“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. 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…” – Peter (1 Peter 5:6-9)
Resistance is a hard discipline. By definition, it requires a concerted effort to pull against a natural stress or tendency. The Scripture tells us that we are all pulled toward the “natural” tendency of sin. We are born selfish and self centered so our minds and our hearts are fertile ground for the seeds of the devil’s temptations.
Peter was a disciple familiar with temptation and the grief it can bring when we allow it to distract us from our relationship with Jesus. His failures have been documented and read in churches for the last 2000 years. So what advice does this salty old disciple have for those of us who are struggling? “Resist!”
He doesn’t say, “Run!” He doesn’t say, “Don’t worry about it. You’re only human.” He calls us, as disciples, to active resistance. This word demands us to be a part of our ongoing sanctification. Peter is reminding us that we are to remain aware of the temptation around us and that the devil is always looking for an opportunity to distract us. In every encounter with this hungry lion, we are given the choice of resisting or giving in.
Peter acknowledges that we will have cares and concerns in this world and that it will not always be easy to resist, but he gives us some direction…”cast your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you”. The devil does NOT care for you. His goal is to bring you down and make you ineffective. Resist him! You have a Father in heaven who cares for you and will be there for you…always! You can do this! Because He is with you…you can do this! Resist!
James said, “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). This is not because you are a spiritual super hero…this is because Jesus is your Refuge and Strength and the devil fears HIM! So, we must anchor ourselves in the arms of Jesus and resist!
Easy? No. Resistance is a deliberate act against our natural tendency to be our own savior. It is a decision to live contrary to what the world says and to find fulfillment in our relationship to “Our Father who art in heaven”.
Today, O Believer, embrace your Savior and resist the devil!