Encouragement: God, the Enemy, and Us

Encouragement to Foreigners: First Peter, Message Fifteen

1 Peter 5:6-14

{Semi-Inductive Structure}

Introduction: The key question we are going to study today is as follows: “What questions and answers are gleaned from this text?” As we study this text, there appears to be applicable and important information to be grasped, specifically regarding ourselves (as believers), our God, Yahweh, and the enemy, Satan. It is important for us, as we face daily spiritual warfare, that we are familiar with this information.

LM: Troops deployment: usually, if it is a year-long deployment, the full year is not spent on foreign soil. The largest portion of the year is, but there is time both before deploying to foreign soil and after arriving back home from foreign soil where soldiers prepare themselves for the mission and debrief from the mission.

Question: What questions and answers can be gleaned from this text?

What about us? (vv. 6-9; 12-14)

Instruction: There is both direct and indirect instruction given. The direct instruction comes from the aorist imperatives in the passage; the indirect instruction comes from the general flow and understanding of the passage.

Direct: Humble ourselves (modified by instrumental participle “casting”) [v. 6]; be sober-minded and alert [v. 7]; resist him [v. 9]; Stand firm in God’s grace (referring to the content and worldview presented in the epistle) [v 12b]

Indirect: Encourage one another (we are all suffering in some way, all across the globe) [v. 9b]; Depend on one another (to accomplish God’s plan) [vv. 12-14]

APPLICATION/ANSWER: We are required to do some things.

What about our enemy? (v. 8)

Identity: Our enemy is specifically identified in this verse as the devil. Michaels provided insight on this specific identity: “Here alone in 1 Peter, opposition to the Christian movement is personified in a single “opponent,” clearly identified as “the devil.” Everywhere else in the epistle the opposition is plural: the “disobedient” of 2:7-8 and 4:17, the “Gentiles” of 2:12, “the foolish” in 2:15, the cruel masters of 2:18, the unbelieving husbands of 3:1, “those who denounce your good conduct” in 3:16, the “blasphemers” of 4:4b, the indefinite “they” in 3:14 and 4:14. ἀντίδικος, “opponent,” is first of all an antagonist in a lawsuit (BDG, 74; cf., eg., Matt 5:25; Luke 12:58; 18:3), and Peter may have chosen the term because of the possibility of Christians facing formal charges in courts of law (see comment on 4:15). The setting, however, is not judicial; the word is used here to mean “opponent” or “enemy” in a very general sense.” (Michaels, 298)

Character: He is like a lion, the kind that is hungry, prowling around, walking about in a manner of seeking (an intentional manner) its prey, whom to devour. One website suggested that lions are not the fastest animals, so they usually strategically get close to their prey, wait for a moment when the prey is most vulnerable, and violently/aggressively attack. When we think about “devour” and the way the enemy is described, we often think that it happens quickly, focusing only on the actual attack rather than the full pursuit and process. Casting Crowns released a song in 2007 that I think rightly describes the process. The song is entitled, “Slow Fade.” The chorus reads this way, “And it's a slow fade When you give yourself away It's a slow fade When black and white have turned to gray And thoughts invade, choices made A price will be paid When you give yourself away People never crumble in a day (Slow fade) Daddies never crumble in a day (Slow fade) Families never crumble in a day.”

APPLICATION/ANSWER: Our enemy is the devil and he is extremely sneaky and crafty, more crafty than all of the others (Gen. 3:1) which requires of us sober-mindedness and alertness.

What about God? (vv. 10-11)

Character and Identity: He is the God of all grace. Regarding this, Michaels wrote, “All grace” corresponds in scope to the “diversified grace” of 4:10, encompassing not only the grace to come at the “revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:13; cf. 3:7), but the grace of “suffering for doing good” (2:19, 20) and the grace of mutual ministries in the worshipping congregations (4:10).” (Michaels, 302). Furthermore, He is the God who possesses all power (v. 11). Lastly, He is the God who called believers to eternal glory.

Activity: He Himself will restore, establish, strengthen, and support those whom He has called. Again, Michaels wrote beneficial and insightful comments on this: “Their cumulative effect is to reiterate and reinforce the aorist subjunctive ὑψώςῃ, “he will lift you up,” of v. 6, and so to complete Peter’s interpretation of Prov 3:34 as cited in v. 5. This, he concludes, is how God “gives grace to the humble.” The benediction turns out to be a promise of victory or vindication. The victory described is future and eschatological (cf. ἐν καιρῷ, “when it is time,” in v 6), yet because God is the God of “all grace,” the process by which it comes to realization is already underway in the ministries of believers to each other within and among their scattered congregations.” (Michaels, 302-303).

APPLICATION/ANSWER: Our God is the God of all grace, and He Himself, in light of our suffering, the enemy we face, and His identity- He will restore, establish, strengthen, and support us. For us, this means we need to trust Him.

CONCLUSION:

When we are in touch with who we are, the enemy we face, and the God we serve, then we can be prepared for the battle and the suffering that is laid before. We must, however, be in touch with these things. What is required of us, then? Humility, alertness to the enemy, resistance of the enemy, encouragement (one to the other), dependence (one upon another), and trust (in almighty, gracious God). Do you struggle with one or more of these today? Please, come, let me pray with you, and let God, the God of all grace, restore you, establish you, strengthen you, and support you amidst your struggle. In Jesus’ name.