1 Peter 5:8-14

Here at the end of Peter’s first letter he admonishes believers to “cast all your anxiety (cares) upon Him because He cares for you.” What a wonderful thought that we have a Savior who invites us to cast our worries, fears, and doubts upon Him because He loves us so much.

Oddly enough, Peter continues in verse 8 by telling us something that most certainly could cause MUCH anxiety, fear, and worry. He says “be sober of spirit, be on the alert; your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. To devour means to eat up voraciously or to consume destructively or recklessly. Yikes! His goal is to devour our relationships, destroy our families, consume our joy and our faith in Jesus and completely undo our commitment to separate ourselves from the world and live for Him. Peter’s warning starts with “be sober”. This sobriety is not the opposite of drunkenness, but rather the opposite of complacency. It means to stay focused, aware of what is happening around us, and serious about our walk with God.

Peter calls the devil a lion, but God has had His own pride of lions throughout scripture. First Chronicles tells us that courageous men from the tribe of Gad came to David in the wilderness to join his mighty men. It is said that they were “men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, who were swift as gazelles on the mountains, and whose faces were like the faces of lions.”

Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked flee when no one pursues them, but the righteous are bold as a lion!”

And there is another lion. C.S. Lewis called Him Aslan in his Chronicles of Narnia. The Bible calls Him the Lion of Judah. Satan is but a poor counterfeit of our Great Kingly Lion. The devil harasses, intimidates and tries to terrify, but his power is lacking and limited. The Lion of Judah possesses divine power as Creator, Sovereign Lord, King of Kings and the very Son of God. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world!

Peter tells us to resist this wily enemy, firm in our faith. We have an entire suit of armor designed by God for us to be able to “resist in the evil day and stand firm.” Faith is our shield that extinguishes the fiery darts thrown at us by Satan. This struggle may cause suffering and hardship, but we are not alone in our struggles. Verse 10 assures us it is only for a “little while,” which is a repeat of chapter 1:6 where Peter tells his readers that “now, for a little while you have been distressed by various trials.” This prowling, roaring lion is limited, and our God is greater!

We rarely pay much attention to the end of a letter in the Bible, but Peter ends his first letter by telling them to greet one another with a kiss. In chapter 4:8 he says “above all” keep fervent in your love for one another.

My grandparents lived in the apartment above us and as kids we ran up the long flight of stairs almost every day to get cookies, or freshly baked bread and butter. All our neighborhood friends came with us. My Italian grandmother kissed us all as we came in and again as we left, adding a “God Bless You.” That kiss as we entered meant “I’m glad you came” and the one as we left meant “I hope you come again.” In today’s church this could be a hug, a warm handshake, a pat on the back, or a “God bless you.” I think Peter just wants us to express our love and keep that connection that is so important in resisting that prowling lion.

“So come on my soul, don’t you get shy on me, lift up your song, ‘cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs, get up and praise the Lord!”

Reflections

Lions and Limits

The Bridge