Our Adversary

Title: Adversary

1 Peter 4:12-19 & 5:1-11

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

1 Peter 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

1 Peter 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

1 Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

1 Peter 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

1 Peter 5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Introduction:

Body:

I. The Coming Trial (4:12-19)

A. Think it not strange (4:12-14)

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

- Do not consider it as anything which you had no reason to expect; as anything which may not happen to others also.

- Surprised means to be “astonished, upset, and bewildered.” It does not refer, however, to the very normal and short-term surprise or shock that an individual experiences in the face of this kind of pain. The present tense of the verb suggests a continuing attitude of bewilderment and astonishment at what is happening in the believer’s life.

- Hidden in the word surprised is not only the thought of being bewildered over time, but also the idea of becoming resentful and bitter about the circumstances. Long-term bewilderment often leads to long-term bitterness, but believers should not view suffering as something strange or foreign. Our sufferings are not accidental, nor are they interfering with God’s purposes for our lives. In fact, these sufferings are part of his purpose.

- This insight is suggested by the phrase painful trial. This expression contains the picture of a refining fire or a testing process that produces a positive result. The fires of suffering are designed by God to purify and strengthen the lives of his followers.

- The image of a refiner’s fire suggests that such suffering purifies and strengthens Christians. This idea is reinforced by the fact that it comes upon you (or: ‘among you’) to prove you. Here he uses the same word (peirasmos) which he used in 1:6 (‘trials’) in its positive sense of a trial expected to have a positive outcome. The readers are encouraged to see God’s good purpose behind their difficulties, enabling them to grow stronger in faith and give more glory to God. This he explains in the following verses, showing that such trials are not to be thought unusual or strange, for they are a normal part of the Christian life.

- Four times this section uses the words suffering or suffer, and this verse talks about the painful trial. This phrase could be read as “the painful trial that burns among you.” The original readers would hear this as martyrdom by being burned at the stake. It could describe the fact that followers of Jesus in the city of Rome (where Peter wrote this letter) were being dragged from their families, dipped in tar, and used as living torches to light the gardens of Nero. At the very least, Peter described experiences of pain comparable to the pain of being burned with fire, though his definition of these trials remains deliberately vague.

1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

- Again, the believer should not be surprised at this. Our suffering is the same kind of thing that Christ received, and therefore, in some sense, suffering is an indication of the believers’ identification with Christ. Believers participate in the suffering of Christ. Participate is taken from the familiar word koinoneo, “to share or fellowship with someone.” How does this work? Think of it this way: Your closest friends are those with whom you have suffered and hurt. As you stumble and crawl through pain together, you grow together as friends.

- Joy in suffering is not a trick of the mind. Rejoicing in pain has nothing to do with deriving pleasure from being mistreated in some way. Suffering has meaning as it puts us into deeper fellowship with Jesus Christ. As this occurs, our level of trust in his wisdom and care in our lives increases so that we are able to rejoice. Joy, in its most sublime meaning, is a deep confidence that God is in control of every area of our lives, even the painful places. The fullness of joy comes from a deep sense of the presence of God in a person’s life. Joy occurs when our pain drives us to depend upon God.

1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

- Verse 14 does hint at one specific type of persecution: being insulted because of the name of Christ. “Insulted” refers to being slandered by someone. It describes the dismantling of a person’s character with false information. This reminds us of James’s words: “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (Jas. 3:6)

B. Suffer for Christ (4:15-16)

1 Peter 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

- Those sufferings are detailed with four descriptive phrases. Murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal form one group and should be taken literally. They refer to breaking the laws of society and suffering the consequences of those actions. When that happens, the believer is not to say, “I am suffering for Jesus’ sake or for the sake of righteousness.” You are not. You are suffering because you broke the law.

- The fourth term may be the real concern: meddler. This refers to Christians who stick their noses into situations where they have no business. Words like “agitator,” “disrupter,” or “troublemaker” give the proper sense of the term meddler. By interfering in the lives of others, a meddler disrupts the peace and harmony of the local church and community.

- Everyone has had experience with such meddlesome people. They stick their nose in, get caught, and get called on the carpet. Invariably they respond, “They are just picking on me because I am a Christian,” or, “I am just suffering for the Lord.” Scripture says, “Call it whatever you want, but you are not suffering on behalf of Jesus Christ; you are suffering because of your own meddling behavior.” If you are behaving this way, stop your negative behavior.

1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

- Legitimate suffering for the name of Christ is again mentioned in this verse in direct contrast to the behavior pattern described in the previous verse. Christian appears only three times in the New Testament, but in each case it identifies the true followers of Jesus. Peter connected this name with true and valuable suffering. Some readers were suffering because of their faithful identification with Jesus Christ through their lifestyle choices or their verbal testimony. Faithfulness to Christ will produce suffering and persecution. The reverse also seems to be true: a lack of persecution in a believer’s life may suggest a less-than-faithful lifestyle and testimony

C. Judgment to come (4:17-19)

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

1 Peter 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

- The word “judgment” here (κρίμα krima) seems to mean “the severe trial which would determine character.” It refers to such calamities as would settle the question whether there was any religion, or would test the value of that which was professed. It was to “begin” at the house of God, or be applied to the church first, in order that the nature and worth of religion might be seen. The reference is, doubtless, to some fearful calamity which would primarily fall on the “house of God;” that is, to some form of persecution which was to be let loose upon the church.

- At the house of God - Benson, Bloomfield, and many others, suppose that this refers to the Jews, and to the calamities that were to come around the temple and the holy city about to be destroyed. But the more obvious reference is to Christians, spoken of as the house or family of God. There is probably in the language here an allusion to Eze 9:6; “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women; and begin at my sanctuary.” Compare Jer 25:29. But the language used here by the apostle does not denote literally the temple, or the Jews, but those who were in his time regarded as the people of God - Christians - the church. So the phrase (בּית יהוה bēyt Yahweh) “house of Yahweh” is used to denote the family or people of God, Num 12:7; Hos 8:1. Compare also 1Ti 3:15 and the note on that verse. The sense here is, therefore, that the series of calamities referred to were to commence with the church, or were to come first upon the people of God. Schoettgen here aptly quotes a passage from the writings of the Rabbis: “Punishments never come into the world unless the wicked are in it; but they do not begin unless they commence first with the righteous.”

- If God brings such trials upon us who have obeyed his gospel, what have we not reason to suppose he will bring upon those who are yet in their sins? And if we are selected first as the objects of this visitation, if there is that in us which requires such a method of dealing, what are we to suppose will occur in the end with those who make no pretensions to religion, but are yet living in open transgression? The sentiment is, that if God deals thus strictly with his people; if there is that in them which makes the visitations of his judgment proper on them, there is a certainty that they who are not his people, but who live in iniquity, will in the end be overwhelmed with the tokens of severer wrath. Their punishment hereafter will be certain; and who can tell what will be the measure of its severity? Every wicked man, when he sees the trials which God brings upon his own people, should tremble under the apprehension of the deeper calamity which will hereafter come upon himself.

1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

- A man suffers according to the will of God who suffers for righteousness’ sake; and who, being reviled, reviles not again.

- Commit the keeping of their souls - Place their lives confidently in his hand, who, being their Creator, will also be their preserver, and keep that safely which is committed to his trust. God is here represented as faithful, because he will always fulfill his promises, and withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly.

- The combination of “faithful” and “Creator” reminds us of God’s love and power, even in the midst of suffering and pain. God created the world, and he has faithfully ordered it and sustained it since the creation. Because we know that he is faithful, we can count on him to fulfill his promises to us. If he can oversee the forces of nature, certainly he can see us through the trials we face.

II. Peter’s Exhortation (5:1-4)

A. Peter Identifies (vs. 1)

1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

- Here Peter is about to start a new line of speaking to his audience. He is calling for the elders to listen to the next statements that he was about to make. I think in light of persecution that was taking place and that was about to take place they needed to be about the business of the Father. Peter identifies them as the Elders of the church. To some degree elders are older and is true to some degree because a young novice does not need to be an elder. An elder as well should and needs to be grounded in the word and in their daily spiritual life. Elders are responsible to for exhortation of the word and there are more elders than there are pastors. He also points out that not only is he an elder, but he was also a witness of the suffering of Christ. This I believe is imperative since he speaks about believers suffering for Christ in the previous section of scripture as well as this one. He is also a partaker just like the Gospel furthered. The Glory of God revealed is the Glory of God preached and enlightened to people who have never heard it.

B. Feed (vs. 2-3)

1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

- Discharge the duties of a shepherd toward the flock. On the word “feed,” see the notes at John 21:15. It is a word which Peter would be likely to remember, from the solemn manner in which the injunction to perform the duty was laid on him by the Saviour. The direction means to take such an oversight of the church as a shepherd is accustomed to take of his flock.

- Oversight: that is, of the flock; or "take the care of it", as the Syriac version renders it, and adds, "spiritually"; in a spiritual manner; which is an interpretation of the phrase: an acting the part of a bishop or overseer of it, as the word signifies; looking diligently to it, inspecting into the various cases of the members of the church; using diligence to know the state of the flock, and performing all the offices of a careful shepherd; as feeding the flock; and not themselves; strengthening the diseased; healing the sick; binding up that which was broken; bringing again that which was driven away, and seeking that which was lost; watching over them that they go not astray; and restoring of them in the spirit of meekness, when they are gone out of the way; and overlooking both their practices and their principles; admonishing, reproving them for sin, as the case requires; and preserving them, as much as in them lies, from wolves, and beasts of prey; from false teachers, and from all errors and heresies: all which is to be done,

- Constraint: or with force, in a rigorous and severe manner; for this may be understood actively of pastors not forcing their flock, over driving them, or ruling them with force and cruelty, complained of in Eze 34:4 or passively, of their being forced to feed the flock, and superintend it; as such may be said to be, who enter into the ministry, and continue in it, because obliged to it for want of a livelihood, and not knowing how to get one any other way; or through the pressing instances of relations, acquaintance, and friends; this ought not to be a matter of necessity, but of choice; they should be induced to it by no other necessity than what Christ has laid upon them, by calling them to the work, and furnishing them for it with the gifts of his Spirit; and should engage and continue in it by no other constraint than that of his love; wherefore it follows,

- Willingly: "according to God", and so some copies; according to the will of God, and agreeably to his word; and the Ethiopic version renders it, "with equity for God"; with all uprightness and integrity, for the sake of the honour and glory of God; this should be done with all a man's heart and soul, and should spring from pure love to Christ; for no man is fit to feed Christ's lambs and sheep but those who sincerely love him

- Not for filthy lucre; not from a covetous disposition, which is a filthy one; and for the sake of gaining money, and amassing wealth and riches, as the false prophets in Isaiah's time, who were never satisfied; and the false teachers in the apostle's time, who, through covetousness, made merchandise of men, and supposed that gain was godliness; whereas there is no such thing as serving God and mammon; and as the work of the ministry should not be entered upon, and continued in, with any such sordid view; so neither for the sake of gaining glory and applause, a presidency, and chief place in the churches, and a name among the ministers of the Gospel, and credit and esteem among men:

- But of a ready mind; or, "from the whole heart"

1 Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

- Shepherds should not do their job as lords, because the sheep do not belong to them. The sheep are entrusted to them. Instead, shepherds are to serve by being examples, not dictators.

- Nor as being lords shows that in the mind of Peter, shepherds had significant authority in the early church. If the office of shepherd was so powerless that a shepherd didn’t rule and lead, then there was little potential for being lords. But because Peter gives this warning, it shows there was the potential for lording over.

- The sobering fact is that pastors are examples to the flock, whether they intend to be or not. It is interesting to see how a congregation takes on the personality of its pastor in good ways and bad ways.

C. Reward (vs. 4)

1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

- It is important for shepherds - pastors - to realize that they lead Jesus’ sheep. He is the Shepherd, He is the Overseer (1 Peter 2:25). In this sense, the Christian shepherd doesn’t work for the sheep, he works for the Chief Shepherd.

- Faithful shepherds are promised a crown of glory, but not like the crown of leaves given to ancient Olympic champions. This crown will not fade away.

III. Peter Encourages (5:5-9)

A. Submit (5:5)

1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

- Young men should not be restricted to men, but can refer to a mixed group of men and women. Specifically, it identifies all those in the church who are not pastors and who are likely younger in the faith, in Christian maturity, and in experience. Just as pastors have a primary responsibility to shepherd the members of the flock, the members of the flock have a primary responsibility: “submission” to their pastors who have been given the responsibility of leadership. Be submissive is a command, an imperative, a directive which should be obeyed. Such a command is not to be debated. The verb means “to defer to the authority of.” It indicates a spirit of cooperation as opposed to dissatisfaction with the leadership. It describes a willingness to support the pastors’ directions.

- Some church members believe they have a right to sabotage pastoral leadership, to speak critically of pastors, to slander them, to castigate them simply because they don’t like them or their leadership. God has not given the members of the flock this responsibility. When they take this upon themselves, they allow Satan to use them as his tool for division and destruction in the church. The message here is clear: when pastor-shepherds lead their congregation with responsible and godly leadership and members of the flock resist this leadership, those members are in disobedience to the Lord and have opened the door for Satan.

- The combination of godly leadership and submissive followership should flow into an attitude of humble respect for one another throughout the church body. Clothe yourselves with humility suggests that humility should be a part of the believer’s wardrobe. “To clothe” refers to a slave or servant putting on an apron or towel to serve someone else. This image was forever ingrained in Peter’s mind. He had firsthand knowledge of this kind of humility. The same night on which Peter denied Christ, Jesus took a towel and washed the feet of the disciples

B. Humble (5:6-7)

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

- The followers of Christ are to humble themselves under God’s mighty hand. Although it may allow us to experience deep pain and suffering, it will still protect us and bring us safely through.

- Those who obey God in this manner find the promise that God may lift you up in due time. Trusting God in this way is another way to resist Satan, who would invite us in the midst of our pain to curse God and die. Trusting God ultimately leads to exaltation by him in “due time.” This description means either the time of Christ’s second coming or a time near at hand. God will bring persecution to an end. This truth is expressed by Grudem: In the time that God deems best—whether in this life or in the life to come, He may lift you up from your humble conditions and exalt you in the way that seems best to Him—perhaps only in terms of increased spiritual blessings and deeper fellowship with Himself, perhaps in terms of responsibility, reward or honor which will be seen by others as well.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

- Cast means “to throw something upon someone or something else.” This word suggests a deliberate decision of trust. We are to trust God with our anxiety, the things we worry about. The term (merimnan) means “to be drawn in different directions, to be divided or distracted.” Whatever we are anxious about tends to distract us from trusting God. It tends to pull us in different directions so that we do not depend on him. When we limp in this direction, we do not resist Satan, but play into his hand. He wants us to put more trust in ourselves and others as opposed to God.\

- God cares for you. The form in which the verb appears (present active indicative with the dative) indicates that God’s care and concern for believers is constant, ongoing, and unending. God is not indifferent to the suffering of his followers, but desires our active, humble trust in him, especially during difficult days.

C. Resist (5:8-9)

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

- Be Sober: Self- control, The apostle had exhorted to each of these before; see 1 Peter 1:13 but thought fit to repeat them; sobriety and watchfulness being exceeding necessary and useful in the Christian life; and the one cannot well be without the other: unless a man is sober in body and mind, he will not be watchful, either over himself or others, or against the snares of sin, Satan, and the world; and if he is not on his watch and guard, he is liable to every sin and temptation.

- Be vigilant - Awake, and keep awake; be always watchful; never be off your guard; your enemies are alert, they are never off theirs.

- This is the reason why ye should be sober and vigilant; ye have an ever active, implacable, subtle enemy to contend with. He walketh about - he has access to you everywhere; he knows your feelings and your propensities, and informs himself of all your circumstances; only God can know more and do more than he, therefore your care must be cast upon God. Your enemy; he who is opposed to you. Satan opposes man in his best interests. He resists his efforts to do good; his purposes to return to God; his attempts to secure his own salvation. There is no more appropriate appellation that can be given to him than to say that he resists all our efforts to obey God and to secure the salvation of our own souls.

- As a roaring lion - Sometimes Satan is represented as transforming himself into an angel of light; and sometimes, as here, as a roaring lion: denoting the efforts which he makes to alarm and overpower us. The lion here is not the crouching lion - the lion stealthfully creeping toward his foe - but it is the raging monarch of the woods, who by his terrible roar would intimidate all so that they might become an easy prey. The particular thing referred to here, doubtless, is persecution, resembling in its terrors a roaring lion. When error comes in; when seductive arts abound; when the world allures and charms the representation of the character of the foe is not of the roaring lion, but of the silent influence of an enemy that has clothed himself in the garb of an angel of light,

- Devour: Satan is determined to devour you in the regards by that people may fall into trap and be his prey. He wishes to eat and destroy you.

1 Peter 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

- You are in no instance to yield to him, but are in all forms to stand up and oppose him. Feeble in yourselves, you are to confide in the arm of God. No matter in what form of terror he approaches, you are to fight manfully the fight of faith.

- Confiding in God. You are to rely on him alone, and the means of successful resistance are to be found in the resources of faith.

- The meaning is, that you should be encouraged to endure your trials by the fact that your fellow-Christians suffer the same things. This consideration might furnish consolation to them in their trials in the following ways: They would feel that they were suffering only the common lot of Christians. There was no evidence that God was especially angry with them, or that he had in a special manner forsaken them. The fact that others were enabled to bear their trials should be an argument to prove to them that they would also be able. If they looked abroad, and saw that others were sustained, and were brought off triumphant, they might be assured that this would be the case with them. There would be the support derived from the fact that they were not alone in suffering. We can bear pain more easily if we feel that we are not alone - that it is the common lot - that we are in circumstances where we may have sympathy from others.

- Elijah was encouraged when he found out that he was not the only one left standing for God but there was hundreds of others that had not bowed the knee to worship Baal.

Conclusion:

1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

1 Peter 5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

I. The Coming Trial (4:12-19)

II. Peter’s Exhortation (5:1-4)

III. Peter Encourages (5:5-9)