Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. [1 Peter 5.8-9]
At first today I was going to write about a couple different things from today's OYCB reading. However, when I came to this passage I knew I would need to respond to it.
I have heard it said that Christians should not waste time "rebuking the devil." But, based on Peter's instruction here, I cannot help but believe we must understand and address our enemy (who happens to be God's enemy as well).
I wonder today if faith is not even more of a weapon against our enemy than it is a stimulant to God. Frankly, we won't even need faith when we have entered heaven, right?
Peter makes two statements in one sentence when he said, Stand firm against him [the devil], and be strong in your faith. It just makes sense that faith, while it pleases God, is a real deterrent to the devil. If faith is used to fight God's enemy, God is pleased!
I know the Bible elsewhere says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Well that just makes good sense if faith is a weapon against God's enemy!
The fact is, if we are doing God's work on the earth, we will be standing firmly against God's enemy too.
Jesus addressed the devil directly and so we have His example as well a Peter's instruction here to do likewise.
Father, I am on Your side. Your enemy is my enemy. I will speak Your words against Your enemy. I will stand firm against him as I stand strong in my faith!
No comments:
Post a Comment