Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 277

October 4;     I Peter 5:9;      227/260(IV);      ‘Resist Steadfast in Faith’

1 Peter 5:9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

I Peter 5:8 tells us that the devil, satan, goes around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Notice a couple of things about that verse.  Satan is not a roaring lion, he is a liar and tries to intimidate people into thinking that he is a roaring lion.  He seeks whom he may devour.  He cannot devour everyone.  He surely cannot devour those who know who they are in Jesus.  The devil’s easiest way of devouring people is when they do not know the Word of God.  When they do not know that Jesus Christ defeated him.  If satan can frighten someone and gets them to ‘curse themselves’ by what they say, he can cause misery and pain in their lives.  Verse 9 tells us to resist the devil in the faith, or really by our faith.  Our faith in the Word of God and our knowledge that Jesus rose from the dead and satan is now under Jesus’ feet.  Because we are positionally seated in heaven with Jesus, satan is under our feet as well.  Faith which comes by the Word of God, enables us to know the truth about Jesus and His victory over our adversary the devil.  If satan cannot lie to you, and frighten you, by telling you things contrary to the Word, you are resisting him and his desire to hurt you, he cannot do.  Christians, who know who they are in Jesus Christ, are not intimidated by the devil.  He is a powerful fallen angel, but when Jesus defeated him, Jesus took the authority of satan to hurt you away.  Believers have authority over him and he must obey because we come against him in the Name of Jesus.  Know the Word, resist him, win.