Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 122

May 2;    I Peter 5:8;    122/260(II);    ‘Sober & Vigilant’

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Other translations of this verse teach us to be careful and to watch out for the devil, who is our mortal enemy.  Lucifer, whose name is now satan, in heaven rebelled against Almighty God.  His rebellion was crushed and the devil was cast down to the earth.  Now, full of hatred and craving revenge, satan’s preoccupation is to destroy the lives of people, the Lord’s crowning creation.  Notice that this verse tells us that satan is like a roaring lion, he is not one.  The Lord Jesus Christ defeated the devil when He arose from the grave.  The authority given to satan by Adam when Adam sinned was taken back by the Lord Jesus Christ.  The supernatural power of satan is incredible.  A person is no match for him.  The Lord Jesus Christ took the authority away from the devil to hurt us.  Though satan seeks those he may devour, he cannot devour Christians who know who they are in Jesus Christ.  Though the devil has no authority over A Christian, if the Christian does not know this, satan who is a liar will deceive the Christian into believing that the devil can hurt him or her.  Satan’s ability to hurt Christians is limited by what he can deceive them into believing or saying.  If a Christian knows the Word and the victory Jesus had over the devil, the Christian will not be deceived and satan will not cause the Christian to say or do something that will hurt the them.  God’s Word is our protection in so many ways.  Again, the Word reveals to us the eternal victory the Lord Jesus wrought over satan.  The Word protects and preserves us and reveals truth.  How vital it is to know God’s Word and stand on it.