Be Alert!

1 Peter 5:8-11

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

***WOOOOOOOooooOOOOOoooo*** Can you guess what sound I’m trying to imitate? Maybe you were thinking some kind of siren, like from a police car or fire engine. I was going for tornado siren, but the point’s the same. When you hear that loud noise, it’s time to be alert. Look around. What’s going on? Do I need to bunker down in the bathroom? Maybe I should go outside to see if I can spot the tornado? (That’s a little too alert.)

 Peter sounds the siren. Be alert! Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Yes, the devil. How easy is he to ignore? Perhaps he seems more like the villain who shows up in the series finale or at the end of your video game. It feels like he’s a long way off. Like you don’t have to worry about him yet. You’re not that far into the story.

 But the devil isn’t waiting in his lair for you to show up for a third-act showdown. He’s like a lion. He doesn’t wait for the prey to come to him. He’s a hunter. When hunting, lions hide in the grass where their prey can’t see them. They stalk their potential meal. They wait for just the right time, just when they get close enough—and the chase begins! The antelope hopes to outrun the lion, but often the lion is just too close and too powerful.

 The devil is not as far off as he may seem. He cleverly hides himself, waiting for the right moment. He has many tools in his toolbox. There’s a saying that goes, “The devil knows more because he’s old than just because he’s the devil.” He’s been around much longer than you. He knows what temptations work on different people. He may not know your heart like God does, but he does know human weakness, your weakness. And he exploits it.

 Be alert! How close is the devil to devouring you? What sufferings has he used to draw you away from God and closer to his den? “Did God really say he loves you?” What temptations does he whisper in your ear? “Read God's life-giving word tomorrow. You don’t have time today.” Not mentioning Satan’s tomorrow is the same as Joe’s Crab Shack’s offer of free crab. How does he build up your ego? “You’re strong. You can get yourself through this.” Not mentioning how quickly your strength runs out. He waits to get you in his jaws and devour you. To crush you with one final blow. “Look what you’ve done now! You’ve thrown away your faith!”

 Resist him! But how? A lion is more powerful and cunning than an antelope. Satan is stronger and smarter than I. “Stand firm in the faith,” says Peter. What faith do I have if I’ve thrown it away? A faith that’s renewed and restored by the Holy Spirit with the promise that “the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

 The all-gracious God who wants all people to be saved wants to save you from the devil’s teeth. He’s rescued you from Satan’s crushing accusations. With faith in Christ, what can Satan accuse you of? Christ took sin off your record. He “canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). You’ve been called to God's eternal glory in Christ. God will not change his mind (Numbers 23:19). He promises to restore you himself after you’ve suffered. He will make you strong. He will make you firm. He will make you steadfast.

 Be alert! Propelled by faith in Christ, trust in God to protect you from the lion’s teeth. Rest in the comfort that his power is far greater than the devil’s. Have your defenses fortified by the Holy Spirit through reading and listening to the Word and by taking the Lord’s Supper. With the power of God—the promises of Jesus—you can resist even Satan himself.

 In an emergency, it’s important to be alert. In a fire, get to the exit. In a tornado, find shelter. In a flood, get to higher ground. In the clutches of the devil, run to Christ, who alone can save you. And “the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”