by: John Harris
1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
The Bible says that the Devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. As a hunter, I will dress in a camouflage outfit and at 6 am I will walk through the forest, climb into a tree stand and wait to see a nice whitetail buck.
Typically at sunrise, I will see a buck chasing a doe. Now while that buck is chasing the doe, he does not realize that there is a hunter in the stand waiting for the perfect shot. While he is lusting and so consumed with the doe, he does not realize on a tree stand is a hunter ready kill him. Typically, when a hunter shoots a nice buck, they will sever the head and have the deer head mounted as a symbol of the kill.
The Devil does the same thing. While we are tempted, we do not realize the Devil is out trying to devour us. While we are chasing our lust, the Devil is trying to snare us. The older I get, the more I see how many Christian casualties we have. Many people chase ambitions, sin, money, lusts and many other things that will divert their heart away from God, yet they do not see that the Devil has placed a snare in front of them.
Suddenly, they will start missing church, soul winning, tithing, giving to missions, Bible reading, prayer, compromising Biblical standards, and many other things that please God. They may become bitter, arrogant, prideful, discouraged, and the moment they do the Devil devours them, and they become casualties. Remember we are in a battle.
Through the course of time, the Devil has always used the same tactics. These tactics are the pride of life, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes.
Peter said that we are to be sober and vigilant. We are to be serious in this matter, and we are also to walk circumspectly. We are to walk to avoid the dangers and snares of the Devil. In a day and age where filthiness, lustful things and abominations are everywhere and at our disposal, we are to set our affections on things above. Remember this world is not our home.
I can think of many people who I have rubbed shoulders with who are now trophy mounts on Satan’s wall. The Devil placed snares in front of them, they took the bait and were eventually snagged.
Maybe the Devil is knocking the stuffings out of you. There are two verses that have encouraged me when this is happening. Romans 8:37 says, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” 1 John 4:4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Remember we have the Word of God, prayer, and if you are saved, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. It is possible to live a godly life in an ungodly world. Let us remember to stay the course by reading the Bible daily, pray, attend our local church, stay vigilant, be sober and continue living for God as long as He has us on this Earth.
We have to keep running the race set before us. We may get tired, weary and discouraged, but we need to keep running the narrow path that God has for us. If you fall, stand back up, dust yourself off and start running God’s path for your life once again. The finish line is when God calls you home. Let us finish strong.
John Harris
Missionary to Belize