WATCH OUT FOR THE LION!
1 PETER 5:8 – 13
Introduction:
I am sure most of us have seen a lion before, if not in a zoo, at least on TV or in the movies or even in the circus. Lions are huge creatures, with some weighing as much as 250 kgs. or 500 lbs. Lions spend as much as 18 to 20 hours sleeping and do much of their hunting at night, usually done as a team effort and not individually. Lions are also creatures where the male and the female can be readily distinguished, with the male lions possessing a beautiful mane which is notably absent in lionesses. We view lions as majestic creatures, thanks in part to the description of the lion as being the “king of the jungle” by many, as well as biblical imagery which portrays Jesus as being both lion and lamb. Even the animated movie and the musical “The Lion King” has made lions look very appealing. Also, the C.S. Lewis book series, “The Chronicles of Narnia”, features a lion named Aslan who is representative of the Lord Jesus.
While we may find a lion to be a beautiful creature, I'm sure we will not deny the fact that a lion is also a very dangerous predator. Because of their size, they cannot pursue a prey for a long distance; thus, they are known to stealthily go near a flock of animals and then scatter the flock while looking for the weakest or slowest animal among the flock. Once they have locked in on and captured their intended target, they will use their huge mouths to bite their necks, crushing it and killing it almost instantly. While I may admire the beauty of this creature, I will not make the mistake of jumping inside a lion's enclosure in the zoo just to take a closer look or to pet him. I will just admire him from a safe distance, behind the bars of the enclosure. The same would be true for other creatures such as crocodiles, tigers and bears. They may look beautiful but I know they're dangerous and I wouldn't unnecessarily risk my life by getting too near them.
In this morning's passage, we are warned by the apostle Peter that there is a lion roaming out there who wants to attack and devour us. This lion roars loudly in order to intimidate us and make us shudder in fear. This lion however is not out to threaten our physical lives, but rather, it is out to wreak havoc on our souls. This lion is none other than Satan, also known as the devil. What should we be aware of when we are dealing with this enemy of ours? There are three things we should remember when we are in conflict with Satan so that when he attacks us, we will not be caught unaware, but rather, we will be ready for his attacks. To help us remember these three points, all of them starts with the letter “R”.
Now, before we go the main point of today's message, let's examine who our enemy, the devil, really is. When Peter referred to our enemy as being the devil, no doubt he had in mind the person of Satan. However, in our passage, Peter doesn't specifically use the name “Satan” but the Greek word, “diabolos”, which means accuser or slanderer. The word, “diabolos”, is a description of what Satan is doing against believers. He is doing everything within his power to make us fall, and when we do fall, he then proceeds to accuse us before the presence of God. Now, Satan doesn't just accuse us. He is also responsible for giving us wrong ideas about God. For example, when something goes terribly wrong in your life at this very moment, you will probably hear a voice saying something like “God doesn't care.” We all know God's promises of care and love for his people but Satan will do what he can to lead us astray and to give up on God. Satan operates by using lies and accusations. That is how he goes about causing us to sin.
With this information in mind, let's look at the three main points of this morning's message.
I. Respect The Enemy
The first thing we must do in dealing with our enemy is to actually respect him. Now, when I use the word “respect”, I do not mean that we admire and adore the devil. Instead, respect means awareness on our part of Satan's character and schemes such that we don't take him for granted but instead, we prepare for his attacks.
Many of the men here play or have played basketball. In a formal tournament, a team has twelve players. Usually a coach will use around 8 to 9 players heavily while the remaining 3 to 4 players will probably come in when the game is safely won already and they're in the game just for what is known as “garbage time”. Very often, we pay more attention and respect to the top 5 to 8 players of the opponent, but when they send in the guy who usually sits at the end of the bench, we probably wouldn't guard him that tightly. We probably would even let him take a shot from afar, thinking that he'll surely miss. We have the notion that players at the end of the bench are usually poor shooters, poor rebounders or poor defenders. We would probably be laughing on the inside, thinking why your opponent would send a bench player and you're imagining that he'll mess up his team's chances of winning. Now, imagine the surprise on our faces when that bench player all of a sudden goes on a shooting rampage, making key baskets, pulling down crucial rebounds and making good defensive plays. We never expected that the opponent's bench player could do that. We took them for granted. In fact, we failed to give respect to that player by thinking that he can't contribute to his team's efforts.
So often, we do that to the enemy of our souls, Satan. Somehow, we don't respect him enough to know that he is dangerous. Scripture describes him to be a dangerous foe; one who is cunning, has great power and intelligence. We must never ignore him or underestimate his ability nor should we joke about him.
How do we underestimate his ability? We underestimate him when we think that we are able to stand firm and we say to ourselves that we can't fall to a certain sin that Satan then intensifies his attack using numerous other means until we eventually yield to temptation. I am sure many among you have heard of the sad stories of prominent Christian leaders who have fallen into sexual temptations. How many among them felt that they were invincible to the attacks of Satan because they were Christian leaders? How many among them thought that they would surely not fall? If any among us were to feel that way when facing a temptation, I tell you, we will surely fall because we are underestimating Satan's ability to make us fall.
We make light of our enemy also by how we portray him. I'm sure many here know who Casper the Friendly Ghost is. But did you know that he had a friend who is a devil? His friend's name is Hot Stuff and he looks like the stereotype portrayal of what a devil looks like – red in color, horns on the head and pitchfork in hand. We know Casper as being the Friendly Ghost; Hot Stuff, on the other hand, is more like the mischievous kid who likes to play pranks on people. Also, there was a character that appeared in two movies who goes by the name of Hellboy. Hellboy is a devil who was found by the Americans during World War 2 as an infant in the hands of the Nazis. He was then raised up by a scientist like any normal boy. He did not behave like what we expect a devil would. Instead, he goes around saving the world. These are just a few examples of how the world portrays the enemy, making light of him. If we are not careful, we may just buy in to the ideas that the world is telling us about Satan and we end up admiring him.
On the opposite extreme, we sometimes give Satan too much credit. How do we give too much credit to Satan? It's when we blame him for everything bad that happens to us. We have a headache, we say there is a “spirit of headache” that is afflicting us. We have a fever, we automatically think that there its Satan causing us to be sick. While it is true that Satan can bring about illness, how can we know that every disease we have is caused directly by Satan?
You want to be ready when Satan comes to tempt and attack you? Begin by respecting him. Be aware of his character and his schemes. If you don't respect him and choose instead to underestimate him or even joke about him, you will surely lose to him when he attacks.
II. Recognize Your Enemy's Tactics
The second thing we need to remember as we fight the devil is to recognize his tactics for causing us to fall or fail. It is sad to see believers like you and myself yielding into temptation, and do you know why we often fall or fail? It is because we don't recognize the means or the tactics our enemy is using against us.
In the previous verses of 1 Peter 5, Peter cited two issues that the believers were prone to fall into. The first was the issue of pride. Let's admit it, we are anything but humble people. We are proud of our accomplishments, we are proud of what we have and we are more than willing to show it. Often times our pride inflates our ego so much that we end up relying more on ourselves rather than relying on God. When we begin to rely more on ourselves and less on God, we are actually falling into the same trap Adam and Eve fell into – the desire to become like God. Pride dictates that we do things our way, that we do things with our resources. It is in opposition to God's way and God's promise of provisions. Peter had to remind the believers that God opposes the proud but shows favor to those who are humble. Humble people are those who easily recognize and realize that apart from God's help and guidance, they cannot do much.
The second issue mentioned by Peter is anxiety. Satan loves to attack us using this particular tactic. He wants us to worry about anything and everything that comes our way. Why? It is because anxiety is a sure sign that we are not trusting God enough. We face situations wherein our faith is tested and we sometimes respond by not believing that God cares enough to help us. When we don't believe that God cares for us, then it is easy for us to panic and to want to do damage control our way. Thus Peter reminds us that we must cast all our anxieties on God because he cares for us. The apostle Paul, in Philippians 4:6-7, commands us not to be anxious about anything but instead, we should commit everything to God in prayer, and God will give us peace.
Now, a third tactic not mentioned in today's passage but was the context of the believers during that time was persecution. As we all know, persecution was done in order to force people to renounce and abandon their faith in Jesus Christ. Using physical pain, psychological and mental anguish, this particular tactic is meant to cause so much hardship that a person may want to escape by complying to the persecutor's demand. When a believer gives in because of the pain and renounces Jesus Christ, this brings great pleasure to our enemy. Christians during Peter's time were thrown in prison, tortured, made to face lions in the arena, just to name a few. Peter encouraged the believers to stand firm in their faith. In standing firm for Jesus Christ, the enemy's tactic will have failed and we bring greater glory to our Lord Jesus.
Peter only mentioned a few of the tactics that Satan uses. If you were to examine the whole of Scripture, you will see that there are many schemes Satan will use in order to make us fall and even for us to renounce and abandon Jesus Christ. Therefore, if we want to fight victoriously for our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to realize the enemy's tactics. The whole of Scripture will inform us of how the enemy works. We only need to pick this book up and read it carefully and we will be able to see clearly Satan's schemes. As we become familiar with God's Word, we will be able to see then how the enemy is at work today in our culture, the media (TV, music, internet), and our philosophies, and we will be able, by the grace of God, to stand up to these tactics.
III. Resist the Enemy Violently
The third and final thing we need to remember when we are in conflict with Satan is for us to resist the enemy; when I say “resist”, I am not talking about peaceful and passive resistance but I am referring instead to a “violent” resistance of Satan's attacks.
I am sure most of us have witnessed the scenes from the first People Power revolution that took place along EDSA. That revolution has become a model for how civilians can peacefully topple a dictatorial regime, like standing in front of a huge armored vehicle and giving flowers to the driver of the vehicle, softening the resistance. It may work for a country like the Philippines but try doing that against Satan and I will assure you that you will surely endanger yourself. You can't resist him peacefully or passively. Instead, picture the scene from World War 2 when Filipino and American soldiers valiantly fought against the Japanese invaders in Bataan. The Japanese Army thought that it would be easy for them to conquer the Philippines but it took them around four months before they defeated the joint Filipino and American forces when the latter finally surrendered to the Japanese, but not without first inflicting heavy casualty on the Japanese Army and delaying Japan's movement in Southeast Asia, giving the Americans enough time to rebuild their military capabilities. That is the kind of resistance we must have when we are being tempted or attacked by Satan. When Satan attacks us, we fight back actively.
Now, how exactly do we resist Satan? Well, we do what Jesus did when he was being tempted in the wilderness – he had an answer to every temptation that Satan threw upon him because he knew how to use the Word of God. His familiarity with the Word of God is not just about knowing the facts recorded in the Bible but it is all about putting into practice what he knew regarding the Word of God. The Word of God is a powerful weapon when resisting Satan's attacks. Jesus simply pointed to the Word and said “it is written” to all three recorded temptations and it silenced Satan. When we face temptation, we need to refer back to the Word of God and answer the tempter by saying to him, “it is written”, while at the same time, making a strong commitment to obey God's Word. By reminding Satan of the Word of God and your commitment to obey the Word of God, you would have shown active and violent resistance against him.
Another weapon we should use liberally when we are resisting Satan is the weapon of prayer. Prayer is not just communication with God, prayer is about relying completely on God's resources and strength. Prayer is all about aligning ourselves with God's will. Remember the story where the disciples of Jesus couldn't cast out the demon from a boy? When they asked Jesus why they couldn't cast the demon out, Jesus answered that the demon could only be cast out by praying. (Wow!) That is a great testament to the power of prayer when resisting the enemy. When we pray, we are asking the God of the Universe, the God who sent his own son to the cross to die for us, to deliver us, and surely, God will deliver us when we pray. How can Satan stand up to God, to our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray and boldly ask for their help and deliverance?
Another important weapon we can use is to remind the enemy that we have been bought with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, thus we are no longer under condemnation. No matter what accusations the devil may bring against us – saying that we are no-good, that we have committed these or those sins – they will not stand before the Lord, because we have already received forgiveness when we believed in Jesus Christ and what he did for us on the cross. Revelation 1:5b states clearly that Jesus loves us and that he has freed us from our sins by his blood. In 1 John 1:7, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all our sins. How can we use this third weapon? Whenever Satan attacks us with accusations, condemning us for our sins, we just simply rebuke him by saying with authority and confidence that, because we have already trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we have experienced forgiveness for our sins and we will continue to receive forgiveness whenever we sin because we are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. However, for this weapon to work powerfully, we must be sure to keep ourselves clean spiritually by constantly examining ourselves, confessing our sins and claiming forgiveness that Jesus Christ offers us.
Conclusion:
Our enemy, Satan, is like a roaring lion out to frighten and attack us. He knows his time to work is short, thus, he will do whatever it takes to make us fall into temptation, to make us turn our backs on the Lord Jesus, to make us doubt our salvation and our relationship with God. This morning, we learn the three Rs that we need to remember and apply as we will surely be attacked by Satan and his minions. First, we must learn to respect the enemy, that he isn't someone we should take lightly even though he has already been defeated by Jesus on the cross. He can still cause significant damage to our spiritual lives if we take him lightly and don't prepare for battle against him. Second, we must learn to recognize our enemy's tactics. Satan has a lot of tricks up his sleeves; we need to know what his strategies are so that we will not be caught by surprise. The Word of God records for us how Satan attacks us, subtly or overtly. Therefore, spend time to study the Word of God so that you will be aware and can prepare better for his attacks. Finally, we must resist the enemy violently. This means we must fight back by using the Word of God, prayer and by claiming the forgiveness and cleansing that comes from the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Satan wants to destroy us all, but we can thank God that he is a defeated enemy and we have all the resources available to live a victorious Christian life. I pray that we will use these resources and proclaim victory for ourselves through Christ Jesus. Let us also help others find that victory through Jesus as we lead people to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus and as we counsel and guide fellow Christians in claiming their victory in Jesus Christ.
