and I couldn’t concentrate. After hours of battle and feeling very defeated, I couldn’t address the enemy anymore. All I could think was that God inhabits the praises of his people (Ps 22:3). At first I felt nothing. But little by little, as I sang in adoration, the grip of darkness in the room was broken.

I met my friend and co-laborer; Phil, for breakfast and shared my exhausting experience with him. He immediately asked me what time it began because he had gone through a similar experience. He had found relief only by reading through 1 and 2 Peter multiple times during the night.

As we approached the ministry in India together, the needs seemed so overwhelming—and we felt so weak and inadequate—that we questioned what real good we could do in the situation. We were two senior leaders of an international Christian ministry with the awesome opportunity to give people hope for both now and eternity, and yet we were struggling. We were vulnerable to the enemy’s shots of doubt, condemnation, and deception coming our way.

Who is Your Adversary - 1 Peter 5:8-11

Main Thought: We will see a truth about Satan, how to deal with him, and a great promise

1. Understanding Your Adversary (v. 8b, 9b)

1 Peter 5:8–9 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

1. Understanding Your Adversary (v. 8b, 9b)

Explanation: In this passage Peter gives the believers a perspective that will help frame their worldview of suffering: Satan is real, alive, active, and seeking to destroy the lives of believers. He wants them to retain the worldview that says there are demonic forces at work against the advance of God’s kingdom. In this context, it probably would have been persecuting government or people attempting to get them to renounce their faith. He is sneaky, moving around to manipulate believers into various tempting situations. He wants to shipwreck every believer’s faith.

“The Devil's most beautiful ruse is to convince us that he does not exist.”

Ephesians 6:10–12 ESV

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

1 Peter b. Standing Fast Against the Devil (5:8b–9)

The goal of the devil is to devour, a graphic depiction of his desire to annihilate the Christian and, collectively, the church by assimilating them back to the evil ways of the world

The difference between seeking for prey is much different than defending oneself. Contrary to popular belief, a rattlesnake does not view you as prey. You are much too large to swallow and they cannot chew, so you are off the menu. However, they will defend themselves and bite you if you step on them. Mountain lions are different; it can be either

Application: We are lulled to sleep so easily in our anti-supernatural culture that we fall asleep at the spiritual wheel. We don’t realize that we walk around with a target on our back. This doesn’t mean that we go looking around every corner for demons, nor doesn’t it mean that our salvation is in jeopardy, but this text teaches us that to take spiritual warfare lightly will cause major problems to your faith, especially under suffering. Often our temptations are minor to begin with, then increase in size, depth, and control in our lives. Often Satan doesn’t come at us head-on, but subtly. Let the knowledge of Satan not cause you to fixate upon him, but to further direct your attention to the Overcomer, to the One who sustains, to the One who empowers you to hold fast to your faith in the most dire circumstances. Honestly, most of us don’t suffer like these believers did, therefore let us remember that the same God who helped them welcome the sword of martyrdom will help us to triumph over Satan’s lies, attacks, and schemes. Let these verses increase your dependence.

Caveat: This is not to present a worldview of good vs. evil, dark vs. light, God vs. Satan, 50/50, struggle to the end. The biblical view of Satan is that he is dangerous, but he is in no way equal in strength, power, wisdom, etc. with God.

Chip Ingram says in his book on spiritual warfare, “we must respect our foe, but not fear him; we must become acutely aware of his methods, but not be preoccupied with them. Even though Satan is more powerful than we can imagine, and more deceptive than we can understand, we give him too much credit—or give God too little credit—if we fear him. We are to respect our enemy and never be casual about his threat, but we are not told to be preoccupied with him. Our preoccupation should be entirely on God and not on our adversary or on ourselves.”

Satan is a useful tool in God’s hand to prove his true followers. God says how far and how long a trial may last, a truth that we will see later in this text, but Peter’s point is clear, as one blogger said this week, “One of our flaws as believers is forgetting that even though God has sovereign control over everything, we have God's mandate for self control over our thoughts, words and actions.” This is where Satan like to attack.

2. Dealing With Your Adversary (v. 8a, 9a)

1 Peter 5:8–9 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

2. Dealing With Your Adversary (v. 8a, 9a)

Explanation: Peter gives us three ways, commands, as to how to deal with our Adversary. First, he tells us to be “sober-minded.” As it implies in the English, the word deals with the opposite of being drunk. Drunkenness removes the sharpness of mind and body that is necessary to mount a defense against any formidable foe. He says to be well-balanced and self-control. Think of a scenario where a group or team you are on is being attacked. Even if means days and nights, you will have to keep your senses sharp. if there is real danger. Satan is not roaming around looking to be friends, but to devour. Secondly, he says to be watchful, which means to stay awake. In this spiritual context, dealing with your lives, it meant to be alert to attack. Be vigilant, not sleepy. Drink spiritual coffee. These two things together also imply preparation, as the third command is for battle.

The heftiest moose, with the largest and strongest antlers, triumphs. Therefore, the battle fought in the fall is really won during the summer, when the moose eat continually. The one that consumes the best diet for growing antlers and gaining weight will be the heavyweight in the fight. Those that eat inadequately sport weaker antlers and less bulk. There is a lesson here for us. Spiritual battles await. Satan will choose a season to attack. Will we be victorious, or will we fall? Much depends on what we do now—before the wars begin

James 4:7 ESV

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 6:14–17 ESV

14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

Thirdly, Peter tells us to “resist!” James says this as well. Jesus demonstrated how to resist by speaking the Word of God. Peter says to stand firm in the faith. He includes an odd support for his command and says to remember that the believers all throughout the world are suffering this way too. “They are resisting, you can resist too!”

John Wesley’s Journal entries

Sunday, A.M., May 5 Preached in St. Anne’s. Was asked not to come back anymore.

Sunday, P.M., May 5 Preached in St. John’s. Deacons said “Get out and stay out.”

Sunday, A.M., May 12 Preached in St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there, either.

Sunday, A.M., May 19 Preached in St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.

Sunday, P.M., May 19 Preached on street. Kicked off street.

Sunday, A.M., May 26 Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.

Sunday, A.M., June 2 Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.

Sunday, P.M., June 2 Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.

Application: Because we don’t hear the bullets zinging overhead, we think that the threat isn’t all that bad. Because we live in nice houses, have freedom of religion, can bear arms, are not being threatened with death or imprisonment, we think that there is no war. Do you want to know why Christians quit going to church, why churches split, why divorce is prevalent in the church, why pornography has invaded our homes, why our high-schoolers graduate and go to college to abandon the faith, why pastors and leaders have moral failures, why suicide and mental illness are destroying us, why 50% of abortions are from moms/dads who claim to be Christians, why anger and bitterness rage in our minds, why we bicker and begrudge our brothers and sisters, why evangelism is down, baptisms are down, why biblical knowledge and doctrine is down? Yes, we are broken, sinful, and frail, but Satan unleashes the floodgates against us, and we are drunk, asleep, weak, and unable to resist. We must prepare to fight, and fight like your spiritual lives depended on it!

3. Leaving Your Adversary (v. 10)

1 Peter 5:10 ESV

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

3. Leaving Your Adversary (v. 10)

Explanation: The theme of suffering, which has been woven through the entire book returns, as Peter indicates his instructions are still against the backdrop of suffering. He wants to encourage these suffering believers now. Their God limits their suffering, and this “God of all grace, who has called them to his eternal glory in Christ” (wish we had time to go there) will do awesome things once this season of suffering is complete. He says God will do four things:

restore - to prepare or make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, or other purpose. This reminds of of God’s purpose in life, but also in suffering. These believers needed to know that their suffering was not without purpose. It was forming them for a greater purpose. Satan uses suffering to tear down our spiritual walk, God uses it to prepare us for greater things.

confirm - which means to make stronger or more able to withstand or accomplish a task. What a blessing to know that once they were done suffering, God will strengthen us for the next task that lies ahead.

strengthen - this means to firmly fix something or arrange it in such a way to withstand stress and intense structural pressure.

establish - the nuance of this word deals with the foundation that one is build upon and grounded in. “Strengthen” deals with the mounting or fixing, and “establish” deals with that to which an object (in this case suffering believers) is attached. These words have overlapping meanings, Jewish writers often did this, but

So, in summary, God promises our suffering is not without purpose, but preparation. He makes us stronger to withstand more or accomplish more for the kingdom. He firmly plants us, so that we cannot be moved. He does that upon a foundation that will never crack or weaken or give way. Christ is the only foundation.

1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary 3. God Will Restore You after You Have Suffered (5:10–11)

the God of all grace will restore them or ‘make them fully prepared and complete’ with respect to any resource or ability which they have lost through this suffering. He will establish them firmly in any position, rightful privilege, or responsibility which this suffering has taken from them. He will strengthen them for any weakness they have been made to suffer, any inadequacy for overcoming evil which they may have known. And we should add (with RSV MG., SIMILARLY NIV, NASB) that he will settle (or: found, establish, firmly place) them in any rightful place from which the suffering has wrongfully removed them. In sum: all loss will soon be made right, and that for eternity.

Lest we be “terrified by our adversaries,” it is well to remember that Satan’s power is not inherent but permitted (Rom. 13:1). It is not unlimited, but controlled (Job 1:12; 2:6). It is not invincible, but broken (Luke 11:21-11). It is not assured of success, but is surely doomed (Rev. 20:2-3). Satan knows well that there is no ultimate victory for him. The pronounced sentence has only been postponed. But he works to hinder and postpone Christ’s final triumph. –Oswald Sanders

“The devil fears a soul united to God as he does God himself.” -John of the Cross

Application: In order to have victory over Satan, we must keep the long-term perspective of God in mind. Suffering is not necessarily a short-term thing. It is limited thing. It is a thing that is under God’s sovereign control. However, it can be long and intense. If fact, several times in the NT we are told that people will die horrible deaths, but be faithful till the end. You must keep in mind that once it is over, God has purposes well beyond what we can see. We want problems to be fixed quickly. We focus on the painfully obvious. The hope that Christ gives is more of a firm confidence that God will provide grace during suffering. Look to Him, for he will restore you, confirm you, strengthen you, and establish you for his glory! Stake your life on that truth. Meditate on that truth. God has not forgotten you, therefore, you don’t forget Him. God has not forsaken you, therefore, you don’t forsake Him.

1 Peter 5:11 ESV

11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Closing Illustration: I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Sitting across from me was a man whose story I would have doubted except that I knew the facts firsthand. We were talking about a crisis in his life: his marriage had fallen apart, he was involved in an illicit relationship, and his children had rejected him. And he was desperately depressed.

By themselves, none of those things took me by surprise. I’ve counseled scores of men with those exact symptoms. But their stories were far different from his. In most cases they were either non-Christians or nominal Christians who were not walking with God. Their lack of committed discipleship resulted in some very poor and unbiblical choices that caused them great pain.

But this man’s story was quite different. He had a godly family and a godly heritage. He was a man of the Scriptures who had taught Sunday school for years. He was a pillar in the church, having served on several boards. He was the kind of man whom everyone aspired to become.

So what happened? What could possibly bring down a man with biblical convictions, a loving wife, and a successful family and business? How could someone fall from such a blessed life to land in the depths of despair? The answer is sobering. In his own words, he told me: “I had it all—a beautiful wife and family, stature in the community, a significant role in the church, a thriving business, a chalet in the mountains, a condo on the beach, and all the toys you could ever imagine. I thought I was bulletproof. I thought God’s hand was on me forever and that everything I touched would turn to gold. But I was wrong.”

As he shared his story, he began to recount a tale of compromises in the smallest of issues: not dealing with a spat with his wife, taking that second look at a beautiful woman, telling small lies that led to bigger ones. “They all seemed so innocent and inconsequential at the time,” he said. “But in a few years, they developed now patterns in my life. The lies became lapses of integrity that undermined all my relationships and destroyed my business. In very little time, I was living the opposite life of what I once had. In a word, I was deceived. Yet no matter how many people warned me, I couldn’t see it. I was deceived into believing that money, sex power; pleasure, and ego gratification were all part of the good life that I deserved and God wanted for me. I read my Bible and went to church, the truth ever before me. And I still couldn’t see it. Now I’m alone, depressed, remorseful, and wishing like crazy I could do it all over: But I can’t.”