How to Stand Strong Against a Roaring Lion
“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.”(1 Peter 5:8-11, NIV)
The devil is a roaring lion. He roars constantly. He roars during our persecutions. Asking why God would do what He’s doing? Why would He let us suffer in this way? Where is He? Has He forgotten you?
He roars during times of uncertainty. How can God possibly work through this? Didn’t He say He loved you? Didn’t He claim nothing was impossible? Maybe that promise was for someone else. Not for you.
He even roars when things are comfortable. In fact, that’s when He roars the most because He knows our guard is down. He tries to lead us down a road that will lull us even further into drowsy contentment using relationships, money, and any other means to keep you too busy to serve the Lord or devote your time to Him.
He wants to devour by any means possible. And he will use anyone and anything to do it.
So when Satan roars, what do we do? If we came toe to toe with an actual lion, we’d run right? That’s not what Peter tells us to do. Instead, we are to be alert and sober-minded. We’re not to let our guards down against the devil. We’re not supposed to be lulled into contentment when it comes to spiritual things. We should constantly be vigilant for the lies the enemy hurls at us in order to make us question, doubt, and turn away from God.
Not only that, but we are to resist the devil. We are to stand firm. That’s not running away from the lion we’re supposed to fear in our flesh. It’s the exact opposite. Instead of being intimidated or fearful of that prowling, roaring lion, we’re supposed to stand against him. We’re supposed to resist his fear tactics.
How do we stand firm? We put our minds on the Lord. We read His word, filling our hearts and mouths with His worship and His promises. We talk to Him and give Him our worries, letting Him be the firm ground we stand on and the steadfast lover of our souls. Not only do we get the comfort of His steady confidence, but we get the community and accountability of knowing that there is a whole family of believers who stand before that same lion and fight that same fight of faith.
Hear me when I say this: You are not alone in your struggle.
Not only do you have a God that stands and fights with you, but you have a family that is united by that same faith that saved you and lives in your heart, and they are all fighting alongside you. They empathize with it. They understand it. They were called to it and walk through it, too.
So the way God designed His church is not only so that you can turn to Him in the middle of your suffering, but you have a community of like-minded people that can understand you and encourage you to put your faith in Christ all the more.
Not only does Peter give this advice to us in 1 Peter 5, but he demonstrates it for us in the next breath by turning around and comforting us saying, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen.” (verse 12-11, AMP)
Yes, we are called to God’s own eternal glory in Christ. That means that not only are we saved by His grace, but we get to dwell in it and live in His presence, not only in this life but in the one to come. That is all waiting for us all the more after death and in Heaven. But first, we will go through suffering. Not a suggestion, but a guarantee. We will suffer here in this life. We will go through hard times and heartaches. But for those that walk with Jesus, that suffering has a purpose. It is so that God can complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish us by grace, through faith, into a people that are worthy of that eternal glory waiting for us.
So that roaring lion might seem frightening based on his roar, but for those that stand against Satan and are rooted in the grace of God, that lion has no teeth. Jesus’ work on the cross took away his ability to do anything to those that are saved by it. Suffering cannot be avoided, friends, but at least we serve a God who can use it to make something beautiful.
We need only to put our attention on Him and serve Him. In doing that, we stand firm against the devil, no matter how loudly he roars. No matter how dark the days get or how deeply we suffer, we have a God that consoles us, comforts us, and uses all things for His good purpose.
So today, if you find yourself in the face of a roaring lion, remember to resist him. Stand your ground in your faith. Pray to the Lord so that He might bear your troubles with you and comfort you in only the ways He can. Be confident that God is using that struggle to do something new in you, and He cannot fail.
