How To Resist the Devil

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. (1 Pet5:8–9) As we submit to God, trusting our troubles into his care and keeping, we maintain control over our thoughts and emotions, fixing our eyes on him in a spirit of watchful expectation. This is the third time in the letter Peter has instructed God’s people to be “sober-minded,” or self-controlled. Here in 5:8 sober-mindedness is about safeguarding ourselves from the devil’s schemes. Until the Lord returns or calls us home, we will have to contend with this formidable enemy. Peter calls him our “adversary,” which is utterly appropriate, given that his mission is to destroy God’s glory by destroying God’s people. Peter likens the devil’s work to a ferocious lion that prowls around in search of prey. For most of us, our exposure to lions is limited to zoos and movies, so we don’t get just how terrifying this image was to the very first readers of Peter’s letter. To them, lions were the ferocious beasts let loose in Roman amphitheaters to tear people limb from limb.  That’s exactly what the devil tries to do to Christians, but ultimately he can’t succeed because Jesus’s power is greater. In the short run, though, he does all he can to discourage our faith, tempt us to sin, and paint God in an unloving light. He may be a ferocious lion now, but he won’t be forever. That role is reserved for “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” who is Jesus himself (Rev. 5:5). The devil’s prowling conveys the idea of stealth, of sneaking up on an intended victim, which is why God’s people must also be “watchful” (1 Pet. 5:8). Being wise to the ways of the devil is especially important during seasons of suffering, because we are more vulnerable to temptations like doubt and unbelief.  So being sober-minded and watchful is vital, but those traits aren’t by themselves sufficient to avoid the devil’s schemes. Peter says we must also actively “resist him.” We do this not by attempting to rebuke him or cast him out, as some claim. We simply don’t have the power to go head to head with the devil. The way to resist is by immersing ourselves in God’s word. We resist by feeding our faith in the company of God’s people. We resist by obeying God’s commands and seeking to please him. And we resist by prayer.  To this Peter adds that knowing we aren’t alone in our suffering is another aid in resisting the devil’s attempts to devour (v. 9). Suffering is more difficult to bear when we think that no one understands what we’re going through. Shared hardships have a bonding effect as sufferers offer sympathy and encouragement to one another.  Lydia Brownback is the author of several books in addition to the Flourish Bible Study series, including the On-the-Go Devotionals for women; Finding God in My Loneliness; and Sing a New Song. She is a regular speaker at conferences and events and is passionate about teaching God's word.