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.” 1 Peter 5:8-11 NIV
The time to dig deep into the treasure of God’s Word is now. This is no time for complacency. We journey through our Christian life from grace to glory, from justification to glorification, from the Cross to the Crown. As we travel through life, there are many lessons that we all must learn, and the Holy Spirit is our teacher. The Word of God provides all the instructions that we need for life and godliness, for our faith rests on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself being the chief Cornerstone.
The enemy is running rampant in the minds of many people, including those of the faith. He is doing it with lies that are contrary to the Word of God, therefore, praying, studying and spending time in God’s word is not an option, but critically important. Strength in and of ourselves is limited and is not enough to fight against spiritual warfare of the mind. Today is the day to gird your mind with God’s truth, which will produce its evidence through your thoughts, speech, reaction and actions. On our journey through life, we are called to be humble and hopeful, and to show a loving concern for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are also called to be on our guard and to be watchful in this increasingly godless society. We are called to be sober, serious minded, and to remain spiritually alert to the wiles of the evil one. If we are going to succeed in the Christian life, we’ve got to realize that we are in a battle, every day. We aren’t here on earth just to coast along and have fun or live our best life now. Life is a spiritual battle. You may not want to hear that, but I’m not here to tell you what you want to hear, I’m here to humbly tell you the truth. And the truth is, we have a real enemy who is out to do everything he can to harm us and hinder God’s kingdom work. So Peter gives us this warning here that we need to be on the alert every day. The Bible says, as we try to walk the narrow way of following Jesus, it’s not just you against yourself, or you against the natural obstacles of this world. There is an evil being who is actively trying to knock you out of that way, or to discourage you as you walk. And that someone the Bible says is the devil and his demonic forces. Yes, the Bible does indicate that there is a real devil. He doesn’t wear a red suit and have pointy ears and a long tail, like many cartoons picture him. The Bible says he disguises himself as an angel of light. He is a deceiver. He is an accuser. And he is against us. The very word Satan in Hebrew means “adversary.” He is the adversary of God and if you are God’s child, he is an adversary to you too. God has given us the tools needed for spiritual warfare in His word. What we do with it us up to us. God has already given us everything needed for spiritual and mental survival on earth. The battle of the mind can be won through the word of God. It is your spiritual sword to fight against spiritual battles of the mind!!!
Father thank You for this day and You Word that keeps me secure and safe. Lord open the floodgates of heaven and rain down Your abundant blessings over my friend and family today. Lord keep us clear headed and watchful in these last days before Jesus returns. Lord we know that Satan is prowling around seeking to destroy our witness and cause us to stumble. Lord we pray that we may take this warning seriously and rely on You in all things so that we may not stumble and fall but stand fast in this evil day. Lord use my friend to be a blessing that someone needs today. Daddy we love You amen. Be a blessing. Love ya !!
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